HMS Defender, a Type 45 Destroyer, is leading half a dozen warships as the world’s largest test of mine warfare force gets under way.
The International Mine Counter-Measures Exercise, IMCMEX, focuses on keeping one of the world’s most important ‘choke pointsc for shipping open: the Straits of Bab-al-Mandeb, at the foot of the Red Sea, and the Strait of Hormuz. Gateway to and exit from the Gulf.
Lt Cdr ‘Millie’ Ingham, commanding officer of mineseweeper HMS Middleton said:
“Showcasing our ship and our sailors is not only a great opportunity for us to demonstrate what we can do, but also a chance for our families back home to be able to see the hard work that they support us in every day.”
Eight nations have committed ships to the exercise: aside from the Royal Navy, vessels from the USA, Iraq, Japan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan are involved.
This is because they are preparing for Iran to fall on its azz when they violate the recent agreement. At least the U.K. leadership doesn’t have its head up its azz. I salute you all for your service!
if the engine doesnt conk out have they sorted it yet?
Engineers have figured out a way to work around it until the problem is sorted. Simply running the ship at reduced capacity therefore reducing strain on propulsion systems. At least this is my understanding, but I am warfare branch and not based on a T45 so don’t know the ins and outs.
Probably the only one not in port ?
Probability isn’t your friend today.
Really? The RN has just 6 and the last I heard they were having engine problems ?
David Curno the self proclaimed military expert
Not by any means Christopher Kent. Just read up about the problems they’ve been having and lament the state the RN has been allowed to sink to. No doubt you still think they are perfectly equiped and 6 Type 45’s are plenty. Incidentally it could take up until 2020 to rectify the problems. With just 6 Type 45’s and the known manpower shortages in the RN, how was my original comment so out of kilter???
Christopher Kent he read the same as me dont be discerning
Fact.
3 out of 6 Type 45 destroyers are listed as in dock under maintenance on Royal navy website.
Probably getting lined up for holes cut in their hulls and their engines replaced.
1 Trafalgar class sub is also in dock with engine concerns. Reactor leakage. Currently having its reactor refuelled. All of class have same issue and need attention.
Concerns that Astute class may also have same problem as same engine manufacturer.
Question – who’s making the engines for the Queen Elizabeth carriers?
the qe2 engines are from skoda
Dan Billington, I can’t like your posts because there’s nothing to like about it ?
y son is on dragon as a an engineering mechanic, the reports surrounding the type 45 propulsion systems have been blown out of proportion, the main issue is the failure of systems to kick start auxilliary generators quickly enough to restore power fast enough.
I totaly agree Curno. Not good.
As I tihnk it stated, the only powerful failures where in 2010 and 2013… So years ago, and these things are usually over hyped by the press.
agreed, the main issue is, that 6 ships, instead of the origional proposal of 12, shows the m.o.d are inept to the extreme, been counters should not influence national defence policies
http://www.savetheroyalnavy.org/putting-the-type-45-propulsion-problems-in-perspective/
Carriers have TM30s. They are very popular around the world. Its certain section of power generator i think thats an issue.
People jump on anything and everything to have an outraged whine. The engine type pioneered by the type 45 is the future if naval propulsion. If they had gone for turbines manufactured and systems manufactured abroad the same people would be all shouting from the outrage bus contradicting what there saying now. It does my head in and I wish these keyboard warriors would just wind there necks in.
Not a case of whinging Kieran Locke. Read the report. Pioneering system is good, but they’ve had problems since 2010 !! And RN engineers have had to just make do and find impromptu fixes. Now 6 years later the government have given the much depleted RN the means to find a more permanent solution!! THAT is the issue here.
no, its adesign failure, see my post below.
Will this include two Tugs to bring her back to port?
two tugs?hms severn and cyde?
What’s on the reserve list? It would be prudent to have one ?
Great well thought out comments there fellas
Great, meanwhile Type 26 has been shortlisted for Royal Australian Navy’s new frigate.
THE FINAL PARAGRAPH OF THIS ARTICLE > http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/air-space/support/2016/04/21/uk-wants-f35-avionics-sustainment-hub-europe-jsf/83280916/
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?? F-35A? F-35C?
Fast forward five years… the royal navy will have two carriers… six World beating destroyers… deadly attack submarines… future frigates… when formed in a battle group… all this will be forgotten. Rome wasn’t built in a day and when you actually read around type 45…they are just awesome. The Americans regularly have a type 45 as guard ship over their Arleigh Burke’s. The problems will be sorted… we will have enough jets and the Royal Navy will be back in business.
The problem is, that unless things change significantly all these ships are going to result in many in extended readiness, due to lack of sailors.
We are also going to have the 3-6 new OPV’s, on top of the carriers, all of which require sailors.
We lose HMS Ocean, but it is effectively being replaced with 2 carriers, so extra sailors.
I however assume we save some sailors by having the light frigates instead of a full set of type 23s and i assume that the new frigates will require less sailors than the current ones, due to more automation.
Hardware is only great, if we have the man power to make use of it.
I agree with the basic concern re manpower but on a picky point, I’m not sure we will end up with 3-6 new OPVs (if by “new” you mean “additional” which in fairness you might not). 3 new OPVs are in build with another 2 new announced in SDSR 2015 but there seems to be a widespread view that the earliest 3 existing OPVs (the batch 1s) will get phased out as the new ones come into service so we might only end up with 2 additional hulls to man, maybe only 1 additional if Clyde is also phased out as well but that is probably less likely so my guess is OPV fleet rising from current 4 to 6. Still needs extra bodies though. Maybe HMS Clyde might end up being one of the vessels that ends up in extended readiness leaving the 5 brand new OPVs as the main OPV force.
0.p.v should be refitted to carry out frigate roll , better propulsion systems ciws system and toewd array sonar for asw duties sea sparrow and accosiated command control systems
one single battlegroup of1 xssn 1x type 45, an auxilliary,2x type 26 will take half of the fleet! if we have both carriers at sea ther will be no escorts
The Royal Navy couldn’t defend the North Sea. Ships with no power, half in dock , a tiny sub force and frigates equipped with missiles the ruskies would laugh at. Now two floating gin palaces . Twenty Yank destroyers rammed to the gills with cruise / aegis and missiles that can actually sink ships ?Nah Distributed lethally ? Nah