The Royal Navy vessel HMS Tamar visited Darwin this week after the successful completion of her first deployment in the Indo-Asia Pacific as part of Britain’s permanent naval presence in the region.
HMS Tamar is permanently deployed to the Indo-Pacific region alongside her sister ship HMS Spey.
HMS Tamar visited the Northern Territory briefly for crew rotation, before continuing her permanent deployment in the region say the Ministry of Defence in a press release.
The Ministry of Defence say here that over the course of their five-year deployment, HMS TAMAR and sister ship SPEY plan to work with allies and partners across the region and plan to visit countries from Australia to Japan, and Fiji to Singapore.
“Since deploying in September 2021, Tamar and her sister ship Spey have travelled 25,000 nautical miles to Columbia, through the Panama Canal, transiting along the US West coast and into the region via Hawaii. Some of the highlights of Tamar’s operations include:
- In January Tamar patrolled the East China Sea to conduct monitoring and surveillance against illicit maritime activities, including ship-to-ship transfers with North Korean-flagged vessels prohibited by the United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). This activity served to ensure that commitments to demilitarization is adhered to in the Democratic people’s Republic of Korea and ensure Rules Based International Security is upheld.
- In February Tamar took part in Exercise Bersama Shield with the Five Powers Defence Arrangements (FPDA) nations (UK, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand and Australia). This multi-national exercise which took place in Singapore and Malaysia included a range of exercises which demonstrated the interoperability and cooperative response of the five nations and their commitment to security in the region.
- In March Tamar joined the Royal Brunei Navy Warship KDB DARULEHSAW for a passage exercise off Brunei, highlighting the continuation of relationship building in the region.
Highlights from HMS Spey’s operations include the following:
- In January, the Ship came to the aid of the Tongan Government following the Hunga-Tonga volcanic eruption and tsunami, delivering humanitarian supplies and supporting repair work to communications infrastructure.
- In February Spey deployed a medical team to deliver Covid booster vaccinations and dental treatment to the people of the Pitcairn Islands. The ship’s company also visited Fiji and Papua New Guinea, carrying out engagements with the military, government leaders and local communities.
- Spey has also worked with regional partners to carry out environmental and hydrographic surveys as well as water sampling, contributing to studies on climate change. One of the greenest ships in the Royal Navy, Spey also carried out important Marine Bio-diversity taskings.
- It has been an exciting time for the ship and crew where they have opened new relationships, strengthened others, delivered essential aid to countries in need and helped deter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The ship has worked with a number of maritime forces in the region including; the US Coast Guard, US Navy, Royal Australian Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy, Republic of Fiji Navy, Royal Brunei Navy and Indonesian Navy.
Alongside the Royal Navy, the British Army and Royal Air Force regularly conduct exercises and operations with partners and allies, underlining the UK’s joint commitment to security and stability in the Indo-Asia Pacific.”
Have to wonder given the limitations of these ships what kind of utility or training can they provide to HMG or regional Allie’s. Nice to have forward based presence and these ships are vital in less contested areas such as the south Atlantic or Carribean but in the Indo pacific? Possibly forward basing in the pacific islands and re establishing presence there might serve as a counter to China but can’t see much else.
I’ve mentioned within the last few days that the RN’s ‘official’ newspaper, Navy News, shows an artist impression of T31 integrated into UK CSG. Additionally, it was clearly toting cannister anti-ship missiles. A mute statement of future considerations by the RN, as security deteriorates? Logical, not to mention always the intention if unit numbers don’t multiply sufficiently rapidly, I and many others would hazard.
To date, the T31 has been promulgated for the River B2 role, as you know. But the latter are themselves downgraded corvettes, for want if a better classification – at 2000 tonnes, median naval survival rating, and admitted 27 knots. FFBNW, well everything really, at this time i.e. in line with their current mission.
If, or as like as not when, the NN scenario came to pass, then B2 could well maintain their overseas role converted to their potential.
Admitted 25 knots !
That’s very interesting about 31’s and CSG. You could well be right about what that would mean for the B2’s and either a longer life for B1’s or even a batch 3.
Actually one of the reasons why they cost so much is that the RN took the original Amazonas corvette design and required that design’s survivability be UPRATED compared to the original. Specifically these included enhanced magazine protection, improved hull integrity, fire safety modifications, and greater system redundancy.
Mm, at the very least they’re potential convoy escorts. Starting to consider the boring logistics aspects.
Not everything involves the Ops room Warfighting on a RN ship. In addition to the article Other things you end up doing:
Navigation training using old school charts or modern Electronic Chart Systems.
AIS training
Boarding ops and vessel searching.
Officer of the Watch Manouvers
Flight deck training.with other nations aircraft.
Sea Boat drills (mobex)
B2s are an excellent asset for working with smaller, coastal focused navies who are looking at EEZ enforcement etc not fighting off Carrier Strike Groups.
More Ships have visited Pitcairn in the last 5 years than in probably the previous 50. The locals are probably sick of seeing Jack and Jenny!
The Indo Pacific has been a (necessarily) neglected area for the RN. It simply has not had the assets to meet high end commitments to Nato and the Mid East whilst still being able to take part in low end engagements with other nations. Rivers forward basing now allows this to happen.
I don’t disagree with any of that, however the South China Sea area is very much a point of potential high intensity conflict, we need to be actively engaged with military exercises rather than Low end security tasks and training in the region. Much the same as when we sent the other B2 to the eastern Med following invasion of Ukraine. What was it really going to do. Don’t get me wrong I think the B2 are great in the right area but they should never be used instead of a frigate and that seems to be what is happening at present. Having a deployed B2 in the SCS or Australia seems of little benefit to me.hopefully it’s just a prelude for T31.
SCS and ECS indeed militarily intense, and an Australian, Japanese and US concern for the most part. However, Tamar and Spey backyard encompasses mid Pacific to East Africa. Not a bad value for money operational area outside of your evident main concern, Martin. Even so, they’re pretty valuable low profile intel assets, along with everything already highlighted.
Hit me with those positive vibes, man. 🤘
Should think it’s a numbers problem jay
The idea is these vessels can free up the Frigates and Destroyers for higher end operations. 👍
Great for seeing the world.
Definitely. The crews really are seeing the world.
We have not had a frigate or destroyer station in the region permanently since the 90’s.
You don’t need a frigate/destroyer to say hello, sample water, drop off supplies, medical help, have a presence, stop pirates, illegal fishing etc.
in current situations these are there permanently for 5 years.
The frigates and destroyers are getting work done and are needed for other tasks.
Brilliant ships for what they are tasked with.
Morning MS. Exactly. I filled the defence questionairre some years back and made that very point. At the time many slated the OPV’s as ships the RN didn’t want and a waste of money but they have certainly come in to their own as you have described in relieving our hard pressed ’18’ to carry out higher end tasks. Also if need be the 2000 ton hulls are suitable for upgrading in weaponry and versatility
Spot on, always best to give it a few years to take an objective view and take the inevitable initial hit pieces with a dose of skepticism. These ships are and will increasingly be great assets and flag wavers with opportunities to upgrade them if and as necessary. We simply don’t have enough major combatants to do their job, glad we have them a few more would be handy.
Not sure about that. Look how China uses its fishing fleets and its heavily armed coastguard ships to swarm. They forced the largely defenceless Phillipines out of islets and reefs well within the Phillipinr EEZ. The Chinese threatened similar with the Galapagos Islands but were thwarted. They need fishing grounds and are determined to increase their EEZ. The Pitcairn group would be on the CCP radar.
I love the river class. Such useful ships with work deck, extra accommodation and go well with a limited budget. The type 31 will hopefully fit nicely between river and type 26.
Also the rivers don’t cost a fortune to keep at sea
Agreed. People moan because they don’t have towed sonar, ABM missiles and 16” inch guns, but they are great for the job that they do. Plus they have growth potential as although classified as OPVs they’re based on a corvette design and have room for extras to be fitted.
Agree with you on this. I wonder if the Rivers where ever put forward for the RANs OPV contract that was won by the TKM Arafura class? That was for 12 80-85m vessels I think.There’s been the Thai licence River builds but a few more wins would be nice but it’s a tough market, lots of good designs around.
I don’t understand why the 1600 tonne Arafuras are that expensive. Not only do they seem they hugely more expensive than the 400 tonne Cape class, they even make the heavier B2 purchase look frugal. They are roughly the same size as the B1s but cost about £170m each (A$300). So did we really get such a bad deal with the B2s?
They also ask another question of the B2s. Some say the lack of a hangar on the B2s is primarily so there won’t be any possibility of the MoD being hassled to equip the OPVs with a helicopter. I dismissed that as typical Internet paranoia, until I discovered Arafura. The Aussies took to this philosophy in spades, and while the B2s have added refuelling facilities and a strengthed flight deck (over the Amazonas), the Arafuras (a modified Darussalam class) have had the refuelling capability removed and the flight deck weakened, ostensibly to make sure its flight deck is drone capable only. They’ve also been downgunned with the originally planned 40mm main gun removed, and just the 25mm gun remaining.
There’s some very odd decision making going on when it comes to OPVs, but I’d take the Rivers over the Arafuras any day of the week.
Yes, the RAN could have gone with something a bit bigger (90-100m) and more capable and maybe less ships but there’s the balance of getting the right vessel for the job and in the right numbers. I think the Arafura’s only have a 4000NM range too so maybe they’re more geared to coastal, littoral, EEZ patrol. I read somewhere that the down grade from 40mm to 25mm is just temporary, they could even go up to 57mm with AShMs like Brunei or keep 25mm plus drones and there’s some MCM version proposed too.
There’s been a previous article on different upgrade levels for the River’s on Navy Lookout, showing there’s lots of potential for the RN to chose if they wish but I guess monies and energy now is going more into the T31s. Hope we can get something on the T32 soon.
Mate,
When it comes to the cost of the Arafura class OPVs, you can’t just do ‘simple’ maths and divide the budget of $3.6b by the number of ships (12) and end up saying the OPVs cost $300m each.
Usually here in Australia the Government provides a ‘project’ budget.
That overall amount usually includes the ships themselves, new or upgraded infrastructure, spare parts holdings, crew training, sustainment, etc, etc.
A good example are the RANs two AORs, Project SEA 1654, the actual construction cost of the two ships was approx $640m ($320m each), the total project allocation was more than $1b (did those ships cost $320m or more than $500m each?).
Different countries calculate budgets in different ways, which is why costs of similar, or same, equipment vary significantly.
Comparing apples with apples is difficult when you are actually comparing apples with oranges!
One more thing, the change of main gun from 40mm to 25mm, is only temporary, the 40mm gun originally chosen has been found not to be suitable and another gun is being sought, which means the first few ships will operate the 25mm gun currently in service on the PBs, these will be retrofitted at a later date.
At the end of the day the Arafura class are not combat ships, they are for constabulary and patrol duties.
It’s quite frustrating how Australia does that, that’s why your 8 submarines appear to cost $800 quintillion.
We don’t know at this stage what the ‘at least’ eight SSNs will cost, and again the budget for the 12 cancelled Attack class was a budget allowance expressed in 2050 dollars.
I think it’s far better to allow more in the beginning and potentially come in on or under budget.
If I remember correctly a good example of under quoting cost was when Canada originally planned to procure F-35A aircraft for the RCAF, then of course there was outrage in Canada when much higher figures started being reported.
However, the budget allowance for the RAAFs F-35 fleet has always included money for base infrastructure upgrades, initial spares and weapons, and contingency money allowance too.
Allowing more as a project cost is better, in my opinion at least.
Obviously you have allow for the project costs as that’s the money going out of the door, but it’s also useful to know what the construction costs and through-life costs are too. The question is which costs are reported and the level of transparency. As there’s no standard and no easy way of finding out what’s included there can’t be accountablity.
The OPV project is still in its early days, the 12th ship is not due for delivery until December 2029.
This is a PDF of the Auditor-General report on the project from late 2020 (about 18 months ago).
Lots of facts and figures.
The total approved budget is currently approx $3.6b, the value of the contract with Lürssen is $1.988b, the project also has a built-in contingency fund of $426.6m.
https://www.anao.gov.au/sites/default/files/Auditor-General_Report_2020-21_12.pdf
There is accountability, but it’s impossible to slice and dice and produce those final numbers at this early stage.
Hi John N
We dream of 12 ships delivered by 2029….. it will take that long to make a decision
My understanding was that the BAE Systems River class OPV design didn’t make the final short list for the RAN Project SEA 1180 (which became the Arafura class).
The short list of three, was a Damen Netherlands OPV design and two German OPV designs, one from Fassmer and Lürssen.
And of course the Lürssen OPV80 design was the winner.
There are 12 ships under order/construction, there is also a plan to order another eight which will perform Mine Warfare and Hydrographic roles.
Ultimately there will be 20 Arafura class OPVs for RAN service.
Thanks for the reply. Good info.
She’s not a warship!
Well she is painted various shades of grey, got a gun(small), RN crew and if needed will fight! So she is a warship👍
Are the RMP soldiers?
They don’t go around in Tanks and armoured vehicles or fire big guns!
It is a disgrace!!! The RMP need their own Armoured Regiment, GMLRS Regiment, and dedicated AAC Apache Squadron!!
I give you one RMP PC does jump out of aeroplanes!
( Teasing David ) 😉
We don’t need any of that, we just need big, very hungry German Shepherds for fighting PARA on Friday nights @Airborne.
Why would you need an escort to do this sort of flag waving, PR, presence role?
River B2 are perfect.
Hi Daniele. Hope you will enjoy the Jubilee weekend! I have the Union Jack up outside our offices and looking forward to watching on DSTV this evening. When I was an 11 year old we got the day off for Princess Margaret and Anthony Armstrong-Jones wedding. Watched on TV and ate some Smiths Crisps :😄.
God Save the Queen!
God Save The Queen!!! 🥂 Yes, our house is suitably adorned with several flags, sadly not to many others in our street, poor them.
Saw the helicopters from the flypast going over the street as I got home from work.♥️
Don’t think anybody does military spectacular yet inoffensive entertainment as we do, as in Trooping the Colour and Edinburgh Tattoo. Those whose day job is modern, technical and ruthless warfare, parading as 17th-18th century soldiers indistinguishable from a kid’s toy box.
Russia likes it parades, as we’ve seen, but it’s so aggressive and goose step – even when they’re not invading Ukraine. Nobody we viewed lately on their own tv! looked happy to be there, including Putin.
I’m not really ‘royal’, but he is, of course. He must have been drooling; a perfect mix of envy and imbecility.
Agree. And the World watches.
GB.
“but it’s so aggressive and goose step”
Yes, but the Bylorussian, Chinese and NK women marching with the goose step is a great youtube watch! Immaculate!
I may have a peek ‘later’. 🤓
(glasses are authentic)
Some folks still have an idea that the Royal Navy can keep the Chinese navy scared to port. Not happening now. They have more ships than the US navy. No Royal Navy taskforce can take on the Chinese navy in there home waters.
Hopefully the PLA will play nice at sea and not cause to many problems. Should we see them as an enemy? I don’t know. America always like to have a baddie in world but are they they really the baddies. If you take the South China Sea and Taiwan issue out of the thinking is there other places China has for potential all flash points.
You could say China might be getting a wee bit “too big for their boats”! No wonder they want to keep throwing their weight around and try to remake the world order to suit their own geopolitical and economic ends! It’s a clash of top down autocracues versus more bottom up democracies and I think and hope the later, valuing human freedoms more will always prevail.
“America always like to have a baddie in world “
Of course! That is the card they play to get money for the MIC.
They used to do it in the 80s with Russia too by overhyping the threat they posed to get even more money. I have a “corrected” version of the 1988 Soviet Military Power document produced by the Pentagon highlighting the exaggerations they created within it.
How ocean going are these vessels?
Well she has sailed to the other side of the world so I would say very ocean going.
The batch 2 rivers can cope with north atlantic storms and rough north sea work so I’d suggest the hullform and propulsion are upto the task of crossing the worlds oceans in almost any weather short of a cyclonic blast that would endanger any other vessel.
Very!
Today is Military day for the Queens platinum jubilee celebrations 45yrs ago stood on the flightdeck of Hms Hermes for the Queens Silver jubilee Spithead fleet review outstanding day now consided too history .Review this time taking place on Canoe Lake Southsea (Sarcasm)
That must have been a great experience Tommo! A real pity that this wonderful tradition has been allowed to slide. Even with our reduced fleet i am sure a revival would be possible. is the fact that it is no longer held down to the cost?
Thanks Geoff all we need now is a Royal yacht using the Gosport Ferry is a Non starter
Sounds like they are doing the flag waving role the old Hong Kong squadron used to do, who were frequent visitors to a lot of the places these ships visited in the Far East. These were also stationed out east but permanently and had a extra role of patrolling HK waters. The Peacock class were also very capable in assisting environmental disasters and SAR ops though they didn’t have a flight deck but had a great Oto Melara semi automatic bang bang on the bow.
Lovely little ships.
Nice little patrol vessel Scottish built
Really a patrol ship with a 30 mm main gun, no missiles or ASW assets. Fine for an OPV though.