Shipbucket

OK, first up, something labelled as "Original Type 23":
EDIT: Maybe, in fact, not the Original - see posts below.



• 2500te
• 121m (which I took to be Loa given the displacement)
• 25 knots
• CODLAG - 1 SM1A, 2 1.75MW DG, twin shafts
• 140 crew
• MM40 as "interim SSGW" (remember that Sea Eagle was a contender for the longer term solution, and can be seen in some T23 illustrations)
• OTO 76mm
• TAS & 2016 HMS
• Triple STWS tubes
• Helicopter landing / refuel / re-arm
• Minimum C3
• Damage control to meet peacetime requirements (probably 2 compartments)

Reference is Easton, RWS, "The Modern Anti-Submarine Frigate", RINA Warship '87

I've taken the profile and added stylistic elements from the other Type 23 studies shown in DKB's publications (Rebuilding the Royal Navy), such as the monster boat crane. Equipment outfit is as shown in the profile, however. Whether this truly is the "original" Type 23, or just one of the very early studies, I'm, not so clear about. The boss may recall, but that was 30 years ago now!

RP1

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"Yes siree, the excitement never stops." Togusa, Ghost in the Shell

Astonishingly sparse. I knew T23 came out of a towed-array-hauler requirement, but jeeze!

Yeah. Incredibly large helo deck but no hangar!

Wow, it's even more sparse than my NATO design.
Btw, since there's no hangar the helicopter really should be hovering.

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That which does not kill me has made a grave tactical error

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OMG, that thing is just pathetic!

Interesting. The RN has always done austerity mch further than most other navies, even so this looks little more than an enlarged OPV with what I assume must be a highly automated ship as there can't be much room for a large crew (even 140 must be fairly cramped in that hull). It certainly doesn't look like having much loiter capability nor much persistance.

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OK, have been discussing this with The Boss and he is quite clear that this is not the original MoD design. It seems to be one of the YARD alternative designs produced in 1982. I have modified the drawing as suggested and added the slight knuckle shown in the painting in "Rebuilding the Royal Navy".



There will, no doubt, be further changes once the true origin becomes clear.

Now on to one of the early - perhaps original - MoD studies. It's even *more* spartan.

Regarding the extreme austerity, remember that these vessels would operate as towed-array "tugs" in concert with a Fort-II class RFA. So the theory went, the Fort-II would provide air defence with its Sea Wolf missiles and be the maintenance centre for the ASW helicopters. The Type 23 would provide the ASW sensors, anti-shipping weapons for defence against similar screening units of a Soviet task force, and provide a landing spot for the helicopters. There is some legacy of this, even in the more versatile Type 23's that were eventually developed - they have a very large fuel endurance, as they were expected to run up a lot of miles trolling around looking for submarine action, rather than proceeding from A to B in a dignified fashion.

RP1

_________________
"Yes siree, the excitement never stops." Togusa, Ghost in the Shell

How much credible air defense could really be provided by Sea Wolf? It's a lovely little point-defense weapon, but I sure wouldn't want to be 'protected' by a Sea Wolf-carrying mothership even 2-3nmi away...

Interesting. And it's from the same people who designed Niels Juel no less

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“Close” only counts with horseshoes, hand grenades, and tactical nuclear weapons.
That which does not kill me has made a grave tactical error

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Source Materiel is always welcome.

Yeah, I was never entirely convinced by that. I think that this was one of those CONOPS that works great on paper, but only if all your assumptions are valid. In this case, I can't help but wonder if the assumption was that no-one would attack the TAS tug because it wasn't worth attacking. Of course, since it represents a major part of the ASW system, it actually *is* worth attacking.

Apparently we are going to have a big sit-down chat and figure out where all these designs fit into the Type 23 timeline in "An Overview of Surface Warship Design Practice". My questions "brought it all flooding back", so I have visions of having given The Boss flashbacks to The Frigate Design Wars of the 1980's.

RP1

_________________
"Yes siree, the excitement never stops." Togusa, Ghost in the Shell