SW1 wrote: ↑03 Jun 2023, 10:01
The RN sort indicated it wanted a high end surface fleet then reacted in horror when the politicians went ok that’s all you are getting and back peddled faster than a French fleet!
The fact that the RN will be spending the majority of its cash on T26s, SSNs and capabilities for the carriers proves it still wants it.
The so called back peddling was forced by politics and the Treasury who thought a £250mn fringe was a good idea - this once again has been proved a folly for the ignorant.
Whilst I wasn’t there I’m pretty sure there that would have been a robust discussion within the RN about aiming for a few more T26s over the T31. What probably killed it was again the government’s reluctance to commit to long term batch 2 T26 orders, which if rumour is true BAE was willing to build 9 for the price of 8.
SW1 wrote: ↑03 Jun 2023, 10:01
It will be controversial but imo in high end pier warfare the RN surface fleet is irrelevant the submarine surface is their only player. The surface fleet if for policing and 2nd tier conflict.
SSNs / XLUUVs will have a major role to play for sure. Even putting aside the military effect, the fact that you have a globally deployable invisible asset that the government will not talk about where they are is ingenious for the government that can spend less but talk big. Hopefully with AUKUS however this fleet will grow.
However, to say that the UK does not need maritime war fighting capabilities above the water is delusional. CEPP (through CSGs/ESGs) will be the countries maritime sword and the SSNs (and MPAs) the shield. We need both, and whilst I would have push for three, two CSGs/ESGs, albeit limited is the right balance for the budget.
Where I do have an issue is these mythical “2nd tier conflicts” they do not exist, everything has the potential to become a cluster f@ck tier one conflict. The days of colonial sloops slapping wrists to the peace is assign to history. What we have is a multi-player, complex, global grey war going on and we need the right low-end assets to work with our allies to prevent conflict (with the threat of the big tier one war fighting stick behind our backs).