AHC: Strong post-war Royal Navy?

Zen9

Banned
I seem to recall that the plan was the Forts would provide a lower level force, in support of a number of Type 23s in less critical locations.
 
I think its illuminating that they were designed during the post Falklands Cold War era but finished building and fitting out when the cold war was over. As such they were designed to kick a bit of arse but not actually built to do it.
 

Zen9

Banned
I think its illuminating that they were designed during the post Falklands Cold War era but finished building and fitting out when the cold war was over. As such they were designed to kick a bit of arse but not actually built to do it.
Peace 'Dividend' (savings)
 

Zen9

Banned
Post Falklands, a Batch 4 Type 42 Destroyer replacing Sheffield and Coventry could have been interesting.
I'm not sure that's a logical move at the time.
By this point Sea Dart II was dead, and the RN was being lured into the mess of NF-90, NAAWS, and the long slide to Horizon.
So much so that any hope for Sea Wolf GWS.27 was doomed let alone Sea Dart.

But had SAM.72 moved forward, all this would be different.
No need for Sea Dart
UK would be in the process of fielding the new MSAM for Army and Navy.
No slide to Horizon, just enlarged Type 23's.
And the money saved being ploughed into PESA or AESA.
Next Generation AAW Destroyer would thus repeat the Type 23 power plant, no messing around with recuperative systems (US design) bolted to a Marine RB.211 that became a Trent yet produces a third less power than the MT30.
No need for inadequate diesel engines that left Type 45's struggling with power management issues.

And no being locked into PAAMS or having to fund US companies to provide a ARH seeker on Standard.
 
Well I was more thinking that obviously in the mid 1970’s when Type 42 was ordered the requirement was for 14 Hulls. 2 had been lost, had the requirement changed or was there a realisation that type 42 didn’t meet the requirement?
 

Zen9

Banned
Well it got stretched, and they were rather quick to work on the much larger Type 43.
Much as with Type 44 they were looking at using the Type 22 hull.

Manning requirements for the fleet of Type 42's was potentially a problem, along with missile capacity. Hence why Type 43 was a double ended setup with two magazines each equal to Type 42. For just over half the numbers you got the same or greater capability on less personnel.
 
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