Quote:
Originally Posted by ikalugin
I (and some RN officers that I happen to know) strongly disagree.
2 SSNs on station do not cover all the RN's global responsibilities.
And while the budget and crew problems exist, they are not insurmountable, especially considering small SSK/SSP crews and low prices, with around 3-4 SSKs/SSPs available per SSN in terms of both funding and crew.
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For one not to put a block on their opinion, but I have dealt with the navy for many years (was my job i dealt with Logistics for most of NATO as a contractor), their bosses do not see the need for SSK's even some high Admirals don't want them in the fleet as they see no real use for them.
Having spoke myself to people like Admiral Chris Parry they don't see what a SSK will bring to the table right now except as a force multiplier, forwardly deploying into for example the Gulf for 5 years would be a huge logistical task because the facilities would need to be modified (i've been to the Bahrain facilities they are somewhat lacking in some ways).
This is much the same argument we are having with the rest of the fleet, the should we have built 12 type 45's and why are we building just 8 type 26's and were going to build 5 type 31's, its a dam mess.
The governments since SDSR 2010 with their creative accounting have undermined the Navy and the RFA capability, they have destroyed a lot of our capabilities in the process of re-structuring.
However with that in mind and the current build programs re the Dreadnought, type 26 and 31 plus the remaining Astutes and F35B acquisitions, we currently do not have the budget to simply go and buy off the shelf conventional submarines, let alone crew the things.
For Example right now an AIP equipped type 214 is sitting on the 800 million (once we Finnish with it) Euro mark, if we were to buy 4 of those we could have simply just have purchased 1 or 2 more astute's which are far more capable and flexible than the 212.
You also have to think about training, SSK operations differ to Nuclear operations it is why we run 2 types of Perisher the course has diversified over the years.
on top of that where do you propose these submarines carry out their operations?
Since the 90's the RN has done without conventional's we retired our Upholder class early and sold them to Canada because they no longer fitted any doctrine we had, on top of that we only built them because we could, the real issue is what we perceive the threat is and what we do to counter it.
Our navy made a choice and we chose nuclear, right now i just cant see how it would fit into any doctrine we have, our operational deployment areas are:
Carribbean - Anti drug smuggling and humanitarian
Falklands - Routine patrol areas British Territory
Gulf of Aden - Anti Piracy (something we sometimes drop out of due to lack of surface fleet)
Persian Gulf - Escort duties mainly right now
None of which could really use a SSK, unless you want to send it to eavesdrop on Russia but with the limitations we know about it wouldn't take long for us to be embarrassed.
I'm all for fleet increasement but i certainly don't think SSK's are the way to go as i cant see what value they would bring to the RN right now.
As for 2 on station SSN's thats the minimum number but it is adequate for what the UK does in reality we could put 4 to sea so its not a major issue.