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On topic of MCM, my opinion is that we should wait a little longer, and see what Review and Shipbuilding Strategy will have to say about motherships. A few of some kind of dedicate mothership are required; are the "multi role research vessels" of Boris's announcement it? (1)
The unmanned element is making progress, and we should welcome that in meanwhile. The SWEEP capability (UK-only) is bringing back capability that the manned ships have not had since 2005. WILTON is adding dedicate capability for ensuring approach to Faslane is always safe. (2)
MMCM promises to be a significant upgrade from current SEA FOX drones from manned ships, as the new Saab ROV is armed with 3 disposal munitions and each time it dives it potentially removes 3 mines, versus 1 or 2 now (with COBRA mask on SEA FOX) (3)
The SEARCH part of the job will be done with unmanned underwater vehicles, same as now. WILTON uses the same REMUS and IVER drones that manned ships employ; new sets of UUVs are to be procured. (4)
Only real room for doubt is in whether new towed sonar can do everything that current hull-mounted 2193 and variable depth 2093 currently do across HUNT and SANDOWN classes. This can only be evaluated by the navy itself, but new sonar is said to be really good. (5)
Small size of the Unmanned Surface Vehicle is a major bonus because it means you can deploy it in multiple ways. Current MCM ships can self-deploy, of course, but they aren't fast, don't have great endurance nor are fantastic seakeepers due to their special non-steel hull. (6)
New USV is a bit like Submarine Rescue System, which is stored in Faslane but can be driven out to airport, carried in C-17s and flown out to port nearest to the emergency area, and then installed on the first suitable ship secured in the area. That saves a lot of time. (7)
In theory, since the USV is a 12 meter thing compatible even with Type 26 and maybe Type 31 boat bays, no admiral should ever again be in Woodward's shoes when he had to ask "expendable" HMS Alacrity to zig-zag a bit in the Falklands Sound to discover if it was mined. (8)
Need for dedicate mothership is still there mostly because we don't want number of suitable platforms for MCM to drop too much, but the beauty of the USV-based system is that you do NOT need a super-specialized hull. Can be a better seakeeper, bigger and more multi role. (9)
Royal Navy programme used to be MHPC, from MCM, Hydrographic and Patrol Capability. The P was formally dropped when River Batch 2 came. But whatever new mothership is built should absolutely be a ship that contributes to other tasks and delivers presence. (10)
Belgium and Netherlands provide an example of mothership: their approach to new generation MCM is the same even if drones aren't the same. France has formalized a plan in terms of number of motherships, but has not yet chosen a design. Suitable british proposals do exist. (11)
In theory, even equally mysterious Type 32 could serve as mothership, if designed with the right spaces and launch and recovery means. At same time, cargo vessels like SD NORTHERN RIVER (already used x carrying Submarine Rescue System when necessary) or SD VICTORIA are good. (12)
Ultimately, Royal Navy knows MHC has to replace HUNTs, SANDOWNs plus Survey ships ECHO, ENTERPRISE. That's 15 hulls. There will never be 15 replacements, we can safely bet on this. But i'm confident the case is easily made to not lose 15 hulls with no replacements at all. (13)
HUNT and SANDOWN should leave service between 2029 and 2031. First version of Shipbuilding Strategy estimated the decision point for a replacement would come in 2022. For now, both MCM classes are still good thanks to very deep upgrades and change of engines. (14)
Motherships are likely to be in OPV / corvette size and complexity, and if choice was in my hands they are what i'd use to spur the "shipbuilding renaissance" at Appledore, which used to be good at building exactly this kind of ship (OPVs for Ireland were their last major). (15)
But there might still be a twist: Royal Navy notoriously needs to increase number of escorts. What if motherships were larger, more on the frigate side? It is not unthinkable, especially as it is quite safe to assume that unmanned vehicles role will grow also in ASW realm (16)
