HMS Trent is bound for the waters of the Gulf of Guinea, say the Royal Navy.

It is understood that the vessel is to undertake security patrols to support allies in West Africa.

The Royal Navy say here that the River-class Batch 2 patrol ship is on an enduring deployment to the Mediterranean that has seen her operate as far east as the Black Sea since she left the UK six months ago.

“HMS Trent is now turning her attentions south to the tropical waters of the Gulf of Guinea for the next three months as she becomes the first Royal Navy ship to sail to the region in three years. With Royal Marines of 42 Commando on board, the ship will carry out a range of joint exercises and training to strengthen ties and develop plans for future operations in the region.

Trent will visit Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Gambia and Cape Verde, and will take part in French-led multinational exercises that will bring together international partners in the area, known as Exercise Grand African Nemo. She will also conduct security patrols and support partner navies by helping to develop key maritime skills.”

Commanding Officer of HMS Trent, Commander Tom Knott, said in a news releae:

“We are extremely proud and excited to commence this deployment to what is an exciting new region for HMS Trent. We are looking forward to working with regional partners and also engaging with local communities in an effort to strengthen security.”

The Royal Navy add that HMS Trent carries on board a 17-strong contingent from 42 Commando, which will train partner forces in skills like boarding and searching of suspicious vessels, as well as evidence handling and medical skills.

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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121 COMMENTS

  2. Excellent; piracy is a problem off West Africa. A Type 31 and a helo would be better. A littoral support ship better still. Do we have any plans for a ‘Ranger battalion’ in any of the Gulf (of Guinea) states?

        • My guess lack of finance is delaying the decison, however I doubt they will be the solution for policing operations. Adding range to survalliancd is a good addition but the key role that the helicopter provides is the ability to intercept the craft, when the host boat is too far away or too slow to do itself, plus providing top coverage for the boating party.

          They need uav that are armed with something more practical than missiles (too expensive for warning shots), like a machine gun and a big load speaker.

          • Good to know where the targets are and which direction they are going ! Recon UAV allows over horizon search and discreet tracking. Would be a massive asset.

    • I was reading an article that highlighted it’s odd that the conversion of the bay class has gone completely quiet since it was announced. Indicating there might be financial limitations delaying the forming of the new littoral units.

      • Well the northern one was based around an LPD for reinforcement of Norway so that should be ok; that said the US I think has forces permanently based in Norway which lets face it is a more realistic and practical strategy.
        For West Africa, East Africa or Asia they are probably good enough as they are. A R2, add a Bay, add a T23 with all their helos and RM make a graduated littoral response group for humanitarian aid and small scale insertions and rescue missions. If and when the frigate gets the interim missile and with Wildcat it would pose a significant threat for some distance.

        • I’m pretty sure that the US forces based in Norway are Marines operating in land based mode without much in the sea.

          • Yeh, my point is that if you are already on the land you don’t have to worry about the delay, size and risk of an amphibious assault. You need only a handful of US troops present to deter Soviet agression.

          • You’re right, as operators for all those ready to go tanks are just a C-17 away. Its pure Russian aggression now the Soviets don’t exist.

          • i see the irish dublin based ferry company is sellin its most recently aquired roll on roll off rip off the supertstructure fit a full length flight deck one instant h.l.p

    • our focus should be on the nations priorities are and a river won’t achieve it with a 30mm cannon i like the updated specs for thai derivative of a batch 2 river with a 76mm oto melara rapid fire gun, two additional 30mm cannon mounted behind the bridge wings put martlet on those 30mm and you’ll have a real deterrent anyone threatening british shipping routes

      • To be honest beyond being a reassuring policing presence I am not clear what further objectives the UK has in West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea. In terms of capability as discussed above I think the most important one to add to Trent is the UAV. Once the pirates know they are on candid camera and there’s a 2000 ton RN warship and a detachment of RM headed their way I think they will have a sudden change of mind.

  3. Just had a butchers at the main picture, the River Class is much bigger than I presumed, as those 9 blokes on the front are really small

    • Yes, it is a big lump.

      With a simple fitout to maximise time on station.

      Trouble with the whistles and bells brigade is that erodes deployed time and makes it too complex for local support and very expensive as tech teams need to be flown out to maintain or fix things.

      I’d prefer to see T31 uparmed and/or more T31/2 purchased than mess about recreating a T21.

      • With T31 based on IverH design they could have kept the stanflex design making it easy to and/remove numbers of weapons. But the these won’t even be FFBNW. i know i’ve said before but i think Absolm is really good patrol/relief design but could not armed enough to provide a good task group additional hull

      • Absolutely! The River’s are perfectly good for low-level security ops and defence engagement off of West Africa and around The West Indies. The only semi permanent addition I’d look to make is a containerized UAV which would massively increase their surveillance capability.

        With a decent gun fit to counter fast attack craft, a large mission bay / flight-deck and hopefully 24 CAMM the T31’s won’t need many more bells and whistle’s to fill the more demanding deployments East of Suez. Fingers crossed they get the interim AShM’s as the T23’s retire too!

      • i was surprised that there was never a batch 2 type 21 i was on amazon for 6 months back in the 80’s. i loved it,it was an excellent ship a ship that the skipper referred to as his ferrari. a real boy racers ship. we could do worse than have them back,yes they’re old hull wise but they are warships and could fulfil some of the homewaters tasksking that are currently being neglected wouldn’t cost much at all those recently retired pakstani type 21’s give them their royal navy identities back.crossdeck as much as possible from a t23, upgrade them, maybe with tech from an already to be retired t23, or maybe swap a t23 for them they’re built already an d would bring an almost instant of a third more vessels to the inventory as would 6 river corvettes 6 more frigates half a dozen corvettes aAREADY BUILT. not rocket science is it?Swapping/ selling ships occurs all over the world why not us? are we too snobbish to take other navy’s cast offs? giving australia the next to retire trafalgar or two, and taking their to;be;retired 6 collins class diesel electric ssk’s half dozen more submarines? yes please. its time the u.k started thinking ‘out of the box’ in increasing the forces capabilities with less than new equipment makes perfect sense the to be retired type 23’s could give the u.k a handy card in the market.

        • I’m not sure how decommissioning beyond hull life T23’s are acquiring 2 x hull life T21’s would make things better?

          Going down that path the T22 B3’s would have been a better bet.

          T21 was a fine ship for costal protection but, as we have previously been over on here, was found very wanting when it came to the hot stuff.

    • Hi farouk,

      Just to compare. The B2 River Class displace 2,000tons. The Leander Class GP frigates displaced 2,350tons.

      This gives the Rivers considerable flexbility in the patrol, presence and relief roles. Their size also allows them to stay on station for extended periods and gives them considerable operational range.

      Great assets.

      Cheers CR

        • Hi Daniele,

          You could I suppose. 🙂 but I was just giving an illustrated answer to the original question rather than suggesting they are frigates, or should be up armed… In fact, I think they have just the right level of ‘visible’ capability.

          I think they represent a half way house between full on hard power (frigates / CSG) and soft power. The extra accomodation below the flight deck can, I believe, support up to 50 Royal Marines for short periods. This, along with the possibility of operating quad copter drones, for example, represents a significant ‘surge’ capability if needed and it need not be a combat force that is deployed. Engineers and medics could use one of these vessel as an offshore HQ and staging post for initial recce and assessment operations in response to a natural disaster. However, just having these ships patroling the worlds oceans is a real step up in visibility for the UK and you need to be seen to get on.

          I find these ships and their potential intriguing. If handled well they could have an impact well above even their apparent inflated cost – diplomacy is something we are pretty good at and the RN have always been adept at supporting that capability.

          Cheers CR

          • The pitfalls of text rather than spoken! I didn’t think for a moment you were suggesting they were mate.

            I’m a big fan of these too, I’d buy more if the cash were available.

            Up arming nice to have with no money issues, but totally unnecessary.

            It’s the Scheibal UAV copter I’d like to see on these.

          • In all seriousness I had no idea tonnage wise they are close to Leander’s. Impressive and good looking vessels.

          • Yes, most impressive. You wouldn’t have thought they’re as big as they are, but they are! Arguably closer in displacement to the earlier Type 12 models and much heavier than the Blackwood frigates. although they’re a similar length.

            Of course, I have suggested the reclassification with a healthy dose of jest, but the pedigree is certainly there and the vessels themselves are more than capable of carrying a heavier armament. It honestly wouldn’t surprise me if they were upgraded in the future (40mm, 2x 30mm, Martlet, UAV rotorcraft/patrol boats) in the name of spin. It’s an ‘easy’ way of claiming an increase in the escort fleet for the masses, right?

            Though some of us would correctly argue that what’s equally needed right now are patrol vessels that can be deployed for extended periods of time.

            In an ideal world, I’d say do it, but I’d rather the money go towards increasing the T31’s capabilities.

            Edited to add: The Rivers look like a T21/Blackwood/River B1 baby.

    • i took my nephew to the pompey historic dockyard, the forth was in. town and only by getting close can you get a feel for the size of these ships, patrol vessel? wasted. corvette(?) absolutely,only by getting close do you you realise just how big these ships are. and what they could/should be.

  4. Going back in history a little bit (always a dangerous thing sometimes) the UK government spent 2% of GDP and half the Royal Navy budget on the West African squadron charged with eliminating African-on-African as well as Arab-on-African slavery for export to the US and South America. Does make you think that those extreme left wing people demolishing monuments and berating Britain for so-called historical injustices (of course not modern day China or Russia) do seem to be completely nuts or is it just me? I do wish left wing people would once in a while actually read history and look at both the positives and negatives rather than all skewed historically inaccurate viewpoints. I also do wonder why those from the left don’t attack China and Russia for their current major role in climate change but instead attack Britain for our historical emissions. It does make you wonder whether this is political grandstanding and trying to cause social division in the UK. Perhaps one day they will grow up and educate themselves. However, good to a modern West African squadron (albeit one vessel undertaking patrols). It might be nice if the UK defence journal linked history to modern day by highlighting the significant role in the Royal Navy played in West Africa.

    • They have as they claim ‘their own facts’ and that means excluding anything that counts against the story they wish to tell. Sadly, our national media have swallowed one of these and there is no prize for guessing which one that is.

      • They never mention the good white europeans have done. Or bad Coloured folk have done, strange, it’s always white man bad.

        • You make a valid point. God forbid we point out how the Islamic Arabs profited from the slave trades in West Africa.

          • Or how indigenous Africans sold other rival indigenous tribes to the Europeans…the woke brigade would have a melt down.

          • The last slave to America named Cudjo Lewis was captured by an unit of “people with v*gin*s” from the Slave Kingdom of Dahomey.
            There were several kingdoms in Africa which their main economy was slavery.

            And today neither Hollywood or BBC made a film about the Royal Navy Anti-Slavery patrols…

            And what about the reason for the Marines attack in Tripoli?

          • Klonkie Long before Europeans ventured down west Africa round the horn up the East Coast mainly by the Portuguese, Timbuktu west Africa Dar es Salam East Afica had been Slavery hubs by Arabs for Hundreds of years prior too the arrival of white colonialists We unfortunately purchased a commodity bad taste I know , We didn’t go out hunting for those poor wretches Arab or other tribes did that themselves

        • Yes indeed…an often overlooked part of history is that coloured Africans actually sold rival tribe prisoners into slavery…

          • Absolutely – there were black slave owners back in the day but that fact gets quickly glossed over and brushed under the carpet. Hush-hush now.

            Not to get off topic but I once meet an acquaintance who was black and part of the Black African American Society at university. The purpose she told me, was that it allows her to celebrate her black culture.

            Fine. Now I did think to myself, would I be allowed to set up a White Caucasian Society so I could celebrate my white culture? Hmmm…. not bloody likely!

            Complete double standard… but you’re racist if you point out things like that.

          • “Absolutely – there were black slave owners back in the day “

            There were not just black slave owners.
            There were African kingdoms like Kingdom of Congo, Kingdom of Dahomey that one of their major economic activity was slavery.

            We should keep in mind that slavery might not be even the worst thing depending in what the slave job was. There were human sacrifices for religious/political reasons, servants were buried alive with suzerain when he died…etc.
            Those times were hard and human lives were of very low value or even nothing.

          • Yes whites owned the overall business but did very little of the hands on dirty work, Slavery was in process before we even came to Africa, we just industrialised it

          • I remember as a small child being driven past a house in central Lagos (around the time of Nigerian independence) and my father telling me that the biggest slave trader in West Africa lived there – it was a very large house – she was clearly a very wealthy woman.

    • The men who worked for the abolition of the slave trade were Quakers, Evangelical Christians and/or motivated by enlightenment values on the rights of man. The key dates in that period are 1807, abolition of the slave trade; 1832 the Representation of the People Act and 1833 Abolition of Slavery in all parts of the British Empire.
      The Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade was mainly run by women in non conformist sects, Quakers and Unitarians who were unable to be elected to parliament so worked through sympathetic Anglicans and Evangelicals like William Wilberforce.
      Radicals and Chartists were the influencers for the Reform Act. I doubt the Tory party would have changed anything had the French not had their Revolution and declared the Rights of Man.

      • The role of William the conqueror and the anti slavery dictates in the doomsday book in the 11th century were a catalyst for the change in the mindset …

        • There is a rumour that on his deathbed he said he
          confessed his regret for the cruelty he inflicted on the English….No doubt he received absolution.
          Let’s think +ve. It will soon be 2066 and we already have a couple of elected metropolitan mayors; the English are taking back control of our country. Whatever next; maybe regional health authorities for Mercia, Wessex and Anglia….?

    • It’s always a bit grey when you look at history, truth is the this country made a whole lot of money from slavery, way after it had made it illegal in this country. But at the same time it was a nation that truly imbraced the war against the transatlantic slave trade. The true of the British empire is a mixture of great benefit and great suffering as with all the great empires. It’s very true to say the British empire created the modern world and for all its fault the modern world is better that a lot of history.

      also when you measure the British empire against pretty much overt otter empire in history it comes out pretty well on the balance of good vs bad……..B Congo ( what depopulation) American west ( Indians here, na they all died of ummmm well of stuff). Spain and Portugal ( no those cities were all empty before we got hear honest….this gold well that’s ours cus god said it was).

    • You’re clearly fishing. The responses you’ve had fill most bingo cards for this type of post lol. Woke, coloured, islamic, “blacks also bad”, whataboutery etc. Guessing the reverse card would include boomer, gammon, racist, tory, white lives also matter etc

      Like looking at Twitter replies to sky news posts…. 😖😖🍻

      • Well Damo the truth is in my opinion well summed up by Rod McKuen-
        “There is no wrong side nor right side, No side of the Angels and none that Devils can call their very own…”
        In essence I suppose many shades of grey-little in Black or White.

        • I agree Geoff. There is little that sits conveniently into one bucket. The history people often review is either the one they were taught (often selective) or the one that fits their value Stream or their experience.

          No doubt the UK anti slavery stance changed the values of many nations and individuals across the globe and contributed massively to the reduction of the abhorrent trade (I won’t say eradication). Meanwhile you go to some other parts of the world and into certain communities and you meet people who have a different perspective of Britain. Cultural memory of colonial heavy handedness, alleged atrocities and even genocide at hands of British Authorities and /or British Settlers in times concurrent to or up to a hundred years after the anti slavery efforts in the Atlantic, remains strong.

    • I was a center left once , but this woke culture have gone mad , starmer wants a women as the next James bond , madness!! but then again I cant say that Borris is doing much better, if you are going to leave the EU at least prepare for it lol.
      Time for center politics with common sense to enter the stage.

      • From time to time new generations build new values usually inspired from disaffected old people to wrestle the power from older generations.

        How do you break the existing connections and alliances that block your ambition? You create a new value system. It is irrelevant what is it as long as it appeals to some basic human instinct.

        • leaders on both sides 10-15 years ago at least could do the basics right and have some common sense I’m not confident with the new generation.

    • Good post Andrew but it would appear that much of the left wing and indeed many of the peoples of Africa and elsewhere will never recognise the good that Britain has done over recent centuries in this planet of ours. Not so long ago an(incidentally) white political leader here in South Africa had the temerity to suggest that not all that colonialism brought to Africa was bad-refering of course to modern medicine, infrastructure,lights,clean water,motor vehicles, air travel,Johnny Walker Blue(much loved by the local ANC politicos at over R1000 per bottle-viva socialism!!!),the internet etc etc etc.. She was almost hounded out of town!!
      The modern RN is a force for good pretty much free to the world and the Batch 2’s are the perfect vessels for task. While she is in West Africa it would be nice is she were to pop down and visit Ascension,St Helena and Tristan. The last RN vessel to visit Tristan was HMS Forth all the way up from the Falklands, bearing Covid vaccine for the 240 islanders.
      Finally, we had a local pop group-McCully Workshop here in SA that had a hit called the Buccaner. Four lines always evoked a feeling of pride in my colonial breast-
      “Well they got me on the deck,put a rope around my neck
      And I could feel the sweat break out and I could feel it stick
      But the Royal Navy Frigate came and rescued me at last,
      She put one across the bow and fired one into the mast!!”

      Cheers from damp and miserable Durban

    • I don’t buy into the whole ‘loony Left’ thing, there are blinkered people everywhere. I know what you mean though and the whole ‘woke’ thing doesn’t do anyone any favours, its basically a cult to peoples own egos.

      Slavery still exists, Mauritania is a prime example but I guess Facebook etc haven’t got round to feeling outraged about it yet. Maybe not enough rap songs about it.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_Mauritania

      • Yeah. Social media and 24 hour news gives people a platform. There’s as much loony left as there is loony right in my opinion. Just that media deservedly doesn’t give racist crackpots the air time. So you’re left with “controversy” and “outrage” articles designed yo trigger, watch and click. How money is made

      • They are not loony, that is the biggest mistake people do.

        The objective is to create a power structure and they achieved it.

      • Bizarre country. Flew for a good 8 hours in a Chinook and didn’t see a soul. Then crested a dune to find a whole tribe sat on another crest waving at us. There wasn’t any habitation for miles. So where did they come from?

        Along the West coast, there are loads of “modernish” shipwrecks (fating from the war to the present). Then as you skim over the tops of them, you notice the waters around them are full of sharks. Not a place I’d like to be stuck in a rubber raft, bobbing around waiting for a rescue!

        There is also a massive asteroid crater out in the east. That bears an uncanny resemblance to the one in the Mummy 2. Nothing but desert then what looks like jagged hills then a tropical forest.

        We even had a local witch doctor come up to the camp, to bless the aircraft, as you never know and it’s best to be safe….

    • The RN is a force for good in this world. I would like to see more regular mainstream press reporting of their routine work in anti piracy, drug interceptions, humanitarian relief, diplomacy etc
      The deployment of Trent with a short reference to the history of the West Africa squadron and some current affairs of the region would make an interesting and uplifting news feature.
      Kudos to UKDJ who are doing their bit with +ve news.

    • Andrew I know this reply is somewhat late in coming, but have just watched a programme on Britain’s first Colonry in the New World Jamestown and history written by the Governor Sir George Yardleu that in 1620 a ship containing Slaves from West Africa Yardley purchased said Africans from not a British Ship but from A Portuguese Vessal ,these Africans worked in homes ,So too all the taking the knee brigade It wasn’t us Brits who started Shipping the Human commodity to America but Portuguese and also Spanish just thought maybe you’d be interested

  6. I’m starting to believe the River 2’s will end up being like the RAF Buccaneers…..didnt want them…but ended up loving them.

    • I started out loving them, except for the permanent FlyCo space, which I still don’t understand given the infrequent use of helicopters. Presumably they can repurpose it for UAV control.

      • Hi Jon,

        These ships are capable of carryin 2 or 3 ISO containers and still have a sizable flight deck. So a range of capabilities could be carried and deployed in the form of autonomous vehicles. I would not be surprised if at some point in the future the RN starts to wish it had more River B2’s.

        Low intensity ops against pirates and people / drug smugglers are going to be on going for as long as I can see into the future.

        Cheers CR

        • Thanks. I’d read somewhere up to six 20ft containers, but that was based on really old information and might have been sacrificing the flight deck.

          I’d hope the B3s, if there are any, would be sized to the new PODS, which look very similar. B1s will be getting long in the tooth about the end of the decade, so there might be another batch ordered.

          • Hi Jon,

            Likewise, another batch towards the end of the decade would be nice… Also, I read up on the PODS after an earlier post from yourself I believe and the PODS are based on ISO container sizes, so yeh they would fit.

            Exciting, potential with the PODS system.

            Cheers CR

          • Yes, I hope for a Batch 3.
            At the moment no plans however. The B2’s where originally meant to replace the B1’s so the replacement plan for them has technically been scuppered.

        • IIRC the ISO containers go to the left and right of the Flyco, just aft of the Rib Davits, so they don’t impinge on the flight deck at all (and if you are operating drones can serve as a hangar of sorts.

          I think the 6 ISO container figure may be for the Batch 1’s which have a large open area at the stern, but no HLS.

          • Thanks Dern, shows the aft arrangement of the B2 very well. Clearly they had the idea of two ISO’s from the beginning…

            One thing and I know its only a model so more out of curiosity really, but the helicopter doesn’t look as if its quite in the right place. Shouldn’t it be directly over the ‘mesh’ visible under the tail rotor i.e. hooked on and held down – or have I missunderstood what I am looking at?

            Finaly, am I right in thinking Flyco is the ‘bay window’ like arrangement on the super structure?

            Cheers CR

          • Hi CR,

            Yes, that bay window is the Flyco, seems a bit low to me, but I guess it works.

            I think you’re right that the Helicopter may be slightly too far fwd, but possibly it’s because the flight deck is designed to take a Merlin so maybe it’s just that the Wildcat looks small?
            At anyrate I’m not sure what the ‘mesh’ is but in actual photos it doesn’t seem to be a mesh (perhaps an access hatch?)

  7. I see no one is mentioning the RN new pods concept, which in theory could mean a River Class could become many things, incuding reconnaissance, deep strike or UAV platform etc. Anyone else find this new container concept fascinating?

    • I was expecting, like Stanflex, the PODS would need to be plugged in to a power/data/control interface that links to the ship’s backbone. Even if, as ChariotRider suggests, the dimensions are those of a 20′ ISO container, the ships would still need to have plug points at the carry spots. I suppose data connection could be wireless, but would that be sufficiently hardened for the military? If the wiring is a major job they might not retro-fit the B2 Rivers for a considerable time.

      On the other hand, the PODS may be totally stand alone.

      The concept is great, but the pictures seem to major on office furniture in the boxes, and makes you wonder if they got a good deal from IKEA. I think the first PODS is the one they took to the DSEI 21 and is designed for exhibitions. If destined for the Rivers, maybe they can use it to sell whisky and clotted cream.

      The second POD contains command and control funtionality, lots of chairs, desks and screens, something already built into warships, so maybe it’s for marine use ashore or as a STUFT convertor.

      The Strike PODS carousel launcher looks relatively weedy (nine Martlets perhaps) and is described as “tactical” rather than “deep” strike. It may well be stand alone as it seems to come with a solar panal and comms equipment (as well as office furniture). I can’t think it would enhance any warship all that much.

      In contrast, MBDA’s palletized Land Cepter weighs less than 15 tons all in, delivering 8 CAMM and it should fit inside an ISO container. Connecting to a ship’s radar and control, a PODS version would weigh less, easily within the River’s 25 ton crane capacity. So why might the illustrated Strike module pack so little punch?

      I think it may be limited by the idea of quad copter delivery. Given the new BAES heavy lift target is 300kg, I wonder if that’s the weight limit for a PODS.

      The other two PODS, racked quadcopter UAVs and 3D printers, might be of real use on a ship, but it’s a less than inspiring initial selection given the possibilities for ship enhancement.

      • Just to add: the MoD RFI for it’s heavy lift drones require a minimum lift capacity of 200kg. If that determines the PODS weight limit, even a single medium (200 kg class) VTOL recon drone, such as S-100/AW Hero/Skeldar is unlikely to fit, along with a 30 kg radar payload and all its control equipment.

        (Maybe if they leave out the IKEA furniture.)

        With the FSSS heavy replenishment at sea requirement ditched, perhaps a second PODS classification for heavyweight port installations would expand options.

      • Hi Jon,

        Yeh, I saw some pictures of the DSEI PODS displays as well and share your disappointment. However, two things spring to mind in the RN / MoD’s defence.

        Firstly, they have achieved quite a lot on very stretched budgets so I think that the rather basic ideas (and IKEA) furniture that were in the mockups possibly reflect a lack of funding for the displays rather than a lack of imagination (it may also reflect budgetary restraints of the programme as well, of course).

        Secondly, and probably more telling is that the MoD is very risk averse. Just remember how much flack the RN / MoD is still getting for the WR21 turbine issue on the T45’s and that decision was taken, what 15 years or more ago..? If we want the armed forces to move forward technologically we need to allow them to take risks and accept that they will loose from time to time, but can you imagine our press giving balanced reporting!

        The RN is looking at PODS and autonomous vehicles two new(ish) areas of technical development that are very promising, but I think they will start with the (very) low risk applications first and build up experience. So I do not expect anything very ‘exciting’ for quite sometime – sadly.

        Cheers CR

        • I caught the hint at budget limits, and I hope you are right about it being a failure of the display funding/time. I think the aspiration to deliver PODS using 200kg lift drones alone would be incompatible with the aspiration to repurpose a ship, upgrade it, or even to swap out equipment for maintenance.

          A Chinook can lift 12 tons and could probably transfer containerised CAMM. (I just use that as a weighty example. I’m not in favour of upgunning Rivers in their current role.) Also the pretty pictures suggested surface drone delivery too. That’s why I’d have liked to see one chunkier example in the video to show they are thinking about the interfaces and logistics. Fantasy budget: they don’t have to build it just yet or even at all, but they do have to design it.

          Lower weight limit PODS for in-theatre marine/commando operations seem to be valuable and sensible, and I have no issue with the kind of thing currently proposed other than it’s far too limited for the 2SLs aspirations. If you don’t get the right spec at the start, you’ll not only regret it later, you won’t be able to get your allies to agree or standardise. (Another of 2SLs aspirations.)

          Hopefully this promising idea will strengthen over time.

  8. This is a perfect role for the Batch II Rivers.

    As far as freeing up more hulls, one thing I never hear discussed is replacing the Towed Array Patrol ships with something cheaper than a T23/26. In the future, couldn’t it be done with XLUUVs and Halcyon or Project Wilton boats? What about something smaller than a T31 with a towed array, like the Venator 110? I know the TAP ships have specialist capabilities but I’m assuming they could be fitted to other vessels.

    • Hi Ron,

      Autonomous vehicles do occassionally get discussed when they are in the news but we will never hear everything about these platforms for obvious reasons so less opportunity to discuss on what is a news related resource.

      You are right autonomous vehicles could be used for many application, some of which we probably haven’t dreamed up yet. I think that having a sensor only autonomous vehicle lurking around certain choke points would a good initial use, for example. Intelligence is a key enabler particularly in these increasingly dangerous times.

      Whether we like it or not we are in another Cold War, possibly two depending on how you look at the situation. The West on one side and Russia and China on the other – I see them as they not co-operators rather than allies, so I think we should be very careful about lumbing them into the same bracket. Hence two Cold Wars running concurrently…

      For the RN the priority needs to be to keep an eye on Russia. We fought two Battles and the Atlantic in the 20th Century and could have lost them both. So I would like to see the RN deploy some autonomous vehicles with sonar / towed array as back up and possibly replacement for whatever we have deployed in the GIUK gap at the moment, for example. No need to arm them in the first instance, just get them into service, find out what they can do in the real world and develop them as appropriate. The reason I say no armament is that submersibles (which is what we are really considering in my example) are very difficult to communicate with so having a human in the fire no fire decision cycle is very difficult and is yet to be solved I believe. So rather wait for that to be solved fit sensors and deploy them as monitoring / inteligence assets first.

      Cheers CR

  9. There is massive depletion of fish stocks in the area of the Gulf of Guinea by a large Chinese fishing fleet. They are regulars inside territorial waters of several nations and fish with impunity. Several African Fishing Monitors have dissapeared off the boats while monitoring their catch in the last few years, and the Chinese claim no knowledge of what happeened to them. I think Trent will be doing some fisheries protection work here which is bound to aggrevate the Chinese who respect no one.

  11. I was deployed on a T23 doing a Falklands trip and for the 1999-2000 Christmas to new year millennium we where alongside in Cape town( What a Run! Test Cricket, 14 rand to the pound and a great bunch of locals to party with….oh and the Stellenbosch … love SA wines!)
    Anyway I digress…
    The way back was basically almost every nation with a coast in West Africa. Nigeria, Ghana or Gambia (cannot remember which) Senegal and Cape Verde where all visited along with Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia, Ivory Coast, and Sierra Leone

    In Sierra Leone we hosted some of the most evil people in the continent , the SL civil war warlords, who where by then putting down their weapons and talking peace. I was going to say arms not weapons but thought better of it as we saw hundreds of kids who had had their arms cut off by these Mofos…Again I digress..

    Anyway some of the Commonwealth nations had small naval units, Combatantte 45s , that type of thing, with 40mm mounts or 76 Otos. The crews where massively pro UK and pro anything UK armed forces as many had trained in the UK.

    With a more permanent presence there I would think it would bode well for the UK and the RN in the region.

  12. I note the Captain is a Commander, no doubt due to the embarked RM, complex mission and distance from the home port. Would the CO otherwise be a Lt?

      • definitely a “Lefttenant”
        “Tenant: in the army ands “left” their brains on civy street. That’s what the rank and file called us in my day. Wen I was a Candidate Officer, this was the order of things:
        Lt berates the Sgt
        Sgt takes it out on the troop
        Troop kicks the dog
        Dog bites the Candidate Officer!

      • HMS Forth: Cdr Chris Hollingworth RN (but previously Lt Cdr Munns)
      • HMS Medway: Lt Cdr Jim Blythe
      • HMS Trent: Cdr Tom Knott (since March so not for this deployment only)
      • HMS Spey: Lt Cdr Ben Evans
      • HMS Tamar: Cdr Teilo Elliot-Smith since August (but previously Lt Cdr Huchinson)

  13. It would be good if they helped stop the illegal Chinese trawling off the Gambian coast which has destroyed fish stocks for poor local fishermen.

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