UK Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Jura said:

Should HMS Queen Elizabeth be fitted with her own missile defences?
March 3, 2018

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just LOL at supposedly 'deep strike' and 'power projection' capabilities (according to spin doctors) and missing millions to have to ask this type of question; spin doctors of course ready to answer with 'No', as in no AShMs Nov 11, 2016, no sea-mines Apr 5, 2017 etc. but spin doctors boasting about two supercarriers for F-35Bs

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Jura said:

now noticed the tweet

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The MoD stated in January that the keel for the 7th Astute class (HMS Ajax?) would be laid in 2017. This has not happened an no explanation has been given.

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UK’s defense procurement minister Guto Bebb on March 6 informed MPs that the UK defense ministry received the treasury approval to award a construction contract for the Royal Navy’s seventh Astute-class submarine.

Negotiations are still ongoing, it was noted, and the new contingent liabilities associated with the Astute boat 7 “whole boat” contract will come into force on signature of the contract.

“The departmental minute describes the contingent liability that the MOD will hold as a result of placing the Astute boat 7 “whole boat” contract, which will provide for the production and testing of the vessel,” Guto Bebb said in a written statement.

“Within the boat 7 contract, BAE Systems Marine Ltd limit their exposure to product liability to £1 billion per incident and £300 million in any 12-month period. This limits the contractor’s exposure for claims by the MOD for losses associated with the product being defective or deficient, and creates an exposure for MOD to third party claims against the contractor for losses associated with the product being defective or deficient. It is the view of the Department that the likelihood of any claim is remote.”

The news was welcomed by the Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock who expressed relief after reports of pressures to scrap construction of boat 7 altogether. A Sunday Express report on the possible cancellation of the seventh boat in the class was based on a confidential document leaked earlier this year.

A £1.4 billion contract for the construction of boat six was awarded by the MoD to BAE Systems in April, 2017.

HMS Astute, Ambush and Artful are already in service while the fourth boat, the future HMS Audacious, recently completed its

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.

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About 500 workers at Devonport dockyard are to lose their jobs in a round of cuts by Babcock International.

The company, which services Royal Navy warships and submarines, said it was "a necessary step in sustaining the company's future".

"We recognise that this is a worrying time for those colleagues who are affected," it said, adding it would work with unions.

The yard is the sole nuclear repair and refuelling facility for the Royal Navy.

Luke Pollard, Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport,

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: "Very concerned to hear of job losses at Devonport."

He told the BBC that the firm had warned of job cuts last year, but 500 was more than he was expecting.

And he said that "clarity" was needed from the firm on what jobs were going.

"It looks like being another very bad day for Devonport," he said.

"The yard is so important for our industry because it supports thousands of jobs in the wider economy."

The firm, which employs about 5,000 people at the yard, said the cuts followed a 12-month "review of our operations to ensure that as a business we remain competitive".

Plymouth Moor View Conservative MP Johnny Mercer

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that the move was "deeply disappointing".

The Devonport base has been the home of Royal Navy flagship HMS Ocean,

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It is also home to a number of frigates and Trafalgar-class submarines as well as 13 laid-up nuclear submarines which are

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Jura said:

Oct 23, 2017
now noticed "Disposal of the eventual total of 27 boats will cost at least £10.4bn over 25 years and continue into the 2040s." etc.:
The painfully slow process of dismantling ex-Royal Navy nuclear submarines

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real world, huh?

The flotilla of retired attack submarines in number 3 Basin in Devonport, continues to grow. Three more T-class submarines will decommission and join them before 2023, with 4 large Vanguard class to follow between 2028-34. There are now more boats laid up in Devonport alone (13) than there are in entire active submarine flotilla (10).

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Jura said:

Dec 28, 2017
and Contract for seventh Astute submarine in the works, UK MoD confirms

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Earlier concern over the speculated cancellation of Astute boat number seven has been eased by a defence minister.

New defence procurement minister Guto Bebb informed MPs in a written statement:
“The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has received approval in principle from Her Majesty’s Treasury (HMT) to recognise new contingent liabilities associated with the Astute Boat 7 ‘Whole Boat’ Contract.”

We understand that this announcement paves the way for the formal contract to be signed before the end of the financial year.

The scrapping of the seventh Astute Class submarine under construction had been “actively considered” it emerged earlier in the year. A leaked document seen by The Sunday Express stated senior officials read:

“In the long term the delay (or cancellation) will ease the pressure on manning, but we must not be seen to welcome this situation. Any loss of capability will impact on operations.”

Barrow MP John Woodcock said at the time:

“This leaked document is confirmation that scrapping Astute boat seven is being actively considered by the government. There is embarrassingly flawed logic within the decision but it shows just how much pressure there is to find any route out of the cash crisis that is gripping the MoD.”

Woodcock later tweeted:

“To be clear – we are not there yet. The defence secretary will clearly fight for the funds to cover the defence equipment programme, including boat 7. But the fact our submarine programme is under threat shows the terrible funding pressure being imposed by the Treasury.”

This comes not long after the fourth Astute class submarine, Audacious, which is being built by BAE Systems for the Royal Navy, completed her first ever dive.

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Jura said:

..., new candidates for mediocre armament:

1. Type 26 (8k displacement) with 48 Sea Ceptors only (this assumes no Mk 41 VLS, or Mk 41 VLS installed with an empty air);
2. Type 31 (3?k displacement) also with just Sea Ceptors;

#1 and #2 are particularly ludicrous as the RN won't have AShMs Nov 11, 2016
...

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