![]() ![]() The lessons being learned from the ongoing war in Ukraine, and how quickly stocks of expensive high-end missiles can be used up in war, was another factor. James Marques, aerospace and defence analyst at GlobalData, said that the UK admiralty had “long complained” that the RN’s surface fleet was “capable in defence”, but lacked offensives options. ![]() In doing so, the UK will fall into commonality with the US and many Nato allies already using the Mk41 system, potentially offering the use of a variety of current and future anti-air, anti-surface, ballistic missile defence and strike missiles, including the RN’s Future Offensive Surface Weapon. ![]() However, the replacement Type 83 class, due to enter service in the late 2030s, could change to the Mk41 or its future derivations. The Type 45 air defence destroyers could then become an outlier in RN service, as they already feature the 48-cell Sylver VLS for the Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles, which will be augmented by a further 24-cell SeaCeptor farm. In looking to fit the Mk41, the UK could offer a degree of standardisation across its surface combatant fleet with the eight Type 26 anti-submarine warfare frigates also to be fitted with the system. It is too early to provide any further information whilst this commercially sensitive work is ongoing.”Īny delays in the Type 31 build, which already looks tight given the turnaround of effectively one vessel per year, will impact a Royal Navy surface combatant force that looks set to dip to 15 hulls by the middle of the decade as the old Type 23s retire.Īccording to the UK’s shipbuilding programme, five Type 31 Inspiration-class general-purpose frigates will be introduced into Royal Navy service from 2027, with Babcock completing the handover of the fifth and final vessel the following year. Working closely with the US Navy, we have commenced an assessment phase to explore the options and costs associated with fitting T31 with Mk41. ![]() Speaking to Naval Technology, a Royal Navy spokesperson said: “The Mk41 vertical launching system will deliver surface launched strike operations against a full spectrum of targets. The answers to these questions will likely emerge from a new assessment phase being undertaken by UK stakeholders in the Type 31 programme and the US Navy to determine how the Mk41 could be integrated into the frigate and the potential financial implications. These factors could in turn influence the cost of build, at a time when manufacturer Babcock is in dispute with the UK Ministry of Defence over the profitability of the Type 31 programme. Were the Type 31 to get the NSM sets, what purpose would there be for the installation of the Mk41 VLS? Turning the question around, should the Type 31 frigates not receive the NSM, would the missiles instead be fitted to some or all of the eight Type 26 anti-submarine warfare frigates under construction, which will also feature the Mk41 VSL?Ī final, for now, question emerges regarding the prospect that the SeaCeptor air defence system is integrated into the Mk41, instead of the traditional mushroom farm arrangement as seen on the Type 23 frigates and Type 45 air defence destroyers. The announcement of the Mk41 integration raises a number of questions about the programme, which, although the design allows for the installation of the VLS, has been previously finalised to include just the SeaCeptor air-defence capability. Should the canister launched NSM be then removed from Type 23 frigates as they leave service and installed onto the Type 31, the vessel would be able to conduct the full range of anti-ship and anti-air operations, through the NSM and SepCeptor system respectively. The NSM will effectively replace the outgoing and obsolete Harpoon Block 1C. However, in November 2022 it was announced that the UK would acquire 11 ship sets of the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) from Kongsberg, offering a canister-launched anti-ship missile that would be equipped to the in-service Type 23 and Type 45 vessels. The deliberately light kinetic surface attack options, and reuse of existing equipment ported over from the outgoing Type 23 frigates, was determined as the best way to keep the costs down and ensure each of the five frigates was able to be delivered at a cost of £250m per hull. ![]()
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