HMS Tyne and LÉ George Bernard Shaw have completed two days of training in the Celtic Sea.
The Royal Navy say that the joint exercises “strengthened ties between the navies, as the two patrol vessels worked together on navigation skills and carried out a transfer of supplies from one ship to another”.
The UK built LÉ George Bernard Shaw, a Samuel Beckett-class offshore patrol vessel, works on maritime security operations, assisting Irish Civil Authorities and carries out fishery protection in the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone. The Royal Navy also say that the Irish ship has very similar responsibilities to Portsmouth-based Tyne, which is on patrol in the waters around the UK for much of the year, carrying out a variety of missions.
“The meet up between the ships took place off the south coast of Ireland and began with Officer of the Watch Manoeuvres designed to test their abilities to communicate proficiently and manoeuvre in close proximity to each other, during the day and at night. Following that, the two patrol vessels carried out Replenishment at Sea – abbreviated to RAS in everyday navyspeak – training. This transfer of stores requires skilful seamanship and tactical communications from both ships to safely and successfully manoeuvre alongside and transfer stores.”
HMS Tyne’s Commanding Officer Lieutenant Commander Richard Skelton said in the news release:
“Royal Navy Offshore Patrol Vessels spend around 320 days a year at sea, and most of it operating on our own. So, the opportunity to spend some time in company with our partners from the Irish Defence Force and learn how they carry out many of the same tasks that we do has been a real pleasure. At the end of this exercise I am pleased to say that we have improved our ability to operate together and, as importantly, that we have strengthened our long standing ties.”
I always wondered if they might slip a wee bottle of something for the other crew into the stores being transferred. Is there there some sort of friendly tradition like this?
There certainly was in the Para Regt when distributing good bye gifts after an exercise… Glenfiddich as I recall… (Or not)…
Cheers
Yes is the answer!
The UK now has 6 OPV’s (and the two Scottish ones), don’t see why the UK can’t sustain the rest of the fleet an operations/taskings, as it’s certainly not “medium sized”
As to the 76mm, fate. The fleet most likely would have stanardised on the 57mm of the Eithne if that class had been fully built, instead the Peacocks were picked up cheap to replace the cancelled Eithne’s and the rest is history.
That is his thing. He is absolutely obsessed that the UK is NOT by any stretch of the imagination one of the worlds players.
So just to remind you – G8, UNSC P5, G20, IMF and World Bank board member, one of worlds biggest economies, 2nd in the Soft Power rankings, language spoken worldwide, cultural, military, diplomatic links worldwide, commonwealth, the language of science and air traffic control, a nation the world wants to come to, who’s Universities top the board, founding NATO member, UKUSA Agreement member ( that’s 5 eyes to you ) and on and on and on, and each one no doubt a stab in your doll.
Just to remind you. And of course you will now launch some attack back at me while ignoring every point made but on something personal. On other occasions over the years it was on my supposed gender and another occasion that I was “Italian” commenting on the UK’s military. Both wrong.
Note also the sly dig “For as long as it has left” in reference to the UK.
So, once again, explain to the UKDJ community how France and Italy, both medium sized nations, both like the UK in the G8 club of richest industrial nations, have carriers, subs, SSN ( in France’s case ) destroyers, and so on?
What is Norway, a small nation, doing with F35??
Don’t forget our obligation to the Commonwealth Countries.
And he’s back mate! Missed his moronic posts if I’m honest. Not often you come across someone so lacking in subject matter knowledge yet seemingly so proud of that fact!
‘“For as long as it has left” – any comment he makes is immediately devalued.
Don’t bite mate he is Harold the troll, well known sad stalker of military sites!
Of late l haven’t. This morning I must have got out of bed the wrong side. ( I blame the night shift! )
I still refuse to call him anything other than “TH”.
Yes, another. TH was banned.
Ah there’s an avatar from the past, old TH! And don’t forget he is also Iqbal who frequents the STRN site.
Good to see this, hopefully something to become more common…
Hows Moscow this time of year?
Harold, we need and require SSN, CVF, T23, T45, T26, T31 to protect shipping lanes, our sovereign islands.
If you think we are going to put 7.62mm into fishing trawlers, sinking them because they have fished in the wrong area. You need to wake up.
Ah, it’s 76mm, not 7.62mm for the main gun on the Irish ships which is what I presume he means.
Morning Mark. the Irish OPV is a fine looking ship. Nice to see the two Navies operating together. i am all for closer ties with the ROI
As for the 76mm gun-as the Irish Navy does not have larger warships i think it is appropriate that their OPV’s have a ‘proper’ gun as their roles would need to encompass more tasks than those asked of the RN’s Patrol vessels
To be fair we only needed the old 40mm to “accidentally” sink that french trawler years ago. As I’ve said the 76mm is rather an accident of circumstances, there was every chance it would have been the 57mm had things worked out.
Not familiar with the French Trawler incident Mark but will Google. Cheers
As I’ve said another time, speaking to a couple of Air Corps pilots at an airshow they told me their service has very close ties with the RAF.000000000
All sections of the DF from Navy,AC,Army and Special Forces have good working relations with the UK forces for the most part.
You mean like the Italians, who have an aircraft carrier?
Or the French, who have an aircraft carrier plus SSNs and SSBNs
Those European nations? Do you say the same about them?
The Irish ship has much better lines, and looks like it has a decent gun as well.
I would be fascinated to see a comparison of the build
cost of the GBS with that of a Batch 2 River………
Hi David,
Direct cost comparisons between the two are difficult because of the differences in specification. From what I have read the RN Batch 2’s have significant non lethal capabilities i.e. a well equipment CIC suite for an OPV.
Also, of course there was be political imperative of maintaining ship yard capability between frigate / destroyer programmes. The real cost driver of the OPV’s was political / navy dithering over escort build…
Cheers CR
These factors are often mentioned in relation to the cost of the batch 2 Rivers. I still think it would be interesting to see what a perfectly competent OPV can be built for in the UK, setting aside gilded specifications (does an OPV need a CIC and a sophisticated sensor fit? It is often said that they are naval ships but not warships), political delays and interference, protection of industry (ie BAe), and BAe’s near monopoly, inefficiency, and overcharging.
Apparently the GBS cost €72m. The batch 2 Rivers cost £127m each. About twice as much. Does not seem very good value for money!
I understand the RB2 cost includes those of TOBA = cost to maintain Clyde until T26 build starts. Surely RB2 must be more expensive than Samuel Beckett class, but not twice as much.
It does but I think our Batch 2’s are much better looking than the Batch 1’s.
Hi billythefish,
My understanding is that the Batch 2 have a very comprehensive CIC suite for a OPV, which gives them useful non lethal capabilities. Having said that they also have a pretty good fire control system for the 30mm.
The Irish OPV’s reportedly only have a basic optical (possible with IR / Laser ranger) fire control system.
Cheers CR
Does an OPV need anything other than a basic fire control system? It’s not a warship and is not expected to take part in any real combat. If it is, then heaven help the Rivers with their solitary 30mm……
The Batch 2 are corvettes descoped in armament for their current role in an effort to get competent hulls on patrol at a reasonable running cost i.e. a policy mirrored in many of our warships at present. I’m losing count of the number of times I’ve presaged a statement with ‘should the need arise’, but do so again on this occasion to emphasise that they can be boosted in armament with relative ease. I personally think the crane superstructure could be deshipped in favour of a hanger (should…).
Regards
Hi David,
Picking up on Gavin’s remarks, having a well equipped CIC (it is not a frigate CIC to be fair) does open up additional operational opportunities. A good coms fit means, for example, would be a key enabler for deploying these vessels to the Falklands and Caribbean. A good sensor fit also allows them to look out for themselves and stay out of trouble and maybe gather intel – depends on what is actually fitted…
Cheers CR
Nicely played Harold, I see you’ve managed to get a couple of digs in for the price of one. The ‘gun one’ is pretty low hanging fruit on here but still, well done.
Yawn
Ireland does not need a huge navy as they are fully aware that the UK would never allow a Foreign power to invade the Island given that it is also partly UK territory… So Ireland is protected by the UK (and obviously other allies).
The Irish ships have larger guns as they are the only ships they have and so have to be more multi role than the UKs Patrol ships which have the backup of full warships and aircraft. Also the Irish ships do not have proper aviation facilities and can only launch drones. The River class can support Lynx helicopters and the batch 2 can support Merlins.
Yeah, again the fallout form the Eithne stopped any aviation facilities dead, though Eithne’s replacement will have such capabilities, whenever she’s ordered.
I am afraid you have got the capabilities of the Samuell Beckett class vs the River Class (of any batch) in reverse!
The River Class is far more capable multi role platform than a Samuell Beckett, it has a military grade radar, CMS, support electronics and is built to Lloyds Rules for Naval Ships.
The Samuell Beckett class is VERY simple, it has the systems and sensor of fit of a large fishing trawler and was built to Lloyds Special Service Craft Rules which are far less vigorous when it comes to survivability features.
The Samuell Beckett class are basically built to safely go into the Atlantic and inspect fishing vessels. They’ve got a bigger gun, but frankly if anyone shot back with more than an DshK, they’d be in trouble.
Agreed.
At least, River B2s are completely different class of ship (Also Batch 1.5 = Clyde has CMS and military-class radar).
River B1s (other than Clyde) may be comparable to Samuell Beckett class (simple radar, no CMS, etc.), but I’m not sure about hull-standard. For EEZ patrol and fishing control, Samuell Beckett class approach is good enough, also River B1s.
It’s also historic, during the 1922 Treaty it was made abundantly clear the UK would not allow the creation of an “Irish Navy” of any sort and would only consider a possibility of a Customs/Fisheries force at a later date. While that was some bit modified later in the 20’s with the possibility of 2 squadron’s of Minesweepers, the view from the UK was always that Ireland shouldn’t have a naval force.
Sadly with our DOD and Finance such a position became entrenched and an excuse not to spend even after the UK lost such interest.
For once we are being out gunned by the Irish!!! What the hells the world coming too…
See Feds explanation above mate. No need for worries here with the B1’s.
Don’t be distracted by the 76mm on the front the Samuel Beckett class is not as fighty as one might think. It has the sensor and system fit of a large fishing trawler. It lacks the features found in the River class required to get into a fight like appropriate damage control, armour and water-main that can be found in a River class. It doesn’t even have a CMS or any kind of Electronic Support Measures.
It has a big gun and that is about it…
Don’t forget that the 60’s are just stretched 50’s so the design predates the River’s (the 50’s were in service a couple of years before hand, so designed even longer). There’s also politics that limited the design due to the Government’s stance on the Naval Service at the time (hence no helicopter capability or intention to deploy them out of EEZ operations).
There’s also bad luck, the 60’s were delayed due to the Crash and the Eithne replacement (thought to be at the time a FFNW Absalon) never happened. By the time they were ordered while the NS was changing it’s mission, the material state of the 20’s ruled out reopening the tender for any other design.
Here we go again, Harold and his oft confirmed proof of a serious deficiency in subject matter knowledge. Wonder where you been, using your Iqbal avatar on other military related sites? Excuse me if I yaaaaaaaawwwwwwn.
Are some of you trying to make up for something? The Batch 1s are for fisheries protection, their 30mm guns, plus GPMGs and/or miniguns are plenty for their tasking.
The Batch 2s on the other hand should probably have something that carries a bigger punch and more versatility. The 57mm going on the T31 for example. A telescopic hangar for Wildcat would be good for higher threat assignments also. I think the crane would need to go to achieve that mind.
Small point Rob-the Batch ones have 20mm guns-upped to 30mm on the twos
Ah, a ‘moving’ memorial to Appledore…..
Considering BLM etc.
Bernard Shaw was a raging Communist, one of the useful idiots Moscow embraced to defend the indefensible. In the midst of the purges, when tens of thousands of Christians and Orthodox priests were being executed or sent to the Gulags, BS was at the forefront of the popular intelligentsia trying to deny reality. He was absolutely committed to the totalitarian ideals of Communism he is quoted as writing:
“We should all be obliged to appear before a board every five years and justify our existence… on pain of liquidation” likely, because this was what was basically happening in Russia at the time.
I demand the Irish rename that vessel. He actively defended the political subjugation of hundreds of millions and denied the murder of tens of millions.
We could always go back to naming them in Irish and listen to everyone else butcher the names if you like.
Poor old Bernard Shaw…what a picture you paint! He was a Fabian socialist with a cheeky sense of humour….your quote reveals precisely that! I love the anecdote about a confrontation he had with a large bosomed woman. She shouted at him ‘and I’ll give you tit for tat’. He replied after a pause….’tat’. So much for raving communist! By the way Nathan, your political slip is showing!
Second that.
That is one opinion….a wrong one.
It doesn’t really matter what size gun she has if she is in port … From what I understand the Irish have serious manning issues https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/naval-manpower-crisis-worsens-with-shortages-in-many-ranks-987794.html
We have an 9 ship fleet with an establishment meant for 8, this combined with a roaring economy before Covid meant manpower issues, particularly within the Engineering section, right now 6 out of the 9 are operational, with 1 in refit and 2 down for manpower shortages. Not hugely different from other navies, hasn’t the RN had ships laid up for some time due to manpower issues?
Harold. Away in xxxte man . What are you talking about PutinBot?