However, this programme is itself under scrutiny by Congress as its estimated costs escalate at a time when the US Defense Secretary, Robert M Gates, seems determined to question US Navy building programmes. What few politicians seem to recognise
is that the Successor programme is key to the Royal Navy’s future and much will depend upon whether or not Whitehall learns the lesson of history that explains why the Astute programme slipped four years. This was because orders for new nuclear submarines were so delayed that when design work began
on the Astutes there were not enough trained people at the Barrow-in-Furness yard. Te problem was partly overcome by bringing in Electric Boat people until the design office could be fully manned and while problems of engineering and programme management were overcome. If Successor is sacrificed on the altar
of financial austerity then the UK will lose all capability to produce nuclear submarines, the modern capital ship, at a time when the number of navies with this capability is slowly growing. Much will therefore depend upon how astute
the government is. Meanwhile, the Royal Navy must make
do and mend. Te Duke-class frigates are being enhanced with new soſtware to the DNA combat management system while the Type 996 air-surface search radar is to be replaced by the BAE Systems Artisan. Te Seawolf surface-to-air missile system is being upgraded with Block 2 missiles and improved sensors while Sonar 2070 torpedo defence systems together with the Sonar 2087 low-frequency active sonars are being progressively installed. Te ships are also replacing their 30mm DS 30 guns with the Automated Small Calibre Gun. Te Seawolf improvements are also being extended to the Type 22 Batch 3 frigates while the 4.5inch Mk 8 gun mounting is being upgraded to Mod 1 standard. Also affecting the Royal Navy is the
Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) programme which envisaged replacing the Royal Fleet Auxiliaries with eight vessels; five fleet tankers between 2011 and 2016, three joint sea-based logistics (JSBL) vessels for delivery between 2018 and 2021 together with two fleet solid-support (FSS) ships between 2017 and 2020 as well as a single fleet tanker in 2016 specifically to support the carrier task group. However, the first stage, for fleet
tankers, tacked to the political wind with a competition to select a project integrator being abandoned in 2007, four yards (three foreign) then being short-listed to build the tankers but in December 2008 even this was abandoned as Whitehall sought an alternative approach. Te Defence Acquisition and Support
organisation re-launched the fleet tanker programme on 6 October 2009 with a pre-qualification phase for interested parties. Te MARS Tanker programme requirement is for ships to carry up to 19,000m3
of fuel and be able to maintain
15kts in Sea State 5. Unlike the previous programme, the
The Daring (Type 45) class halved to six ships and neither of the first two vessels is fully operational due to interface difficulties with their combat system and Aster surface-to-air missiles.
Warship Technology July/August 2010
Ministry of Defence is not trying to dictate the design and construction of the ships. A wide variety of options including leasing will be considered and the new in-service date is 2016. Whether or not this programme will survive the new axe remains to be seen. WT
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