.
[rmed Forces of the World
Part2
groups will eventually be fitted with the Type 2050 ing problems when they s.'.:: - -: : , -- - , -
Destroyers and frigates hull-mounted active sonar systern. The major dis- ... .- - -' ,. . -
tic, so therr time ln the f lee: -..
--: :ackbone of the Royal Navy is formed by its advantage of the class is the fact that the Sea Wolf Onepossibilitybeingexpc'el:: :-::.:- : :: :
:;::'lyer and f rigate flotillas. The former is consti- launchers are hand reloaded, which makes the ships lack of fngates s the des g- :- r :: -:.'- -- - -' :
--.:: :y three batches of theType42 destroyerthat vulnerable to stream saturation attacks. To rectify number of heav' y a'rreJ :-' -..-: . .. '.
:':, :e the primaryanti-airwarfare missile defence thls the new Type 23 'Dar ng' class frigates that are around the UK's coastal waie-: :- : ' a'... - --:
'-' :^e fleet with the twin+ail GWS-30 Sea Dart to be ordered in the next year or so will be f itted wlth West lndies. The-e a'e a'e;:. ' .= :=.:... :::
:. s:e.r1. This is a 65-km (40-mile) range Mach-3.5 the GWS-26 vertical-launch Sea WolJ system. lt is corVetteSinservicewlththeei''a,':'':'-::
;,'. ^ gh-altitude SAM that proved itself in the Falk- possible that the Type 22Batch 3 ships may also be an OTO-Melara Compact T6-n'r 3- ' : -- .- ,' -'
:-ls \/ar; but like a number of other weapon sys- fitted with GWS-26. Both the Type 22 Batch 3s and single 7.62-mm (0.3-in) machine-g--: --::: .: :
:=-s used in the Falklands, the GWS-30 system the 'Darings' will also be fitted to carry the US Har- funded rra'nly by the gover-rr e'-. .' - - - : . --. -:
.'.:s a so found wanting in some key areas. The poon surface-to-surface anti-ship missile in two replace five ex-'Ton' class patroi s- :s .-:. ..:':
--:ll number of reload missiles carried by each Sea quadruple launchers. The Harpoon wili replace the used to patrol the colony's.&3',q',.:. j -: .-
-:: ship is also a cause for concern because a current French MM.38 Exocet in that role, and will vidual needs of the Falklands have a s: :.:- ^ : -
:: / et saturation attack by aircraft and misslles enable the launch platform to engage surface the purchase and corr e'sio' :
,'. rrld swamp the system because (amongst other iargets at well over twice the range currently possi- strengthened comn'ercal o'ie : .-:: -. :
-- rgs) of poor computer/human interface response
. -e and reloading, The ships' ASW armament ls
ble with the MM.38. To complement the weapon
systems new decoy launchers, ESM (electronic
Named HMS Sentinel, HMS Prcie:::-
'-, - :
Guardian, these have now deployec :c :-= :,, '
- nrmal, and apart f rom a 4.5-in (1 14-mm) gun there support measures) equipment and active jammers Atlantic to release some o' rhe -a'o- : --:.: . . -
-. no surface-to-surface capability other than the will also be fitted to enhance survivabillty. batants for NATO duties. Tney a'e . ' : -. ' - .
-.'nx helicopter and a secondary role for the Sea To bolster the modern destroyer and f rigate force bythe ice patrol ship HMS Enduranc3 ..-:.: :',:-
)art system. there are 24'Leander' class and sixType 2'1 frigates osed scrapping in l9B2 was a major s l . -- - , .
The inner zone of point-defence missiles is gra- in service with a diminishing number of older ves- tina that the UK was no iorger -i:-:- .: - ' :
::ally being switched from the vessels armed wlth sels. Since entering service the 'Leanders' have Falklands. For coastal patrol around i-: - :- - --'
S:a Cat missiles to the Type 22 ftigares which pro- undergone extensive refits that have resulted in six fishery protection duties there are s=. =- : ::
. :e 'goalkeeper' services to otherwise unprotected separate sub-groups that vary from the lkara ASW class, two'Castle'class and six'Ton :::: -- --:
- gh-value surface targets. Armed with the GWS-25 conversion to the Sea Wolf SAM/Exocet SSM (sur weepers which operate under the ais: ,=- ,' . -
'-Lly automatic Sea Wolf missile system, the Type face-to-surface missile) convers on in scope. Coastal Sqradron. Their armamen. : - - '. ..-
22 shlps are designed primarily for ASW operatrons Although at present still numerically the most impor- the two'Castle'craft have a mlnela'i'l :::::
- the Greenland-lceland-UK (GIUK) gap. However, tant of the Royal Navy's surface fleet, the'Leander' that has been tested in trials.
:ecause of the lessons of the Falklands war the class is gradually to decrease in numbers as the
- qe 22 Batch 3 vessels of the 14-ship class wrll older ships are replaced by new-build vessels. The
llMS Broadsword, first of the 'Type 22' class
:arry both a 4.5 14-mm) gun and two Dutch 30-
(1 fate of the six remaining Type 21s is also somewhat frigates, provides'goalkeeper' protection ic ::=
-m Goalkeeper CIWS (close-in weapon system). of a mystery at present as stability problems mean carrier HMS Hermes. ?fi e lllfin g of S e a W o I i
-re Type 22Balch 2 and 3 vessels will also carry the that they cannot be rearmed with new weapon sys- rnrssrTesftasm ade the class potent close air
-/pe 3031(Z) towed sonar array, and all three sub- tems. Most of them also suffered major hull crack- defence vessels.
.. ! e,/
E ft*%
The Royal Navy's only other surface minelaying designed specifically to deal with the Soviet con- The ice patrol shrp HM,S Endurancewon a teprieve
capability is provided by the exercise minelayer and tinental shelf, deep water rising and underwater from the scrapyard as a result of the Falklands
electrical-potential mine types that will be sown war, and so remains to serve the scattered British
MCMV (mine countermeasures vessel) depot ship
scientific stations on the coasts and islands of
HMS Abdiel. ln wartime the laylng would be under- along NATO submarine transit routes. To assist the
Antarctica.
taken by requisitioned roll-on/roll-off ferries in the regular sweepers in wartime the Royal Navy will
manner of the vessels used by the Libyan navy. Any requisition some 40 or so deep-sea trawlers that will helicopters together with facilities to service BAe
offensive iaying would have to be done by the sub- be equipped with the Extra Deep Armed Team Sea Harrier V/STOL fighter-bombers. ln addition to
marlne force or by RAF aircraft such as the BAe Sweep gear for tackling moored mines at most the air-capable replenishment ships the RFA also
N mrod or Lockheed Hercules. To find and destroy depths. operates two aviation support ships, the Belrant
enemy ground mines laid in coastai waters the fitted out as the Arapaho concept containerlzed air
Royal Navy maintains in service a force of about 15 Auxiliary ships support trials ship and the replacement for the cur-
eLderly 'Ton' class minehunters. These are being To support the fleet the Boyal Fleet Auxiliary rent helicopter support ship Engadine, the ex-
slowly supplemented by 15 'Hunt' class MCMVs (RFA) has a wide range of underu'ray replenishment Container Bezantwhich s undergoing a two-year
rvlth GRP (glass-reinforced plastics) hulls and the ships and tankers. The Falklands War has seen the conversion and will carry up to six Westland Sea
:r-ench PAP104 mine-disposal system, The 'Tons' reduction of the RFA fleet stopped and has shown King-sized helicopters and have the facilities neces-
',v 1l eventually be replaced by a class of single-role the need for its vessels to be armed with both sary for operating up to 12 Sea Harriers if required.
GBP-hulled minehunters that is currently being de- self-defence weapons and ASW stores for the heli- The RFA also crews the five LSLs (landing ships,
s gned, Conventional minesweeping operations are copters they carry for VERTREP (vertical replenish- logistic), and two ex-merchant logistic ships in sup-
s: 1 being undertaken by a number of 'Ton' class ment) operations. For the future, a new class of fast port of the Royal Mar nes and British army, each of
i essels, which are being replaced in BNR service by combat support ship is under development that will whom operates a number of LCVPs (landing craft
:ne 'Rlver' class of fleet minesweeper which was carry Sea Wolf SAMs and an air group of six ASW vehicle, personnel), LCU (landing craft, utility) and
logistic landing craft for its own use.
There are also in service a considerable number of
other support and auxiliary craft such as salvage
vessels, tugs, tenders and the like, of which the
most important are the Diltgence, a maintenance
and repair ship. and the Challenger, a seabed opera-
tions vessel, The royal yacht Britannta is also in-
cluded in the navy list with a wartime role of hospital
ship, but during the Falklands war she was conspi-
: ..
':a r:..t{
:: ]:
,::-:':::'::,
:: !:.:i':]i:
cuous by her absence through fuel-compatibility
;i :: l,:!-::"i:n problems. Her role was undertaken by the liner
it:l:::r;igU ;:l Uganda, with the survey vessels Hydra, Hecla and
Herald serving as ambulance ships.
The Royal Navy's hydrographic service operates
four offshore, four coastal and four inshore sur-
veying vessels, which are totally inadequate for the
workload assigned to it. Hopefully by the mid-19B0s
the work performed will be for military purposes
only as all the civilian work is to be {ransferred to the
Department of Trade. There ls to be a small expan-
sion of the hydrographic service wlthin the foresee-
able future as a new coastal survey ship, the
Roebuck, has been ordered.
Seen during aNATO exercise making an
underway replenishment of (left) a'Knox' class
trigate of theUS Navy and (riEht) aCanadian
'l roquois' class destroyer, the'Rover' class small
fleet tanker can carry over 6000 tonnes of tuel
products.
