it looks like the have taken the 5"/54 Mark 45 and merged it with a new version of the cupola from the 5"/62 Mark 45
You would have thought the RN would just adopt the USN gun and mount but I would be very surprised if they don't just improve a few things that are sufficient to make it separate and therefore cost massively more down the road...
Anytime I see or hear the Type 31 GPF I start nashing my teeth!
The drawing is good, but the concept is poor and even the RN doesn't know what it wants. The Treasury wants something cheap but a warmed up OPV is still just an OPV, not a frigate.
I feel an AW159 Wildcat would be more likely than a Merlin, though I guess the Navy would hope the Merlin could provide all the ship's ASW capability as an autonomous system. Note sure if we have an SB scale Wildcat though...
_________________ Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft
I was going for the full OPV than a T31, its definitely not a frigate with only a single 30mm but at least its more useful for long range OPV work and should not cost much more if any than the OTL River BIIs.
I wanted to show Merlin capability but agree it would be a wildcat that fitted better. (don't start with why such a small navy need 2 types of helicopter?)