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Building Our Future's avatar

Yessssss! Smaller craft, minimally manned, carrying other autonomous systems is the future of seapower. Aircraft targets make beautiful targets. A FAC carrying 3-4 UxS can still provide the range of naval aviation missions that made militaries reliant on aircraft carriers for the past 90 years.

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St Ewart's avatar

You can ignore reality for as long as you like but you can’t ignore the consequences of avoiding reality. Large ships are a liability , and we don’t have the fuel for them anyway. This classic is from 2009.

http://exiledonline.com/the-war-nerd-this-is-how-the-carriers-will-die/all/1/

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Roderick Crawford's avatar

Excellent case for small boats. A further point is that the loss of a low cost replaceble ship does not reduce RN capability, and thus is a further deterent to an opponent crossing the line of conflict. A small fleet of small boats would not just enhance training and seamanship but also help develop leaders.

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Anthony Graham's avatar

OCEA UK exports such vessels globally. Using aluminium smaller vessels can still have great endurance and good seakeeping. Aluminium also allows for higher payloads - and the export market wants firepower. A fleet of smaller vessels also improves coverage, greater fleet system of system survivability by distribution (separating sensors and weapons), speed of build, speed of replacement and lower capital expense. All arguments that are accepted in the export markets.

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Luke L's avatar

Wait OCEA has a shipyard in Britain ? I know its a French company (here in Indonesia its known for supplying new hydrographic vessel) but I learned something new today.

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