cruisers may return to the british navy
2024-09-12
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the british navy once had 14 type 42 destroyers. image source: british ministry of defense
comprehensive compilation by wegeli
from cutting sailors to reducing ships, the british navy has given the outside world more disappointment than expectation in recent years. the next-generation heavy surface combat platform, the type 83 air defense ship, which is in the planning stage, has taken on the important task of reshaping the public image of the british navy. all signs show that this new generation of warships will be a "monster" with a displacement of more than 10,000 tons and a length of nearly 200 meters. if it can be put into service as scheduled in the next decade, it means that the "cruiser" weapon will return to the british maritime combat sequence after half a century.
adhere to the "elite minority" approach
the british "naval technology" website recently published an article detailing the origins of the type 83 warship. the article stated that the project first appeared in the "age of defense competition" document released by the british government in 2021. as part of the "future air dominance system", it aims to provide the british army with a "protective umbrella" to deal with the threat of air power to the sea and land environment. to this end, the british army will introduce a series of new technologies, including directed energy weapons and hypersonic missile interception systems.
earlier this year, the then british conservative government reaffirmed that the type 83 warship will promote the realization of the uk's defense "vision 2030". this "world-class" main battleship will gradually replace the type 45 air defense destroyer in service. this move is expected to revitalize the uk's military industry and, with the strong support of the ministry of defense, create a "shipbuilding company at the forefront of technology." although the subsequent labour government launched a comprehensive assessment of the uk's military power, considering the strategic importance and technical irreplaceability of the type 83 warship, it is expected that its plan to serve in the second half of the 1930s is unlikely to change.
since the 1970s, the british navy has developed three generations of warships with regional air defense capabilities. the first was the type 82 destroyer equipped with the sea dart missile system, but due to cost issues, only one type 82 was built before it was replaced by the more economical type 42 destroyer. the type 42 also uses the sea dart missile as its main weapon. a total of 14 ships entered service in the british navy, two of which were sunk in the 1982 falklands war. the successor to the type 42 is the type 45 destroyer, which has been highly exposed in recent years. the latter has a displacement of 7,500 tons, and its missile and radar performance have been improved, but due to funding constraints, only 6 ships were built.
"navy news" stated that looking at the development of the british sea-based air defense platform over the past few decades, it can be seen that the military is increasingly inclined to build a fleet with fewer but more powerful single-ship combat capabilities. although this strategy makes the fleet more "refined", it also lacks the advantage of scale. this trend is expected to continue for some time. according to data released by the conservative government in january this year, the last type 45 destroyer is expected to be retired in 2038; if the type 83 fails to form combat effectiveness on time, the british navy's air defense capabilities may be weakened.
weapons and equipment are fully comparable to those of the us military
if the labour government does not promote large-scale reforms, the number of ships in the british navy may not increase significantly before the middle of this century. specifically for the type 83 warship, the final number of ships built may be only 3 to 4. however, in order to accommodate more weapon systems and high-power power generation equipment, the displacement of this type of ship is expected to exceed 10,000 tons, and the length will also increase from 152 meters of the type 45 to more than 180 meters. the overall size is comparable to the us navy's "ticonderoga" class cruiser.
since the project is still in the conceptual stage, the outside world can only speculate on the combat capability of the type 83 based on the existing weapon systems. the type 45 destroyer was originally equipped with the french-made "silva" vertical launch system, which can carry up to 48 "aster"-15 and "aster"-30 air defense missiles. in order to make up for the ship's shortcomings in short-range air defense, the british ministry of defense announced in 2023 that each type 45 destroyer will be equipped with 24 units of "sea receptor" missile launchers, increasing the ammunition load by 50%. based on this, it is speculated that the type 83 with a larger displacement should be able to carry more ammunition.
to ensure reliability and versatility, the "navy technology" website predicts that the type 83 may adopt the us-made mk41 modular vertical launch system, which can not only launch a series of short, medium and long-range ship-to-air missiles, but also use the "tomahawk" cruise missile to strike targets deep inland. the mk41 launch system of the us "ticonderoga" class cruiser has a total of 122 standard launch units, and the type 83's payload is expected to be similar. the type 26 frigates and type 31 frigates being built by the british navy can be equipped with the mk41 launch system. if the type 83 wants to further enhance its ability to strike surface targets, it may be equipped with specialized anti-ship weapons, such as the "navy strike missile" of norway's kongsberg.
in addition, with the rapid popularization of low-cost anti-ship means such as small and medium-sized drones, in addition to standard main guns and close-in defense guns, the type 83 may also carry more small and medium-sized firearms than current ships, with calibers ranging from 7.62 mm to 40 mm. another potential option for small air targets is directed energy weapons. not long ago, the british navy demonstrated a laser weapon code-named "dragon fire" and is expected to test the ship-borne model around 2027.
britain's shipbuilding capabilities face test
"naval technology" emphasized that the sensors and power systems that will be used with the type 83 warship have not yet been finalized, and can only be speculated based on public information. what is certain is that the ship will use conventional power, as nuclear propulsion systems have always been exclusive to the british submarine force. the research results disclosed by the british bae systems company show that the power system of the next generation of ships will pay special attention to reducing exhaust temperature, which indicates that the future type 83 will introduce a more comprehensive stealth design, combining radar stealth and infrared stealth technology.
the uk has a deep technical reserve in ship power systems. rolls-royce's gas turbines, diesel engines and electric motors form a competitive power combination, which has been gradually applied to type 26 and type 31 frigates. however, considering that anti-submarine is not the main task of the type 83, its power system may give priority to performance rather than quietness. until 2050, the type 83 will cooperate with the "queen elizabeth" class aircraft carrier for a long time, and together with the type 26 and type 31 frigates and attack nuclear submarines, it will build a full-spectrum defense system covering underwater, sea surface, air and even space. referring to the experience of similar ships, in order to obtain the most complete battlefield situation awareness as possible, the air search radar of the type 83 is likely to be arranged at a higher position, and an integrated mast design may be adopted. this layout is becoming more and more common on modern surface combat platforms.
"naval technology" emphasized in the summary of the article that although the service date of the next generation of main battleships is about 15 years away, some people may think that the relevant research and development and construction work is not urgent. however, the efficiency of the british military shipbuilding industry is an issue that must be taken seriously. take the type 26 frigate as an example. it took a total of 10 years from cutting steel plates to formal service. as one of the most complex surface combat platforms in the history of the united kingdom, the construction period of the type 83 warship is expected to be longer.
from this perspective, there is still great uncertainty as to whether the type 83, which is regarded as the strongest "cruiser" of the british navy in more than half a century, can successfully succeed its predecessors and ensure a smooth transition of the main force of the british surface fleet.
source: china youth daily client
