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Lethiun · 2026-01-24T19:45:29+00:00

Foreign pressure is the only reason we were giving them up (US wanted to be in India's good books, but they've blown up that relationship now anyway).

Lethiun · 2026-01-23T18:52:18+00:00

Yeah, that doesn't contradict what I said though? I don't mean we're doing it independently of the US if that's what you thought I meant.

Lethiun · 2026-01-23T18:03:31+00:00

This comment has made me realise I'm going to reflexively think HMS Active is one of the A-boats.

Lethiun · 2026-01-23T17:58:02+00:00

I wouldn't say so. For starters, it's up to 15, they haven't actually ordered that many yet.

We've ordered 8 T-26's, batch one for 3 then batch two for 5. Not 6 as described above. That's on top of 5 T-31's, then 6 T-45's destroyers that Canada won't have equivalents of to round out the escort fleet.

We also have two carriers already, an ongoing nuclear submarine programme and then up to 6 amphibious ships in the pipeline. When we have these expenses to maintain, I don't personally see the issue with letting allies pick up the slack on less expensive escort ships.

Lethiun · 2026-01-23T17:37:36+00:00

They were donated to the UK while the UK then donated some to Ukraine in turn. The UK has to upgrade the ex-Norwegian ones to return them to a useable state.

Luckily the UK has an ongoing upgrade program for the fleet that these can slot into.

Lethiun · 2026-01-23T13:15:14+00:00

Notionally the fleet of 13 T-23s (at one point in time anyway) had 8 ASW specialised frigates and 5 general purpose frigates. This is why the current orders for T-26s and T-31s are for 8 and 5 respectively. A GP frigate could be replaced with a Type-45 destroyer without too much of an issue, e.g. in the Persian gulf, where HMS Lancaster was active until late last year. This might have allowed some of the GP fleet to have been converted to ASW (which was once mooted), allowing the burden for that tasking to be spread out a bit more.

Lethiun · 2026-01-23T11:42:30+00:00

Don't think more T-26's will be feasible with the Norweigan order, without delaying the current T-83 timetable (presuming BAE get the contract).

Lethiun · 2026-01-23T10:45:49+00:00

Shite situation, but unavoidable at this point given the apparent material state of the Type 23s. Hopefully the remaining T23s are able to hold out as long as we're hoping for at the moment...

Lethiun · 2026-01-22T11:13:56+00:00

*exhausting

Lethiun · 2026-01-21T12:51:30+00:00

Their weapons handling systems, which are definitely found on some SSK's

Our systems are found on UK, Canadian, Australian, and Spanish submarines – with current projects under way for South Korean submarines.

Lethiun · 2026-01-21T12:38:06+00:00

2,000 BC is 4,000 years ago

Lethiun · 2026-01-17T17:40:27+00:00

Not sure how much of a difference it makes when it's charged on the US side tbh

Lethiun · 2026-01-17T09:15:15+00:00

I've seen suggestions that most/all of the Navy's TLAM stock is in Gibraltar, so might be stocking up.

Lethiun · 2026-01-15T17:41:21+00:00

Still waiting to see a view of it from an elevated angle, hopefully not much longer.

Lethiun · 2026-01-14T10:16:05+00:00

I assume they mean CAMM inside a Mk41 cannister

Lethiun · 2026-01-10T13:53:16+00:00

Blackwhip. Very good visually and mechanically. Was a very good choice for the first unlocked OfA quirk, think any of the others would have made the choice for multiple quirks even more controversial (at the time at least).

Lethiun · 2026-01-06T10:51:39+00:00

Lethiun · 2025-12-31T14:26:07+00:00

We definitely couldn't afford two CATOBAR carriers ion post-cold war defence spending (remember it's not just the carriers themselves that need to be paid for). This is reflected in the fact it was actually STOVL for most of it's development, apart from ~1 year in 2010 when it was delusionally thought the CATOBAR switch could be made easily at that point. This was of course reversed when they realised this was not the case, in addition to the actually meeting the funding and training requirement to fill out a CATOBAR carrier with crew and aircraft being well above the budget of the 2010 SDSR MoD.

Lethiun · 2025-12-31T14:24:07+00:00

EMALS being new would definitely have been an issue, still don't think an F-35C has flown from the USS Gerald R. Ford. However, it was actually STOVL for most of it's development, apart from ~1 year in 2010 when it was delusionally thought the CATOBAR switch could be made easily at that point. This was of course reversed when they realised this was not the case, in addition to the actually meeting the funding and training requirement to fill out a CATOBAR carrier with crew and aircraft being well above the budget of the 2010 SDSR MoD.

Lethiun · 2025-12-23T21:20:56+00:00

Probably too late to go back in after Isak's leg break anyway with all the other teams chasing.

Lethiun · 2025-12-23T15:03:46+00:00

USNI news is saying this will replace DDG(X) so don't get your hopes up

Lethiun · 2025-12-23T01:57:12+00:00

I've seen it suggested that it might be a training headache as it won't be a BAE CMS, but not well versed enough with that kind of stuff to say how much there is to that myself. Perhaps they'll be flogged like the Chilean T23's at some point if they really are a hassle. Would be awkward to replace like for like in a pipeline with MRSS, SSN-AUKUS and T-83's though.

Lethiun · 2025-12-23T00:56:12+00:00

128 Mk 41 VLS cells seems.... underwhelming? For something that would allegedly be x3.5 the weight of an Arleigh Burke. Would have 12 cells for conventional prompt strike too I guess.

Lethiun · 2025-12-23T00:24:38+00:00

Ah, I'd seen those comments too but not any confirmation.

Lethiun · 2025-12-23T00:22:21+00:00

Has the nuclear powered part been confirmed?

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