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MAJOR FLEET UNITS The most significant source of Power Projection available to a navy is the aircraft carrier, and in the Royal Navy this is no exception. However, the three ships of the ''Invincible'' Class are limited in what they can actually do, due not only to their small size, but also to the capabilities of the main type of aircraft on board- the Sea Harrier . As a consequence, in the Strategic Defence Review of 1998, the British Government announced it would replace the ''Invincible'' class with a pair of much larger vessels, in a project that has been designated as 'CVF' (''Aircraft Carrier Future''). These two ships will displace over 60 000 tonnes and will be some 280 m long, making them the largest ever operated by the Royal Navy. They will be STOVL carriers, operating the STOVL variant of the Joint Strike Fighter , which has been ordered by both the Fleet Air Arm and the Royal Air Force to replace the Harrier . It will also operate the Merlin ASW helicopter, and a platform for Maritime Airborne Surveillance and Control (MASC), among the contenders for which are a modified version of the Merlin, the E-2 Hawkeye or a modified version of the V-22 Osprey . Since the mid 1980s, the Royal Navy has been looking at ways of replacing the small and increasingly obsolete Type 42 air defence destroyers, which have been in service since the early 1970s. After two failed collaborative efforts - the NFR-90 project, a joint NATO venture that Britain withdrew from in 1989, and Project Horizon , a scheme in association with France and Italy , which failed in 1999 - the government announced that a new class of Destroyer , the Type 45 would replace the Type 42. Type 45 will displace approximately 7350 tonnes, which is considerably larger than its predecessor, and will be the largest combat ships (except aircraft carriers and amphibious vessels) built since the ''Tiger'' Class of the mid 1950s. This will provide significantly improved living space for the crew, which will be approximately the same size as the Type 42. For its primary mission, it will be equipped with the PAAMS integrated anti-aircraft system. As with the Type 42, the Type 45 will also have a limited anti-surface/anti-submarine role, being equipped with a 4.5in gun and a helicopter, which will either be Lynx or Merlin . Although as built it will not be fitted with anti-ship or land attack missiles, its size will allow upgrades to be made if required, giving it an enhanced general warfare role. It was recently announced that the crew of a Type 45 will actually be in the region of 190 members, around one hundred less than the Type 42. At present, the majority of the navy's escorts are Type 22 and Type 23 Frigates . Although these are capable units, they are, as with the rest of the combat fleet, designed for the Royal Navy's Cold War role. For the bluewater missions they are being asked to perform, they are not as well equipped as they could be, and their small size makes equipment upgrades difficult. Work was begun on Future Surface Combatant (FSC), to replace the Type 22 and 23; however, the project suffered de facto cancellation in late 2004. After the cancellation of FSC project, three other projects were considered in its place, they are the Medium Sized Vessel Derivative, the versatile Surface Combatant, and the Global Corvette. It has been suggested that the MSVD would a multi role variant of the Type 45 Destroyer . Also, it is possible that a mixture of all three types could be procured, in a "family" of warship classes, but no decision regarding these projects has been announced. AMPHIBIOUS UNITS In 1990, the Royal Navy's amphibious forces were still centred around the venerable ''Fearless'' Class LPDs, both of which were commissioned in the 1960s. The end of the Cold War saw a re-evaluation of the navy's amphibious role - not only were replacements for the ''Fearless'' class required, but increasingly helicopter assault capabilities were recognised as vital, capabilities which the navy had not had since the 1970s. An unsuccessful attempt to use RFA ''Argus'' in this role re-emphasised the need for a specialist vessel, and so HMS ''Ocean'' was ordered in 1993. The ship's hull form is based on that of the ''Invincible'' class, but she was constructed to commercial specifications and to a modular design (meaning the ship was assembled from pre-constructed blocks). Commissioned in 1998, ''Ocean'' is the first purpose built helicopter carrier in the Royal Navy. She has space for an Embarked Military Force (EMF) of up to 800 troops and their associated equipment, or 500 troops plus up to 40 light vehicles and 6 field guns. Her air group is tailored to whichever operational situation is called for, but would typically include up to 12 Sea King transport helicopters, supported by up to 6 Apache battlefield attack helicopters. However, the flight deck is rated to accommodate helicopters the size of Chinook . Troops can also be transported off the ship by one of four LCVPs that are fitted. In 1996, the Government placed an order for a pair of ships to directly replace HMS ''Fearless'' and HMS ''Intrepid'' ; these two ships were given the names HMS ''Albion'' and HMS ''Bulwark'' . In preparation for the entry into service of these two vessels, ''Fearless'' was withdrawn in 2002 (''Intrepid'' had been non-operational since 1991), being replaced by ''Albion'' in 2003; ''Bulwark'' commissioned in 2004. Both ships have an overload capacity of 700 troops, with the standard being just over 300. Up to six Challenger 2 main battle tanks, or 30 smaller tracked vehicles, can be accommodated on the vehicle decks - these can be removed by one of the LCUs located in the stern docking well. This can also accommodate an LCAC. Another four small LCVPs, similar to those carried by ''Ocean'', are also carried, and there is a flight deck (though no Hangar ) which can support either two medium lift (Merlin or Sea King) or one heavy lift (Chinook) helicopter. ''Ocean'', ''Albion'' and ''Bulwark'' form the core of the amphibious force. They will be supported in their mission by the LSDs of the 'Bay' Class . These ships, operated by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary , will replace four of the elderly LSLs of the 'Sir' Class . The new ships will resemble the LPDs in having a large flight deck and stern docking well, with a capacity of over 300 troops. Although the units mentioned will form the core of an amphibious task force, additional capacity will be provided in the form of six roll on/roll off vessels for strategic transport (as opposed to direct amphibious assault). In addition, the three ships of the ''Invincible'' class have a secondary role as an LPH; it is rumoured that one of the vessels will be permanently converted to this mission once CVF enters service. HYDROGRAPHIC SQUADRON The Navy's surveying service has responsibility for surveying and charting the oceans, the information from which goes into the numerous Admiralty produced charts and publications that are used all over the world. As a consequence, the work that the service does must be as accurate as possible, which requires the best equipment available. The Royal Navy has a mandate to provide support to the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), which comes in the form of the dedicated Antarctic Patrol Ship. However, in 1990, HMS ''Endurance'' was over 30 years old and, having been repaired following collision with an Iceberg , was found to be unsafe to return to the Antarctic . The vessel that was chosen to replace her was chartered from a Norwegian shipping company and commissioned as HMS ''Polar Circle'' . After a successful deployment, it was decided to purchase the ship outright, and she was renamed HMS ''Endurance'' in honor of her predecessor. ''Endurance'''s mission is twofold; to assist the BAS in charting and surveying the waters around the Antarctic, a task for which she is well suited thanks to her strengthened bow, and to provide a semi-permanent naval presence in the South Atlantic in support of the Atlantic Patrol Task (South) deployment. The navy's ocean going survey needs were served by the four ships of the ''Hecla'' Class , all built in the 1960s and 70s. Two were Paid Off in the late 1980s, while HMS ''Hecla'' left the service in 1997. She was replaced by the brand new survey vessel HMS ''Scott'' . ''Scott'' is the largest ocean survey vessel in Western Europe and, at over 13,000 tonnes, the seventh largest vessel in the Royal Navy (only the three carriers and three amphibious vessels displace more). Despite replacing four ships with only one, the ''Scott'' is able to spend over 300 days a year at sea, thanks to its crew rotation system, whereby the total complement of 63 is divided into three teams - two man the ship, while the third remains ashore on leave or in training and rotating back on board when the ship returns. In addition to the ocean survey vessel, the navy retains a single coastal survey ship, HMS ''Roebuck'' , which performs the same tasks on the UK Continental Shelf as HMS ''Scott'' does in deep ocean. However, the remainder of the survey fleet has since been replaced by the two brand new multi-role ships of the ''Echo'' Class , which commissioned in 2002 and 2003. HMS ''Echo'' and HMS ''Enterprise'' build on the success of the ''Scott'' by utilising similar methods of operation and technology. PATROL FORCES The navy operates patrol vessels primarily in the role of fisheries protection and guarding British interests in the North Sea . These tasks were primarily undertaken by the 'Island' Class , which entered service in the late 1970s. They were supported by the two larger vessels of the 'Castle' Class . However, as time went on, it became clear that the age and small size of the 'Island' class was counting against them; so, in 1997, a decision was taken to replace them. An order for three much larger offshore patrol vessels was placed in 2001. The three ships of the 'River' Class , HMS ''Severn'', HMS ''Mersey'' and HMS ''Tyne'' (named after three of the main rivers in England), were commissioned between 2002 and 2003. They have a large cargo deck and 25 tonne capacity crane aft, which allows them to be fitted for various roles including disaster relief, Fire-fighting and rescue work. On ''Mersey'' and ''Severn'', this will be fitted as a flight deck for medium helicopters, giving them facilities equal to the 'Castle' class. Unusually, the three River class ships are owned by Vosper Thorneycroft, and leased to the Royal Navy until 2007, when the MoD can return the ships to VT, purchase them outright or extend the lease. In 2005 , construction of HMS ''Clyde'' began; this will be a modified 'River' class vessel designed to replace the two 'Castle' class vessels as the Falkland Islands guardship. This will be the first naval vessel built by the shipbuilding firm Vosper Thornycroft at their new facility in Portsmouth. SUBMARINES In the early 1990s, the Royal Navy's submarine force was already in the process of significant upgrade - the ''Trafalgar'' Class SSN s, with their state of the art, ultra quiet Pump-jet propulsion system, were still entering service; the brand new ''Upholder'' Class conventional submarines were on the verge of being commissioned, while the first of the ''Vanguard'' Class SSBN s was close to completion. However, the ''Upholder'' class were decommissioned after the 1993 defence review, and all four units were sold to Canada , leaving the Royal Navy all nuclear. Today, the modernisation of the Royal Navy's submarine force centres on the ''Astute'' Class SSNs and the Swiftsure & Trafalgar Update Final Phase (S&TUFP). In 1997, an order was placed for three units of the ''Astute'' class, which was designed as the SSN replacement for the ''Swiftsure'' Class , with an option for a further two. The new boats will be larger and quieter than the existing SSNs. However, under the Strategic Defence Review, the five ''Astute'' class boats will replace five unmodernised ''Swiftsure'' and ''Trafalgar'' class submarines. S&TUFP will see the remaining boats of the ''Swiftsure'' and ''Trafalgar'' classes upgraded, giving them similar combat capabilities to the ''Astute'' class. FLEET AIR ARM Along with the Aircraft Carriers , the major instrument of power projection is the Carrier Air Group . Clearly, the larger the air group, the more tasks it can perform; however, this is limited by the size of the carrier. The ''Invincible'' class, because of its small size, has only a limited capacity, and is only capable of operating STOVL aircraft, the Harrier GR7/GR9 and the Sea Harrier . The Sea Harrier is an immensely capable and adaptable platform, with a proven combat record going back to the Falklands War . The upgrade it received in the early 1990s to the FA2 standard allowed it to achieve even greater potential, which has again been proven in the Balkans and the Gulf. However, within the next two to three years, the Sea Harrier will be withdrawn from service, with fixed wing flying from the carriers the sole responsibility of the Harrier GR9. This will see the two front line Sea Harrier squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm converting to the GR9, as part of the continued evolution of the Joint Force Harrier concept. This will carry on until the entry into service of the Harrier's eventual replacement in both the RAF and the FAA, the Joint Strike Fighter . The Joint Strike Fighter will be a significant improvement over the Harrier, in terms of speed, range and weapon load. The JSF comes in CTOL , CATOBAR and STOVL variants - as the Harrier replacement, both the RN and the RAF have chosen the STOVL version, with CVF being designed thus as a STOVL carrier. The anti-surface/anti-submarine mission remains the purview of rotary aircraft; in small ships this is the updated Mk8 version of the Lynx. However, in the carriers, and in later frigates, the larger Merlin helicopter is used - this has replaced the venerable Sea King in the ASW mission. The Sea King remains in the commando assault mission from HMS ''Ocean'', although replacement with the Merlin is likely. Merlin is also being touted as a replacement for Sea King in the Maritime Airborne Surveillance and Control (formerly Airborne Early Warning) mission. However, the limitations of using a helicopter in this role are well documented - endurance is limited, service ceiling is low and vibrations from the rotors may cause distortion. Therefore, two other concepts have been put forward:
The V-22 would be an attractive option given the STOVL configuration of CVF, as it combines the VTOL aspects of a helicopter with the endurance of a fixed wing aircraft - indeed, the Osprey is another contender to replace the Sea King in the assault mission. The E-2 is already in service with the French and US Navies; the problem with the aircraft is its CATOBAR configuration - although it has been proven that it can launch successfully from a Ski-jump , it would still require Arrestor Wires for landing, which would force CVF to be refitted to a STOBAR configuration - although the design chosen does name provision for this. However, it has advantages over the V-22 again in terms of endurance and ceiling; because its cabin is pressurised, it can operate at greater altitude than the Osprey, extending the range of its radar. ANALYSIS The Royal Navy is evolving - it has begun a transition from an Atlantic based, ASW force back into a true Blue Water Navy , with capabilities it has not possessed since the 1960s and 1970s. Perhaps the realisation that this was the case started with the Falklands War - had this not occurred, the Royal Navy would have lost one of its aircraft carriers and both of its major amphibious units without replacement. These were proposals mooted which with hindsight, would have proven disastrous. However today, there are still difficult decisions to be taken, some have already been made, and indeed for the better. The operational successes of the three ''Invincible'' Class carriers in recent years have shown that aircraft carriers will always be a vital requisite for any global naval power - and the new Future Carrier Project will deliver vessels with over twice the displacement of the current class, boasting a far larger airgroup, which will itself possess an infinitely greater operational capability compared to that currently available. Assigned to defend these new aircraft carriers will be the Type 45 destroyers, again, over twice as large as the Type 42 destroyers they are replacing, and with a superior operational capability inherent in the PAAMS Missile System . Hopefully, this considerable step change in platform capability will be maintained in the successor to the Future Surface Combatant , which is intended to eventually replace the Type 22 and Type 23 frigates as the mainstay of the future surface fleet. The Amphibious Warfare Force has not only seen the venerable ''Fearless'' Class replaced by the recent commissioning of the ''Albion'' Class LPDs, but has also been significantly enhanced with the addition of HMS ''Ocean'' . This is in conjunction with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary procurement of the new "Bay" Class LSD(A)s which are significantly more capable than the "Sir" Class LSLs they will partially replace. The massive capability upgrades to the Amphibious Warfare Force will establish it as the largest and most capable in the World - the United States Navy excepted. This new wave of Naval Procurement programmes, which includes such projects as the addition of the new ''Astute'' Class SSNs, and upgrades to the ''Trafalgar'' Class SSNs, should re-assert the Royal Navy's position as a true Blue Water Navy and see it retain its position as the second most powerful naval force in the world for the forseeable future. ADDENDUM In July 2004, the Government announced a restructuring of the Armed Forces as part of its new Defence White Paper, '' Delivering Security In A Changing World '', confirming that the number of Type 45 s expected to be ordered would be reduced from 12 to 8 units, while the two attack submarines due to be decommissioned would not be directly replaced, taking the SSN fleet down from 10 to 8. In addition, the existing escort fleet will lose six units, the three oldest Type 42 destroyers, HMS ''Glasgow'' , HMS ''Cardiff'' and HMS ''Newcastle'' , which will be paid off earlier than expected, and three Type 23 frigates, HMS ''Norfolk'' , HMS ''Marlborough'' and HMS ''Grafton'' , as well as a further six mine counter measures units, with a total of 1,500 job losses. In the same speech Geoff Hoon announced that the RAF will receive 16 BAE Nimrod MRA4s , the UK's long range maritime patrol aircraft. This is reduced from an anticipated order of 18. This is part of the Ministry of Defence policy that it is not the number of platforms that is important but the capability of each, however it remains to be seen whether the savings from the measures listed will be invested to improve the remaining units or even stay within the procurement budget. GLOSSARY
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