How many years to enlarge the Royal Navy

Over Clocker · 27 Jul 2019 at 21:25

So there is a lot of talk at the moment of the size of the Royal Navy, especially the number of escort vessels.

Realistically, even if we expedite the delivery date of the new Type 26 Frigates and keep the Type 23 instead of replacing them with 26, we're still probably 5 years off even adding 1 or 2 ships.

Do we build a bunch more OPVs for use in home waters and expedite any planned repair schedules of the current Type 45 and Type 23 to get as many back to see as possible?

What would it take to get HMS Queen Elizabeth to sea a bit quicker? We have 18 F35s to put on it at the moment, plus a bunch of Apache helicopters etc.

[FnG]magnolia · 27 Jul 2019 at 23:01

I don't know, what have the MOD said they're planning to do?

Deleted member 77746 · 27 Jul 2019 at 23:05

Over Clocker said:
Do we build a bunch more OPVs for use in home waters and expedite any planned repair schedules of the current Type 45 and Type 23 to get as many back to see as possible?

What would it take to get HMS Queen Elizabeth to sea a bit quicker? We have 18 F35s to put on it at the moment, plus a bunch of Apache helicopters etc.

A big lol from me!

robfosters · 27 Jul 2019 at 23:16

What exactly do we need a bigger, more expensive navy for?

diamount · 27 Jul 2019 at 23:20

I thought that's why the trident program existed - as a force multiplier?

Deleted member 77746 · 27 Jul 2019 at 23:22

I have 50,000 Apache helicopters lined up in my garden would that be any help for you OP?

robfosters · 27 Jul 2019 at 23:22

diamount said:
I thought that's why the trident program existed - as a force multiplier?

Pretty much this. Why do you need such a large expensive navy when you have a weapons system that can obliterate anything in the world within a matter of minutes?

Randomface74 · 27 Jul 2019 at 23:24

Because using a nuke to shoot a small boat isn't good value.

Lakeland · 27 Jul 2019 at 23:24

It’s not just a matter of building equipment, the navy are already working overtime to recruit people, at least in to technical roles, and they aren’t doing as well as they want to.

Destination · 27 Jul 2019 at 23:27

robfosters said:
Pretty much this. Why do you need such a large expensive navy when you have a weapons system that can obliterate anything in the world within a matter of minutes?

Lol yes, pirates capture a tanker, we can just nuke the entire world to show our displeasure at their use of a comma after an and in their ransom demand!

robfosters · 27 Jul 2019 at 23:27

billysielu said:
Because using a nuke to shoot a small boat isn't good value.

Maybe, but it’s jolly good fun

Boycey0211 · 27 Jul 2019 at 23:29

Lakeland said:
It’s not just a matter of building equipment, the navy are already working overtime to recruit people, at least in to technical roles, and they aren’t doing as well as they want to.

That's because the pay doesn't match the levels of technical ability, something that is being outstripped by civilian world on a yearly basis

azazl187 · 27 Jul 2019 at 23:29

This is a pointless thread. The MOD have made zero implications that the Navy even needs expanding.

robfosters · 27 Jul 2019 at 23:31

azazl187 said:
This is a pointless thread. The MOD have made zero implications that the Navy even needs expanding.

No point in it at all. You could spend billions and billions of taxpayers money on a super navy that would spend all its time hanging around doing bugger all.

StriderX · 27 Jul 2019 at 23:48

Maybe if people actually wanted to join the navy they could man the ships they have, unfortunately waste of time by the government in using a private business (no surprises here) to improve sign ups has made that a farce.

There's literally zero point in having more ships if you can't use them, especially when they seem to spring leaks or fail to operate in certain conditions because the culture in the MoD is trash.

AiiR · 27 Jul 2019 at 23:59

Build more docks so you can get more ship queues going.

At least that's what I did in Age of Empires.

Deleted member 77746 · 28 Jul 2019 at 00:00

AiiR said:
Build more docks so you can get more ship queues going.

At least that's what I did in Age of Empires.

You need to feed the builders though, any change you could hire some fisherman?

Rroff · 28 Jul 2019 at 00:15

I'm curious where the best balance lies between OPV, some kind of intermediate and frigates - if it came to a shooting war I guess we'd be glad we had gone frigate heavy maybe but to my mind it would have been better to cut down 1-2 frigates and built 4-5 combat variants of the Echo class instead. We really should have built atleast 2 more Type 45s maybe even 1-2 more than that as their defensive value is immense and we need good coverage in terms of maintenance and the overlap of home/defence and overseas use.

Bolstering numbers is a huge problem as ships take even expedited 3 more like 4 years to build and 18-24 months for trials never mind any other logistics of having to design something from scratch.

I'm also not convinced it was a good time to phase out the HMS Ocean without a direct replacement and a type of ship we need to stay invested in for the foreseeable future as they are invaluable not just for military roles but for disaster relief, etc. as well.

StriderX said:
Maybe if people actually wanted to join the navy they could man the ships they have, unfortunately waste of time by the government in using a private business (no surprises here) to improve sign ups has made that a farce.

There's literally zero point in having more ships if you can't use them, especially when they seem to spring leaks or fail to operate in certain conditions because the culture in the MoD is trash.

Manpower is a serious serious issue but not completely insurmountable but also as I've mentioned before we've had several people through where I work who wanted to go into the RN who ended up going elsewhere career wise due to their intake getting pushed back multiple times and other incompetence.

diamount said:
I thought that's why the trident program existed - as a force multiplier?

Fleet subs are the force multipliers - assault variants like the Astute class not the strategic subs like the Vanguards.

Minusorange · 28 Jul 2019 at 00:51

robfosters said:
What exactly do we need a bigger, more expensive navy for?

Because China & Russia will attack us if we don't

StriderX · 28 Jul 2019 at 01:27

Minusorange said:
Because China & Russia will attack us if we don't

With Russia's rust buckets? an old man with a stick could stop them.