Falkland Islands: Tensions Rising

[Tim Deegan]

How long before Argentina start whinging again

Again? They haven't stopped, it's just everyone else has got bored listening.

Apparently Cristina Kirchner personally invited all the heads of state and ambassadors of South America to witness her latest rant on Monday. None of them turned up.

Originally Posted by Chris

That is one impressive ship. I watched one of her class (may have been Dauntless herself, not sure, was too far away) doing sea trials in the firth of Clyde a few summers back. Plus, having at one time commuted to work along the Clydeside Expressway I watched two of the class being built at the Govan yard. It's nice to see the finished vessel fully crewed and under her own steam.

HA ,the Argies didn't see that comming ......literally

[Tim Deegan]

Originally Posted by Chris

Again? They haven't stopped, it's just everyone else has got bored listening.

Apparently Cristina Kirchner personally invited all the heads of state and ambassadors of South America to witness her latest rant on Monday. None of them turned up.

That's quality

[Osem]

No defence expert here but does anyone else think the ship looks a tad emasculated without any really big guns? I suppose the idea is that nothing will ever get close enough to necessitate such weapons.....

[Tim Deegan]

Originally Posted by Osem

No defence expert here but does anyone else think the ship looks a tad emasculated without any really big guns? I suppose the idea is that nothing will ever get close enough to necessitate such weapons.....

I know what you mean. But I think it's a case of what you can't see.

Also these ships use stealth, and I presume big guns on deck would stop the stealth technology working properly.

Originally Posted by Osem

No defence expert here but does anyone else think the ship looks a tad emasculated without any really big guns? I suppose the idea is that nothing will ever get close enough to necessitate such weapons.....

The "big gun" on HMS Dauntless is rather more capable than those of WW2 vintage, which I guess are the sort of classic battleship configurations you have in mind. And besides, WW2 ships didn't have guided missiles and systems for firing them from either the ship or from an embarked Lynx helicopter.

[Uncle Peter]

The 4.5incher is the big gun Just as it was on the Type 42

Primary role of our destroyers is the air defence capability of the carrier groups we don't currently have.

Also, naval battles (of which there have been precious few since WW2) are no longer conducted by lines of opposing battleships lobbing shells at each other. The aircraft carrier, not the battleship, is the capital ship of a modern blue-water navy and a major international naval confrontation would look more like the Battle of Midway than the Battle of Jutland.

In any case, there are no battleships left anywhere in the world since USS Iowa and USS Wisconsin were retired. HMS Dauntless is an air defence destroyer and in that role, guided missiles designed to take down aeroplanes are the primary armament. Incidentally, she has the capability to down every military warplane in the whole of Latin America, if that helps shed a little light on why the Argentines are so peeved.

[Osem]

IIRC the bigger guns were also used to bombard defensive positions onshore but I guess that's another role this ship isn't designed to fulfill. Given all the defence cuts I do wonder about the very specialised roles ships like these were intended for and I do hope we're not faced with a situation in which we have too many eggs in this one basket whilst others (e.g. carrier capability) are empty.

The lead time on projects like this is so long, there was never any question of it being either carriers or destroyers. However, if you are going to have fleet carriers you need to have escort vessels to defend them, something the Daring class destroyers should be well suited to.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Chris

The lead time on projects like this is so long, there was never any question of it being either carriers or destroyers. However, if you are going to have fleet carriers you need to have escort vessels to defend them, something the Daring class destroyers should be well suited to.

Let's hope the carriers actually materialise then..

[Tim Deegan]

Originally Posted by Osem

Let's hope the carriers actually materialise then..

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. But I was under the impression that two of them are being built at the moment.

[Kymmy]

It's never to late to cancel or postpone

Originally Posted by Tim Deegan

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. But I was under the impression that two of them are being built at the moment.

Apparently we are building 2 new carriers the first launched in 2016 ....but it will be mothballed because we won't have any planes to take off and land on it ,the second will be ready by 2020 when the first lot of planes will be delivered .Basically the whole affair is an absolute shambles

HMS Queen Elizabeth, the first carrier, will be mothballed immediately it is launched in 2016, according to existing plans. The second, HMS Prince of Wales, will be able to put to sea by 2020, but it is not known how many planes will be able to fly from it – nor what kind.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/ma...strike-fighter