Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Spey has participated in Exercise Bersama Lima 24, joining Commonwealth allies in Southeast Asia for a demonstration of unity and military cooperation, according to a Royal Navy news release.
The exercise, which involved the forces of Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the UK under the Five-Power Defence Arrangement, highlighted the longstanding partnership aimed at ensuring regional security in the Indo-Pacific.
HMS Spey, known for its distinctive dazzle paintwork, was one of five ships to take part in the exercise, alongside 38 aircraft and over 2,000 military personnel.
The naval element featured complex warfare scenarios such as air defence, escort missions, and naval gun firing. HMS Spey worked alongside warships from the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy.
Lieutenant Commander Kris White, Spey’s Executive Officer, highlighted the benefits of the exercise for his relatively young crew, saying it provided invaluable opportunities to form and strengthen professional relationships with counterparts from other nations. “Exercises like Bersama Lima provide invaluable opportunities to enhance our cooperation, interoperability, and trust with our regional partners,” he noted. He further emphasized the importance of these exercises in addressing shared security challenges in an evolving global landscape.
General Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Mohammad bin Ab Rahman, Malaysia’s Chief of Defence Forces, praised the exercise for demonstrating the “shared purpose” of the five nations, stressing the importance of remaining vigilant, agile, and united in the face of shifting security challenges. “The friendships and professional ties we have forged here will continue to grow and evolve as we embark on future exercises,” he added.
Exercise Bersama Lima 24 spanned 18 days and included both land-based planning and active naval, air, and ground operations, reinforcing the collective readiness of the participating nations to respond to any threats in the region.
Is that a Bofors 57mm on the 3rd ship back, Malaysian frigate?
Do we know how well the gun is doing in service with other navies?
The Bofors 57mm is widely used and seems to be very well regarded. The Canadians have used it for many years on their Halifax class frigates, and I’ve chatted with USN personnel who love it.
Canadians now prefer the 127mm
Why put a 57mm on a T26 derivative when you have room for a bigger, more capable gun?
Especially when they chose the Italian version that has all sorts of fancy guided ammo available
If Starmer said the other day, that the UK needs more presence in the Pacific, so we do need a uplift of a sort, of the RN presence there, and how urgent, is that need?
If quite urgent, could that mean a interim purchase of existing stock vessels from the U.S? What would we buy from them, LCS?
Why in all that’s holy would the RN want to buy LCS hulls?
The LCS hulls are not ancient, unlike a lot of other US warships and of other countries, including our own T23’s! Yes the USN needs to fix the flaws in them, and guarantee them.
They are not the answer and the uplift will need to be a medium term ambition for the surface fleet until escort numbers start to recover. A further batch of Type 31s and perhaps additional Rivers to replace the Batch 1s would help. This could allow towards the end of the decade two Type 31s to be based East of Suez with the two OPVs. A more near term possibility would be to use a modified Bay class but this would require it being freed up from MCM duties permanently in the Gulf. Given the current lack of escorts it would be very much tied to working with the Aussies and other allies. If the RFA debacle could be overcome it would be good to have a tanker in support of these vessels.
Of course the near term and high end solution is the already planned basing of an Astute in OZ and Starmer’s comments seem to suggest this is going to happen despite our lack of boats.
The Chinese will definitely not welcome a U.K. SSN permanently in the theatre and it would be a very powerful statement of intent to do so.
Long term we would definitely require more than 7 boats to do this and not strip our capability back home.
So do you think that Xi is going wait for us to build our T31s before he starts a war?
Also did Hitler waited until we completed all our new arms purchases before starting WW2?
Has any enemy waited for us to completely rearm?
Buying clapped out badly built American LCSs is not a workable solution in spite of the time pressures I don’t think
The Freedom class, has got RR propulsion like T26. So RN crew will become familiar with this setup.
News that China is building a deep water port in Peru.
Yes but don’t worry the US looking inwards doesn’t have to worry about Chinese forces with their evil Russian mates creeping up the South American coast until they reach the southern border, where the wall will magically stop them apparently. Bet Canada’s glad it has Alaska between it and Russia rather than taking it for itself as was envisaged back in Victorian times.
The worlds 2nd largest producer of copper for your next EV and a base for Chinese trawlers…and their 10,000 ton OPV minders.
Unfortunately, I have not be in charge of the UK’s defence budget and procurement for the last 20 years so I don’t need a history lesson.
To be less flippant I would suggest you read a book called Task Force 57 and then give me your view on whether you think the UK could support any sustained deployment to the Far East.
Hitler was forced into a war 3 years earlier than planned true though because we declared war on Germany, which ironically just possibly cost him the war, if technology developed to influence matters the way it might have done given a few more years, so swings and roundabouts I guess. China would probably be better off waiting, I don’t see the disadvantages for them on present trends certainly not a few uk frigates or even the SSN.
Could a buy of SSKs facilitate permanent Pacific deployment of a SSN?
UUV’s operating in North Atlantic, could release SSN for Indo-Pacific duties? Plus the extra P8’s from Germany. Could the last of the T Class be extended beyond 2026 for N.A. duties? Ideally, we really need to get more of the SSN’s we have, out to sea.
Norway has also bought the P8, and is considering T26. Sharing the N. Atlantic responsibility with allies is the way to free up RN assets for the Pacific.
A purchase aboard for SSK’s will be bad optics for the RN.
There is a article on N.L. on this issue. SSN’s are the gold standard of being submerged for long periods. See N.L.
Saw that. Understand the optics. That said, I wonder if the defence review is debating German SSKs versus US LCS – assuming they are considering ways to increase the size of the RN of course. I see Norway has ordered some 212 class subs.
They also have next to no base capability and need upgrades to become useful.
SeaRAM and the mk110 are perfectly reasonable for missile defence but not a patch on a T31 for anything else.
They could potentially be put to service long before we get T31! See also my reply to Andy.
Well with the acquisition process, training in unfamiliar systems and weaponry and organising support for their ongoing maintenance and logistics I wonder how ‘long’ that would be in practice. The Americans widely believe now the whole foundation for these ships survivability in their designed capacity is fundamentally flawed so I’m not convinced they would be an attractive option even short term.
I would be tempted to remove the mk110, from that position and put in CAMM silo instead there. And install a 40mm gun further forward.
Are we talking about the Independence or Freedom class here?
Freedoms have space for VLS in the superstructure but Independences have them in front of the bridge.
all they need is a proper navy to operate them.
Ah yes needs to fix the flaws in them, might have some relevance, I don’t think they would make the same choices again judging by present low regard, but yep likely more than happy to flog a few to a ‘friend’ at mates rates with a three month guarantee.
Mate the LCS are a complete disaster they are rusting piles of junk that cant go anywhere near the speed they were designed for incase they phyically snap.The designs are fundamentaly flawed and if it wasn’t for politics (jobs) the yanks would very much like to scrap them.
Go to youtube and look at Sub Brief channel he has loads of videos on the LCS.
Thanks for the link, cheers!
Short ranged – the clue is in the name- with unreliable power plant. Just what no navy needs for Pacific operations.
escort numbers are NOT GOING TO RECOVER. as fast as a type 31 or 26 comes into service a type 23, will go.
because it makes sense. even having just one of them With the option of acquiring more as they become available yes, they’ve had a difficult career but, the furore around the T45 was just as bad. cross deck the gun, 30mm’s, add a towed array and a torpedo launcher from Monmouth and Montrose, and you’ll have a type 32… a new class of ship ordered in the usual batch of five, won’t cost less than 100 million each, so a 500 million pounds investment in a hitherto not yet designed, confirmed order would mean a type 32 costing at best 100 mill. for that 100 mill, I’d expect that we could get three of the freedom class, technologically current,AND BUILT. yes, I’ve long believed these ships could be turned into a very Potent ASW platform fitting a captas towed array and assorted bits and bobs from a type 23, could save a fortune with stuff we already have.
RN could add extra CAMM/ER/MR from box launchers? I like LCS, just the flews need sorting like they are doing with T45. They are capable of operating at quite some distances, despite the name! Yes a T32 at a cheap price! And a helo, with ASM, and drones operating from that large flight deck?
You want to fit the 4.5” onto them…how exactly do you imagine that it going to happen? How much refit would need to be done to the CMS to handle all these ex 23 hardware? How many extra crew would be needed on ships that have already needed to expand their crew numbers for their basic operations?
Thats not even fantasy fleets stuff, that’s just mad.
Thank you for some sanity Mark it’s simply a disaster waiting to happen.
Won’t cost less than 100 million? You are kidding right?
I’m actually a very rare fan of the LCS and I’ve followed the ups and downs of the program in detail for a while now. I especially like the Freedom class, which has the worst reputation. I took pictures of the Nantucket as she made her way between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario recently.
Congress basically forced the USN to keep 10 of the Freedom class, and USN is finally waking up to the realization that they have ships on hand, and plenty of work for them, and is spending the money to fix them and make them useful. But I just can’t see the RN wanting the ones that were decommissioned already. I honestly believe they will be increasingly useful to the USN and much more lethal, but they will always have quirks. They will basically fill the same role in the USN that the Batch 2 Rivers and the upcoming Type 31 fill in the RN. The transmission issues are fixed now, but they are like having a Ferrari for a daily driver when a Ford would be more practical.
Interestingly Fincantieri Merinette Marine in Wisconsin is building 4 Multi-Mission Surface Combatants for the Saudis that are based on the Freedom class, but will be armed with CAMM as well as SeaRAM and apparently the 57mm gun. These 4 export orders are part of the hold up with the Constellation class frigates. Of any part of the LCS program I could only see these MMSCs of interest to the RN.
How long Paul, would those MMSC’s take to build and commission? Could a Freedom Class lcs be converted to a MMSC?
I keep telling people, our enemies will Not wait for us to rearm!
Thanks for this info on LCS.
I’m not sure, though I’ve heard that the Saudis have waffled and delayed a bit on the spec, which has in turn contributed to pushing back the Constellation schedule. At least some fabrication on the MMSCs is being done on the new line intended for the Constellations. The MMSCs are being built inside sheds due to the winter weather in Wisconsin, so we won’t see them outside until they are ready to launch. They will also be launched on the new shiplift at Fincantieri Marinette Marine and not sideways like the LCS. I’ll be keeping a close eye on them as I want to get photos when they pass by Detroit in the next few years.
Unfortunately (or fortunately), after the 4-ship foreign military sales order for the MMSCs, FMM will focus solely on the Constellation class, as Freedom class construction is done (Nantucket just did sail-away, Beloit will probably leave before the Great Lakes freeze, and Cleveland is done and just fitting out pierside. If Lockheed Martin got more orders for the MMSC, they would have to contract with a different shipyard than FMM.
There is some info on the MMSC (with photos of the first hull) in a Naval News article from February, 2024.
Thanks I was wondering if this variant just might have some speculative value as an alternative at least as a point of discussion. From a practical point of view however clearly it is not.
“Thanks I was wondering if this variant just might have some speculative value as an alternative at least as a point of discussion. From a practical point of view however clearly it is not.“
Now that the propulsion issues are worked out I absolutely think the Freedom class already has very good capabilities. The helicopter hangar, waterborne mission zone for RHIBs, reconfigurable internal spaces, and a large degree of automation are good assets. Guided ALaMO ammunition already exists for the 57mm gun. The 30mm gun modules work well, and the VL Hellfire system is by all reports very successful in anti-small boat swarm tests. The class will only get better with the introduction of NSMs and integration of USN standard systems like SLQ-32, Nulka decoys, and a fleet standard gun sight.
As constructed though, I think they would be tough to integrate into the RN. They have an Aegis derived combat management system which the RN is unfamiliar with, and the RN doesn’t use SeaRAM. I think any conversion of existing hulls to accept CAMM would be problematic and time consuming.
The USN doesn’t even want those Little Crappy Ships.
The same was also said, about RN T45’s, breaking down in mid Atlantic! Now they are being fixed.
It’s not just the mechincal reliability issues and their aluminium hulls slowly dissolving in sea water. They’re expensive, poorly armed and not fit for a blue water navy.
The hull of the Freedom class is steel, it is the superstructure that consists of Aluminium. So the actual hull is ok. So the superstructure really needs to be rebuilt with steel, which sure can be?
I’m sure that won’t be expensive at all…
The Freedom Class is steel, but the other class, the Independence Class, has an aluminium hull. The Independence Class has well documented hull defincies.
The LCS is a case program of how not to do it. The USN has been lumped with a fleet of poorly armed ships it never wanted. That will have a lifetime cost of what is now estimated to be 100 billion. It’s just as well that the US DoD has some very deep pockets.
Could we not persuade the DoD to strip down the superstructure of some of the Freedom class of LCS’s, and to be rebuilt of steel?
It’s a shame of a good hull to go to waste!
From what I have read these ships would not remotely try to take on a Chinese frigate so I am not sure they would do us much good in any expanded presence in the Pacific. They simply were not design to compete in a blue water environment and putting lipstick on a pig isn’t going to make them competitive in that arena. For the Saudis the environment is different and modified versions may be useful, though I remember the great incredulous surprise when the order was originally made.
Apart from flying the flag, could someone with more naval gravitas please comment on what HMS Spey was able to contribute to this exercise? It has none of the other systems the other ships have so to me becomes a liability rather than an asset. Anti-piracy patrols – fine, no argument. Agreed, we have nothing else to offer which is in itself is a very, very sad state of affairs. Type 31 will in the future be the perfect operating platform for all forays by the RN into Asia Pacific. On a separate note, I do hope the CSG we plan to send into Asia Pacific nest year is primarily made up of UK assets with support, where required for operational operability, from the Japanese, South Korean and Australian navies. I’m especially hoping the Japanese will be able to contribute both surface and subsurface platforms coupled with affording them the opportunity to practise landing their F35Bs on our carrier.
HMS Spey, is an River Class Offshore Patrol Vessel(OPV), they are just constabulary Patrol Vessels with just a 30mm gun. But I still don’t think our enemies will wait for us to rearm.
there are more reasons to gun them up than reasons not to.
Which are?
Corvettes are front line warships, and doing to ours what the Thais have done to their own b2 river, install a 76mm to melara rapid fire maingun, two extra Ds30MM behind the bridge wings and now harpoon.weve got all of this gear in storage at fountain lake in Portsmouth. removed from the 23’s . Monmouth and Montrose another 5 front line ships ALREADY BUILT WHY NOT?
Because they are presence vessels and not Corvettes.
You could do all that, then there’s less money for more frigates.
Not all ships need to be fighty.
Outside of the Peacocks, the 76mm was never in RN usage, so those are going to have to be bought if you want them, new supply chains, new training programs, its one of the reasons why the RN sold the Peacocks back in the day due to the costs of supporting the 76mm.
On this one I’m going to have to side with Andy for once.
Upgrading to a 40mm wouldn’t cost the earth and would add a whole new level of capability against drones and small boats.
Nearly doubled range, much more lethal ammunition and the role as a CIWS if necessary.
Babcock have also stated that the 40mm on T31 needs 30% less maintenance than the 30mm.
Same for the Carriers, same for T26 if we can fit the bulky turrets in the right place, but a complete no brainer for Rivers.
👍
I’d give them a rotary UAV and a decent SIGINT fit.
True that
Container for S100/Peregrine wouldn’t be difficult.
The Dutch also use the Holland class for ELINT but as they spend most of their time in the Carribbean they probably don’t get up to much interesting stuff.
Rivers on the other hand are in the Pacific with China and often end up escorting Russians through the Channel, so plenty to go off there.
the Malaysian and Singapore navy’s must laugh at the pathetic presence the u.k can afford to contribute.bsad so very sad.
Nations like Singapore don’t laugh at other nations Navy’s. That’s just a school playground comment Andy.
What does HMS Spey contribute? Presence; without her the photo would not have happened. The group had to have a leader around which to coalesce. An excellent example of UK soft power and RN leadership.
Why is it that the Malaysian frigate reminds me of the T21s?
It was built by Yarrow. Malaysia were going to buy more than 2 but cancelled. Now they’re attempting to build a different design themselves with support from Group Naval.
Could do with them patrolling the channel, because border force ain’t worth a light.
an Op Joins Pacific allies? this underlines the pathetic royal navy state. it’s a disgrace oh how the mighty . Malaysia n and Singapore navy’s must be chortling at. what does Spey bring to the party? nothing that’s what. the turning these ‘boats into corvettes, is a long standing debate that won’t go away, even if it DOES make sense.the same goes for echo and enterprise ships all the rivers and echos are substantial platforms which could offer far more to the navy than they are equipped and used for. that would give the RN.N a boost of 7 front line ships, ALREADY BUILT the HTMS Krabi reconfigurement, shows the potential of them. cross decking equipment from the 23’s could be done in hours even on the Clyde! thDS30 cannon would be straightforward
Be interesting to see what comes out of the defence review. Another 2 ‘batch 3’ Rivers might be useful. Echo and Enterprise are fairly young. It would be nice to think you could convert them to OPVs, but they have such a unique design I doubt its economically feasible.
I thought Echo and Enterprise had been retired from the fleet a few years back?
Yes, both decommissioned in 2022 and 2023 respectively I think. I’ve seen no announcements regarding sale or scrap though.
Navy’s don’t laugh at other nations that can deploy warships or any size or capability so far from home. Its not top trumps. It’s diplomatic relations. And POW is planning a port visit to Singapore next year.
I don”t think either ‘soft power’ or defence credibility is helped by sending a scantily-armed OPV to represent British presence or be the baby in allied naval exercises. There is a useful role for the Rivers, but it is not this.
The three operational T31s will take over the out-of-area role in the higher-threat arenas, the SCS, the Gulf and maybe the Falklands. That leaves the lower-threat Gibraltar/West Africa Station, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, the Falklands EEZ patrol ship and the Pacific.
Low threat doesn’t mean no threat. A capable corvette would be a much more useful and credible minor warship to deploy on these stations. The Khareef class we supplied to Oman is basically a larger River, IIRC 2,500 t displacement, well-armed with anti-air missile system, Exocet 111 s2s flight deck and hangar. A useful little ship to have around and one that an opponent would not tangle with lightly.
It would also be a useful asset in northern UK waters to boss Russian cable-cutters, surveillance ships and, if it had some ASW capability, lurking Russian subs too.
If we again come to a point where we need to deploy convoy escorts to protect Atlantic shipping lanes, then we need a capable, lower-cost/smaller complement class of ships on hand and a corvette class would offer that capability.
Problem here is that, while almost everbody else recognises the role and value of corvettes – see European Patrol Corvette programme, 8 NATO countries planning a 3,000t ship – the RN has consistently blanked them. Their fear is that the bean-counters will say, look we now have these warships, we don’t need so many frigates. But that line of defensive reasoning just leads to having lightly-armed OPVs of limited value.
The River 1s will need to be replaced in the near future and their replacement should be a more capable corvette. If it had some MCMV uuv capability too, it could replace the Hunts in due course. This for me would be a more practical and less expensive route than T32 frigates, which we won’t get because there is no money for them.
The best role for the River 2s would be in a UK Patrol Squadron, patrolling and policing our EEZ waters, with one doing likewise in the Falklands EEZ role.
Welcome to fantasy fleets comment which all ignore one fact: lack of personnel; that is the big problem for the RFA and Royal Navy and it is not going yo change.
But does Starmer know fully of the RN issues? He’s the one lately calling for more presence in the Pacific and it seems also in the North Atlantic as well, maybe he also plays fantasy fleets!
Grandstanding.
UK governments are masters at it.
He might mean the pre Labour planned SSN then he can spin it and say we did it.
To be fair, all governments are in their own way, nothing really unique to the UK about it.
I’m just hoping they kick Capita out of the recruitment process and bring it in house.
If Labour changed absolutely nothing else at all, this would still have a profound and seismic impact on our armed forces.
👍Agreed!
Agree. However, I understand Capita is Army only.
Ah, but does he mean more ships in the Pacific, or a more capable presence, being T31 rather than River 2? I doubt Healy or the naval staff is advocating more ships, as Healy at least seems to recognise that we are pretty short of everything in NATO Europe.