David Frigate

Why I think the RAF needs a Light fighter alongside GCAP, a thread 🧵:

@QuietSupporter @rude_mechanic @FennellJW @Mallard143 @Dr_W_E_Bulmer @pegge49 In capability but not to the treasury bean counters.

@Davidfrigate @rude_mechanic @FennellJW @Mallard143 @Dr_W_E_Bulmer @pegge49 Apples and pears

Hopefully this transfer will put the sorry saga of Stirling Castle and the future MCM project back on track... Still though DPO's are a rare commodity, the fact that the RFA currently only has two operational ships, but still couldn't crew for Stirling Castle isn't a good look...

@rude_mechanic @FennellJW @Mallard143 @QuietSupporter @Dr_W_E_Bulmer @pegge49 Still half the price of T26 though...

@FennellJW @Mallard143 @QuietSupporter @Dr_W_E_Bulmer @pegge49 It’s probably better than nothing - especially if you can get multistatic sensing to remotely - it all depends what you’re trying to achieve I guess. By the time you tot this all up though, T31 is starting to look a lot less ‘budget’ than intended…

@Mallard143 NAO projected lifetime cost is where the numbers came from.

@Davidfrigate That unit cost is innacurate for both

F-35B being cheaper than Typhoon is complete and utter bollocks. F-35 programme lifetime cost: £71bn Units: 138 Unit cost: £518m Typhoon programme lifetime cost: £37bn Units: 160 Unit cost: £231.5m

@Mallard143 @GarethJennings3 @Adm_Hindsight @FennellJW 138 was always an unfunded pipedream.

@Davidfrigate @GarethJennings3 @Adm_Hindsight @FennellJW Well not buying all the F35 we said we would, but also the F35A is a budget cut, cheaper aircraft, cheaper maintenance costs

Relentless lobbying from RAF for more F-35A in the DIP... tiresome inter-service crap. This really must end.

@Mallard143 @GarethJennings3 @Adm_Hindsight @FennellJW 74 would have allowed for for 24+ surge on each carrier, yes. But that is gone now 12 B's ➡ A's. now it is more like 20 B's+

@Davidfrigate @GarethJennings3 @Adm_Hindsight @FennellJW The 72 number was to a lot for 24-36 on each carrier during a war, Using these as a helicopter carrier would be a folly, and probably end up losing one

@Mallard143 @GarethJennings3 @Adm_Hindsight @FennellJW Which budget cut?

@Davidfrigate @GarethJennings3 @Adm_Hindsight @FennellJW And I’m arguing against the budget cut so…

@NavyLookout @TomSharpe134 The unit cost of RAF Typhoons was about £73 Million. The current fleet of 111 aircraft is the core of British combat air power. The F-35B currently costs about £130M. We have about 40. They are limited in flying hours, weapons fit - and sovereignty. x.com/ValkStrategy/s…

@Mallard143 @GarethJennings3 @Adm_Hindsight @FennellJW 1) A wartime surge would mean like 40+ F-35B's 2) AAC, and RAF helicopters still need somewhere to be.

@Davidfrigate @GarethJennings3 @Adm_Hindsight @FennellJW The carriers were orginay designed for 36…. And in wartime with only 3 squadrons we can’t hope to deploy any on the other carrier

@Mallard143 @GarethJennings3 @Adm_Hindsight @FennellJW No, what I'm saying is the reality, that for most of the time the carriers will be around northern Europe with 12 fighters. Every 4th year we could put 2sqn's on.

@Davidfrigate @GarethJennings3 @Adm_Hindsight @FennellJW Wait are you suggesting the carriers should only have 12 aircraft most the time? That’s a pitiful compliment that can’t do everything. Your basically talking about a peace time air wing

@Mallard143 @GarethJennings3 @Adm_Hindsight @FennellJW Sensible idea when based on knowledge of rule of 3, but it ignores a lot. 4 out of every 5 years carrier only needs 1 sqn. Only 1 airwing is needed because carriers also rotate. So 3 sqn's only needed total.

@GarethJennings3 @Adm_Hindsight @FennellJW Each carrier needs at least 3 squadrons even just so they can rotate 1 on shore and the others on deployment, obviously not realistic with our budget but any cuts are for the worse

@MtarfaL @IBallantyn @seanleicester1 @pegge49 i.e. each LRG needs 2-3 ships to maintain readiness or availability, depending on which is picked, x2 then no more budget or crew for ships left.

@MtarfaL @IBallantyn @seanleicester1 @pegge49 No, Not at all. FCF and UK policy is to sustain two LRG's. You can't have multiple classes. And MRSS procurement being slow isn't just MRSS, it's like every major procurement right now.

And as for the mythical MRSS that should replace them. They were first mentioned in March 2021, but here we are over 4 years later and the project is still no closer to actually seeing an order confirmed, let alone having any under construction to meet the planned ISD of 2033/34.

@JUitdeketting How is sigma 12516 developed but ASWF not?

Controversial opinion:Bin ASWF, it’s delayed & overpriced at €1.3bn+ without a single sheet of steel being cut Instead🇳🇱and🇧🇪should build 6+6 SIGMA 12516ASW frigates in the same ASW configuration. The design is ready (unlike ASWF) Better to have more smaller hulls in the water

@IBallantyn @seanleicester1 @pegge49 We need a LPD to carry 250+ rm's, vehicles, landing craft and 3 merlin, not ships that can at most carry 100RM, a helicopter and a few UAV's.

@seanleicester1 @Davidfrigate @pegge49 I think it will go ahead, but should be an Absalon variant, rather than the current LPD proposal? Or they should just get some mini LPHs like the one the Portuguese are getting? I think Sean means he envisages a more NATO Europe/N. Atlantic, Med-centric future? 😃

@seanleicester1 @IBallantyn @pegge49 What do you mean "RN contracts towards a much less expeditionary role"? 40 commando, 45 commando, LRG(S), LRG(N)....

@Davidfrigate @IBallantyn @pegge49 Yes, I actually don't expect it will go ahead, as there won't be much need as the RN contracts towards a much less expeditionary role

@FennellJW @pegge49 The UNITY contract was a lot more than just AUKUS, it includes support for Astute and Dreadnought reactors. Quote: " including the beginning of the previously announced SSN-AUKUS contracts". Given UNITY contract is for 8 years, IMHO it only covers design work.

@Davidfrigate @pegge49 You mean like £9 billion to Rolls Royce for AUKUS?

@FennellJW @pegge49 I'm talking about major procurement's.

@Davidfrigate @pegge49 More than 3,000 contracts were issued by MOD since the election - more than the previous year, some things are being rescoped to address the SDR, but plenty is moving forwards.

@ric_cole @VirtualBayonet @MtarfaL @pegge49 @RoyalMarines 42 commando is getting quite big now with it's obligations.

@pegge49 You do realise it's not just MRSS it's basically every defence procurement? It will only resume when the Defence Armaments Director is appointed/ when the Defence Command Paper comes out in the Autumn. Buy that point Labour basically wouldn't have ordered anything for 18 months.