The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), the world’s largest aircraft carrier, has concluded its role at the centre of NATO’s Neptune Strike 25-3 exercise, a five-day demonstration of allied naval power directed at deterring Russian aggression on the European continent.
Running from 22 to 26 September, Neptune Strike 25-3 brought together more than 10,000 sailors, soldiers, aviators and marines from 13 allied nations.
The exercise, led by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO) from its headquarters in Oeiras, Portugal, spanned the Mediterranean, Adriatic, North and Baltic Seas.
A U.S. Navy photograph from the North Sea captured Gerald R. Ford sailing in tight formation with the French frigate FS Bretagne, the Danish frigate Niels Juel, and the American destroyers USS Mahan and USS Winston S. Churchill, while MH-60S helicopters circled overhead. NATO said the imagery underscored its commitment to collective defence, with the carrier strike group operating as the centrepiece of its deterrent posture in northern waters.
Beyond the carrier group, the exercise also involved amphibious and submarine elements. Turkey’s flagship, the amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu, Italy’s landing ship ITS San Giorgio, and the U.S. command ship USS Mount Whitney supported multinational task groups.
Drills included carrier-based sorties, amphibious landings in southern Italy, submarine patrols, surface warfare operations, and a mass casualty training scenario.
The exercise concluded against the backdrop of repeated Russian air and drone incursions into allied airspace in both the Baltic and Arctic, incidents that have raised concerns among NATO members about Moscow’s intent to probe alliance defences.
It sort of depends how you measure power.. if your talking range and scope of destructive power it’s dwarfed by an Ohio class SSBN as each of these these could destroy 200 cities and poison untold 1000s of square Kms of land as well as reduced the worlds food production by up to 20% for 5-10:years.. simply put an SSBN dwarfs the power of any other warship by many many powers.
Submarines are generally considered boats, not ships. But you have a point.
Also with no F-35s onboard it could be argued that other ships could be more powerful. Depends on the task ultimately.
I’d probably take 50 F/A-18E/F/G over 18 F35Bs to be honest, even thought the F35s could perform some missions better.
Why are you comparing 50 FA 18 on board her with 18 F35B?
Oh I know you got confused, you were thinking about disparaging the QE class and got confused and so compared the wrong air wings.
Sensitive much?
I was not disparaging the QE class, which are amazing assets for the RN. I was playing devil’s advocate with the assertion that USS General R Ford is the most powerful warship at sea, pointing out that some might consider a smaller but pure 5th gen air wing to be more capable. So my comment is far from disparaging the QE class, quite the opposite. But all-in-all 50 Super Hornets is probably a more powerful force than 18 F35Bs. A QE class with a full compliment of 36 F35Bs would alter that equation significantly though.
Also I would argue the Ford as is is not as powerful as a Nimitz class..on pure aircraft carrier metrics..because it’s still got launch and recovery issues that limit its overall sorty rate.. below that of a Nimitz.
It also lacks a 5th gen fighter capability, how useful would an F18 really be in high end conflict.
Based on current weapons fit, a lot more useful than our F35Bs. They also have significantly better availability rates.
We are of course talking about Super Hornets which are still rolling off production lines, and not legacy Hornets.
It’s not just about weapons fit. F35 can go places and provide capabilities well beyond what a Super Hornet can do. But both will complement each other. Just like Typhoon and our F35s will.
I think what many have seem is the fifth generation fighter essentially complements and improves the performance of the 4.5 generation fighter.. essentially unless there are significant differences in numbers and doctrine the 4.5 generation only airforce will be out fought by the mixed 4.5 and 5 generation airforce.. and the 5th generation only airforce is likely to be hampered by a difference in numbers.
It makes for an interesting discussion about the best formate for a potential future max effort European carrier battle group to say dominate the western Indian Ocean sea lanes. A UK fifth generation carrier with 2-3squadrons of f35B 4 AEW rotors, 4 ASW Merlin’s and the Charles D with 2-3 Rafale squadrons ( probably the best 4.5 generation Cart horse of munitions) and 2 hawkeyes. That’s probably actually a better mix that an 2 carrier US battle group as the European 2 Carrier battle group could have the added spice of strategic level nuclear tipped cruise missiles.. and I’m not sure there is any airforces apart from the US answer china that could actually do anything about that CBG sitting 700 miles off its coast.
Hi Carrickter, The remaining Marine Corps F/A-18C/D legacy Hornets are actually not too bad. They have been upgraded with AESA radars (AN/APG-79(v)4), beyond line of sight communications, improved EW capabilities, and long range weapon systems like the JASM/LRASM family. They will supplement/complement the growing numbers of USMC F-35 B and C squadrons until more weapons are integrated for the F-35s. Legacy Hornets are of course not as good as the Navy’s Block III Super Hornets (which are WAY better than some others on this site seem to admit), but they will be relevant up until they sunset in 2029.
I wasn’t aware of those upgrades, but good to know.
I see that the USMC have significantly altered their F35B/C split, to include more Cs and fewer Bs, but overall same number. I can see the logic of this from a purely jet-to-jet comparison; as the C has longer range, higher payload capacity, higher availability, lower cost etc. But from an overall tactical warfighting perspective, I suspect that the US will ultimately need to opt for smaller but more numerous carriers in the Pacific to counter Chinese build up, for which the F35B is the only choice.
What weapons do you think an F18 can carry that an F35 doesn’t that would make a difference?
F35 with AMRAAM D and ASRAM probably makes it the most effective air to air platform available at sea and there is not much you can’t do with paveway IV. Storm breaker is avilable for extended range and LRASM is also in testing and only just available on F18.
F-35 can’t use stand off weapons.
AIM-174B is a game changing air to air missile.
AGM-158 JASSM, AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER for long range stand-off strikes.
AGM-88(G) HARM or AARGM as an anti-radiation option.
AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile.
JSM and LRASM being integrated as you mention.
Plus JSOW is arguably better than Paveway IV many respects.
ADM-141 TALD decoy missiles are a great capability too.
I would say very very useful.
USA needs her in the “Golf” right now, they’re being slaughtered !
“FOUR”
They just need to give up and admit European superiority.
European superiority on what? All of Europe’s forces together cant match the USA, to even think so is wrong!
I think you shanked that shot and missed the fairway with your comment.. I will meet you back at the 19th hole when you get into the swing of the comments my duffer.
“slaughtered!” – to quote a certain Frankn’furter ; “Yes, I know – but isn’t it NICE??” 😁
Any deployed US aircraft carrier is the world’s most powerful ship.
I’m so re-assured to know that this ship may or may not be on our side, 100% of the time.
60% of the time it works everytime! 🙂
Hi Jay,
We’re still on the same side last I checked. Your First Sea Lord seemed to think so when he visited the ship recently and got a ride in the back seat of an F/A-18F Super Hornet:)
I do hope so, but you’ll forgive me for being less sure about that these days.
Would the Danish Chief of Navy Command have been welcome onboard?
Hi Jay,
Yes, I strongly suspect so. It’s odd given the amount of political theater nonsense, but military to military exercises and cooperation haven’t slowed down during the current administration, even with Canada, Denmark, and Panama.
I attended a big naval conference/expo (Sea Air Space) near DC earlier this year at the height of our political issues with Canada, and there were plenty of RCN officers in attendance, including Admiral Angus Topshee, the head of their navy. Danes were there as well.
News headlines tell one story, but the reality on the ground is often strangely normal. It’s an odd world we live in these days.
To be fair, I’m serving and work with US counterparts regularly – my experience has been largely the same as yours, in that barely anything has changed. In fact, I find that people don’t even talk about it.
However, as much as I wish it were true, I don’t buy into the idea that the US leadership are floating in their own vacuum while the US military carries on as the dependable, respected ally it has always been.
In my mind, our Govt is obliged to take significant strides to de-risk from the USA, and I think that’s a feeling shared across most of Europe. It’s less whether they should or not, and more how to do it strategically with the minimum amount of upset along the way.
Now they just need a new reasonable government over there… Given guys like Vance, I am not so sure the future is brighter than the all time low currently seen.
You don’t mean like Biden’s surely ?
Well the thing about Biden was I was pretty sure he was not going to do anything.. which is a thing unto itself.. no one has a clue what Trump is going to do include an outside chance of invading another another NATO country.. there is a happy medium between the two.
A nice Ronald Reagan figure is what everyone really needs and secretary wants… sort of like everyone would probably like a Mrs thatcher figure to come along and save the UK from the bunch of incompetences ( and I mean all of them from the grinning semi fascist clown, to the boring please everyone but no one socialist and all in between) that are forcing the country into extremes.
but any politician that came along in the vein of Thatcher or Reagan would immediately be jumped on as a Far right hate monger.
Some one would call him a Nazi and start posting pics of the SS
Not at all Andy, I think most people no the difference.. between a socially far right populist hate monger and a socially conservative and economically conservative right wing politician like Reagan and thatcher.
UKDJ goes off into non military politics again. I usually avoid this crap, but.
“socially far right populist hate monger”
Assume you mean Nigel Farage. I find it interesting, that having had a couple of conversations with him myself he did not strike me as that at all. He wants immigration reduced, and migrants to integrate, like I do, like many do.
I don’t see anything fascist in that, neither do friends of colour of mine who actually agree with him, or my wife, who would not hurt a fly.
But, when the establishment is threatened, the knives come out, and we are all far right knuckle draggers. A load of tosh.
That same establishment that cannot see to beyond the end of their own noses in that their own actions over the last 3 decades that upset so many has created the rise of the likes of Farage.
I do agree though, ideally a centre ground leader is always best. Who would that be, currently, with the sorry state of affairs that are our political class?
Just seen this on the news, priceless.
“4 major new immigration rules by Labour, explained”
So clearly rattled that they by Reform and Nigel Farage that the party that opened the floodgates in the 90s, are now promising what Gordon Brown promised long, long, ago: must contribute to their community, must learn English, contribute to the economy, no criminal record ( jails are full of foreign criminals we let in, good one….all the same old, same old.
Deliciously, Farage has suggested many of these over the years and gets shot down, Labour do it, no, that is OK.
It did not happen then, it will not happen now, Labour holds its nose when declaring this stuff without actually agreeing with a word of it.
And the public see right through it.
Thus, the rise of Reform.
Item 4 is a peach. Ending overseas recruitment for social care workers. Someone on this very journal was aiming that at Farage only recently and low and behold! Planned government policy. Such a right wing thug this Starmer….That is a hard one as they, and the nurses, are very much needed so how they will actually do that by recruiting from existing UK workers?? There will always need to be some immigration of people with skills the country needs, again as Farage suggested years ago with a points based system, which the Tories also parroted for public consumption and which again Labour themselves do now.
The relevant quote:
“”We will therefore reform the current rules around settlement through an expansion of the principle behind the POINTS BASED SYSTEM, that individuals should earn their right to privileged immigration status in the UK through the long- term contribution they bring to our country.”
I will now return to defence, and expecting a load of incoming. ( I don’t give a monkeys, I did not start talking politics on this thread )
Hi Daniele I don’t have an issue with with migration control and I have time for policy related to that.. I don’t have a UKIP issue per say, I have a very specific issue with Farage.
Do I think he is far right ..maybe and maybe not.. do I think he skirts close to far right ideological tropes and uses them for his own advantage, yes he does. So could he be.. yep he could, in the same way I think Corbin is a communist.. to me they are both dangerous men who move Britain away from its traditional political position and cultural norm.
For me it’s his anti semitic tropes that worry a lot, Farage has propagated antisemitic conspiracy theories. In 2017, he named the so-called US “Jewish lobby” as one of his concerns. He also used well known coded language including discussing the “new world order” and the threat of “globalist” government, describing the Jewish philanthropist George Soros, who is a regular target of conspiratorial antisemitism, as “the biggest danger to the entire western world”. When Jewish groups condemned his comments, he dismissed them as “pathetic”.
As well as that extreme right groups and figures, including Tommy Robinson, Britain First, Patriotic Alternative and the Homeland Party, have all urged their supporters to vote for Reform UK.
Interestingly Mark Collett, leader of the neo-nazi group Patriotic Alternative, stated that the British National Party’s (BNP) old election leaflets “were actually markedly tamer than Farage’s current rhetoric,” arguing that: “The same man who boasts about destroying the BNP is now standing on a platform that is more explicitly about demographics than the BNP did at its height.”
So yep he worries me as much as Corbin as I honestly think they are both a real and present threat to the UK. The thing is he can be charming and charismatic as well as want the best for this country.. but he can also be on the dangerous political fringes as well.. they are not mutually exclusive ( i firmly believe Corbin thinks his way is the best for the UK at the same time as clearly being a national security risk).
The problem as you say is who is there on the Thatcherite right, central right, centre or centre left with any credibility at all..
To be honest at present I would have Boris Johnson back in a flash as scarily I think he may be the most competent politician we have left.
Does a rattled Labour not in some ways represent the middle-ground you claim to want for the country?
A labour, who for better or worse, is obliged to act decisively on immigration.
What more could one want?
I don’t like the guy but everyone calling him a fascist or Nazi seems completely unable to explain to me why he is a NAZI. He isn’t goose stepping up the high street, he isn’t rounding up minorities for the death camps.
I find him distasteful but people need to stop labelling anything they don’t like. It’s democracy
Hi he is on record for making a number of antisemitism statements.. when challenged about using antisemitic tropes his response was “grow up”. So I believe he is what he constantly says he is a fascist .
But to caveat that You don’t have to be a goose stepping mass murdering sociopath to be a fascist.. just as you don’t need to be sociopathic mass murder to be a communist.. Hitler and Stalin very much were an outlying extreme. Corbin and Stalin two communists but only one was a nutter who killed millions.. Hitler vs say Tommy Robinson again only one is a mass murdering psycho.. in the same way as there were Irish republicans were willing to kill women and children.. they does not make all republicans child murdering terrorists.
So no I don’t think farage is in any way like Hitler he is a 1000 miles away from that evil.. but I do think his politics are likely fascist in the same way Corbins are communist.. I would vote for neither but they have a right to be in politics. we need to separate what Hitler was from fascist thinking otherwise we can never debate or confront the route causes of the fascist political movements… I personally have no issue with a fascist party being in politics as I have no issue with a communist party being in politics or republican and nationalist parties..they highlight and allow debate on a set of needs, i personally very much dislike their politics, consider them destructive to UK society but they have a right to be in the debate.
Really? What fascist comments are these?
I don’t like the guy personally but he talks the language of working place people unlike those elitist idiots that have been in power for 20 years.
Could you show me these comments please?
Between 2009 and 2020 farage undertook a number of interviews with a know far right anti semites in which he consistently used antisemitic language. To the point that a spokesman for the Board of Deputies of British Jews said: “It is vital that our politicians distance themselves from conspiracy theories and conspiracy theorists, including those who trade in antisemitic tropes. We would call on Nigel Farage to repudiate these ideas and to commit not to dignify oddball nasties like Alex Jones with his presence again.”
The Community Security Trust, which monitors antisemitic sentiment, said Jones was “a notorious conspiracy theorist who should be beyond the pale for any mainstream politician”.
A spokesman said: “Furthermore, for Jones’s conspiracy-minded audience, Farage’s references to ‘globalists’ and ‘new world order’ will be taken as familiar codewords for antisemitic conspiracy theories.”
Then later farage who essentially called the boards concerns stupid went on a rant about powerful Jewish figures in banking after this in June 2020 the board of deputies again intervened with a statement
“The Board of Deputies of British Jews said Farage’s airing of claims about plots to undermine national governments, and his references to Goldman Sachs and the financier George Soros, showed he was seeking to “trade in dog whistles”.”
If your a UK Jew you tend to know what farage has said about your culture and how he has essentially courted the far right anti semite community over the last 15 or so years.
Basically behind his more populist talking to the masses stuff, he has engaged in some very edgy conversations with people who go beyond what I would call political “fascist ideology” and into the nasty side of anti semitism.. why he has done that and his own beliefs.. well we can only make our judgement on what is said and to who.
Jonathan If you mean Mr Farage he was a member of my Club . I assure you semi or any other kind of fascist are not admitted .
I’m afraid he has his cards marked with antisemitism tropes he made in the US.. so he’s gone in my shit bucket with Corbin and his brigades…
I don’t get the debate that occurs when George headlines most powerful warship, as one shouldn’t take that literally.
It’s massive, it’s got an air wing as powerful as most nations air forces.
That’s the point.
I comment about it (stopped doing it now though) as the Headlines tend to alternate between “Largest” and “Most Powerful” when this particular ship is featured. I find amusement in the descriptions, it’s a bit like when a red top rag calls a frigate “Battleship”, I always smile at that.
In the world of Bikes, “Largest” can be “Slowest” (think Harley Davidsons ((junk)), Whilst “Fastest” can be “Lightest”. “Most Powerfull” can be massive but not the fastest.
I guess there are Trains that have these descriptions, is a Bullet Train “Most Powerfull” because it’s the fastest ? (If you get what I’m on about !!!!)
I meant to ask, did a new Bike arrive today?
Nope, did it heck ! I waited patiently all morning, then gave them a call and “Oh so sorry, we meant to call you, It’ll be tomorrow now”
Sometimes, I just hate Humans !
Because it’s a bit of innocent fun and the Ford has been a bit funny.
The World’s most super duper wooper pooper scooper (she does or did have toilet/heads issues) powerful warshippy.
As do most “newborns” !
Unfortunately I don’t think most people do know the difference. Think what you want about Farage but people throwing about insults like far right and left doesn’t help.
He and others are a far thing from running death camps
Indeed.
People look across the Atlantic, see how populism has morphed into proto-authoritarianism in about seven months, and are naturally concerned about a similar political movement growing in the UK.
‘Far-left’ and ‘Far-right’ are not in and of themselves pejorative terms, but they are broad terms that do a poor job of describing political positions overall. As I’m sure you already know, people can be economically far-left whilst harbouring social ideologies that would be better described as far right, and vice versa. Furthermore, describing the opposition as ‘racist Nazis’ on the one hand and ‘woke snowflakes’ or at the extreme ‘traitors to the country’ is an easy way of isolating those who sit in the political centre. This issue is rife in American politics – Republicans are ‘racists’ whilst Democrats are ‘terrorists’ depending on who you talk to, and I’m anxious at the growth of similar dialogue in the United Kingdom. You might disagree with your political opposition, but insulting their supporters is a surefire way to isolate that voter base.
It’s a tactic used by Farage, more recently by Starmer and frequently by Badenoch, designed to divide voters and prevent actual change by fragmenting support for new parties and ideas through tribal mentality. Meanwhile, the status quo remains unchanged, and the state of the UK’s public institutions and social fabric drifts steadily closer to that of the USA as large corporations exploit the degradation of workers rights to boosts profits and corruption takes hold whilst the twin bogeymen of facism and unchecked migration are used by their respective political manipulators to project collective tunnel vision onto the voting population.
Anyway, apologies for rant. I’m just worried. I look across the pond and see a nightmarish vision of the future of the UK.
It’s slightly worrying that the most neutral and balanced opinion has been supplied by one of the oh-so radicalised Gen-Zed…
Thanks, I’m glad it came across as somewhat coherent.
Who is this General Zed ?
Is he the bloke from Crypton ?
or was it Uranus ?
so many questions, so many voices in ma heed.
Yep, a fair, and good post this, Leh.
I myself have both left and right views depending on the subject matter.
Thank you. I think that the vast majority of the population would agree with you there in saying that their political views shift depending on the subject.
Closest I ever got to Labour was when the wife was turfing the kids out.
Breath !
😁
This perfectly captures my concern. That’s why I found Starmers’ language so appalling recently – to describe Reform and thus, a huge portion of our population as “Enemies”.
It struck me as very American.
Nah, that’s not best in life. Far better to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and to hear the lamentation of their women!
Not all facists are Nazis as not all communists are Bolsheviks.. you can feel someone uses the idea of fascism and also don’t believe he a raving Nazis who will open death camps.. in the same way as I don’t believe Corbin would open gulags and March millions people to death in work camps..
So yes I believe Corbin is a communist.. a don’t believe he is Stalin and yes I believe farage is probably close to a fascist has we have come in a long time in mainstream politics..but I don’t believe he is going to set up death camps or is evil… I just don’t like a hell of a lot of what he has said ( especially in regards to anti Jewish tropes)
I can think someone has a political ideology that I don’t like without thinking they are an insane murder or evil.. so I don’t actually have a problem with calling someone a facists because I don’t have a problem with someone being a fascist.. I just would never vote for them support them or agree with them… and that is ok.. if it’s ok to call someone a communist it’s also ok to call another person a fascist… some one can dislike my views and I can dislike theirs and think they are a troublemaker.. that’s allowed.
Unfortunately a great many people now don’t believe in true freedom of speech. Especially if it offends people
Yep I’m all for people saying what they think. One of the most pernicious issues we have is that people cannot say what they think and be respectfully challenging around those views..It’s stupid really because people still think it even if they feel unable to say it… so let people say it.
My personal approach is unconditional positive regard, so even if I think a person is a fascists or communist I alway believe they deserve. respect as a person and should be allowed to hold those views.. as long as they are not directly advocating violence. Any challenge should be done as a discussion respectfully
But I have a slightly different view about politicians as they express views to run for high office or for political gain and may therefore express views that are not their personal beliefs so they do not get the same leeway as a private citizen and I will challenge their views robustly.
I don’t see people thinking something as inherently “wrong” and they should speak their truth as there is always a reason they have formed that and discuss it ( how else do we learn). Politicians often speak things they don’t necessarily believe to gain influence with group… I’ve realised as I’ve got got older is that in general I don’t respect or like many politicians because they simply don’t express their true views.. that may be a function of our modern society that cannot allow people to express views.. so for me it’s fine for someone to say or feel something that is “say a thing I think many be racist” and then it’s fine for me to tell them I feel that is racist and why, it does not stop me considering the other person a less valued human being with thoughts and feelings that have value and meaning… who is allowed to fully express their thoughts, unless they are a 1) a politician 2) attacking someone personally 3) ensighting violence against people 4) a person entrusted with a responsibility which means they may not say what they think of that stops them undertaking their responsibility.
Yep I’m all for people saying what they think. One of the most pernicious issues we have is that people cannot say what they think and be respectfully challenging around those views..It’s stupid really because people still think it even if they feel unable to say it… so let people say it.
My personal approach is unconditional positive regard, so even if I think a person is a fascists or communist I alway believe they deserve. respect as a person and should be allowed to hold those views.. as long as they are not directly advocating violence. Any challenge should be done as a discussion respectfully
But I have a slightly different view about politicians as they express views to run for high office or for political gain and may therefore express views that are not their personal beliefs so they do not get the same leeway as a private citizen and I will challenge their views robustly.
I don’t see people thinking something as inherently “wrong” and they should speak their truth as there is always a reason they have formed that and discuss it ( how else do we learn). Politicians often speak things they don’t necessarily believe to gain influence with group… I’ve realised as I’ve got got older is that in general I don’t respect or like many politicians because they simply don’t express their true views.. that may be a function of our modern society that cannot allow people to express views.. so for me it’s fine for someone to say or feel something that is “say a thing I think many be racist” and then it’s fine for me to tell them I feel that is racist and why, it does not stop me considering the other person a less valued human being with thoughts and feelings that have value and meaning… who is allowed to fully express their thoughts, unless they are a 1) a politician 2) attacking someone personally 3) ensighting violence against people 4) a person entrusted with a responsibility which means they may not say what they think of that stops them undertaking their responsibility.
I should imagine that Putin’s PA mentioned NATO’s Neptune Strike25 ‘regatta’ to him. I can then imagine Putin saying… ‘oh that’s nice for them’, before switching on SKY Tv, to watch Europe beat the USA, to win the Ryder Cup yesterday.
In other naval news the UK is planning to send a powerful River 2 OPV to replace HMS Lancaster in the Gulf.
That’s a bit Overkill really !
The Gulf is stable. It only rates an OPV diplomatic gunboat. In contrast, HMS Sutherland visited Manila in the Philippines, which obviously rates a frigate. Sign of the times.
And if we had swapped roles, and put a River with the CSG, what would you have said then?
Is a River Batch 2 OPV structurally capable of being upgraded to a 57mm or 40mm main mount? NSM? Needs must over the near term (early 2030s).
Upgrading the gun would be fairly straightforward. I don’t know about NSM. Providing the missile with over the horizon target information might be beyond the systems fitted to the River 2.
Yes, the Thai HTMS Krabi class, which is based on the River 2 class. Has a forward mounted Oto (Leonardo) 76mm, 2 x 30mm Bushmasters, along with 4 Harpoons. So the River 2s do have the potential to be up-gunned. The main issue is the ship has limited armouring of vital areas, but is built to a military standard, rather than civilian that a lot of other Nations OPVs are built to.
If the ship was to be up-gunned, it really needs a better radar, that can give target range, bearing, height and velocity. That can then be used to guide the autocannons. You will also need to upgrade the CMS that interfaces all the systems together. The ship can take the additional weight, but you will need to do other modifications to make it more fighty and resilient to damage.
HMS Sutherland was nowhere near the Philipines – that was HMS Richmond on CSG25 duties.
My mistake. I stand corrected. Thx.
Although the seas around the Philippines are a festering pit of nationalism and power struggle with multiple nations clashing in a sub kinetic political warfare.
That the RN cannot fulfil its commitments.