HMS Prince of Wales

[hidetheelephants]

Foreign navies have been shopping elsewhere for 20+ years, the last foreign order was some frigates for Malaysia and it went so well that 2 of 4 ordered were cancelled.

[RizzoTheRat]

Some British designed but built elsewhere though. Thailand and somewhere else bought River class OPVs. Presumably British shipyards are expensive due to labour costs which is why countries would rather build elsewhere.

[Condi]

Evanivitch said:

It's a question of tolerances. Both can be manufactured and achieve the required tolerances, but one might be significantly tighter than the other. It appears this was the case, but PoW was deemed acceptable and was registered and trialled with acceptable performance.

https://www.navylookout.com/repairs-to-hms-prince-...

Appears so, although the article also states that "who bears responsibility is unclear".

[Evanivitch]

hidetheelephants said:

Foreign navies have been shopping elsewhere for 20+ years, the last foreign order was some frigates for Malaysia and it went so well that 2 of 4 ordered were cancelled.

Seem happy to buy our second hand ships though...

[Condi]

RizzoTheRat said:

Presumably British shipyards are expensive due to labour costs which is why countries would rather build elsewhere.

Even the British ships are built elsewhere, or at least the RFA ones are.

[Evanivitch]

Condi said:

Even the British ships are built elsewhere, or at least the RFA ones are.

Yeah, but...

UK Defence Journal said:

This hasn’t come as a surprise to anyone in the industry, no UK yard seemingly has the spare capacity to build these vessels given the scale of current and future work such as the fleet of Offshore Patrol Vessels, new nuclear submarines and of course the future Type 26 and Type 31 Frigates.

The support vessels are eligible to be constructed outside the UK as only ‘complex warship’ construction (such as frigates) must stay within UK borders.

[Simpo Two]

Condi said:

RizzoTheRat said:

Presumably British shipyards are expensive due to labour costs which is why countries would rather build elsewhere.

Even the British ships are built elsewhere, or at least the RFA ones are.

In another 20 years I expect we'll buy all our military stuff second-hand from India, or eBay, as we can't afford anything else.

[thewarlock]

hidetheelephants said:

Foreign navies have been shopping elsewhere for 20+ years, the last foreign order was some frigates for Malaysia and it went so well that 2 of 4 ordered were cancelled.

That was the 3rd to last foreign order.

There's been Brunei (Indonesia) and Oman since then.

[thewarlock]

Evanivitch said:

Condi said:

Even the British ships are built elsewhere, or at least the RFA ones are.

Yeah, but...

UK Defence Journal said:

This hasn’t come as a surprise to anyone in the industry, no UK yard seemingly has the spare capacity to build these vessels given the scale of current and future work such as the fleet of Offshore Patrol Vessels, new nuclear submarines and of course the future Type 26 and Type 31 Frigates.

The support vessels are eligible to be constructed outside the UK as only ‘complex warship’ construction (such as frigates) must stay within UK borders.

Most of the steel work, as well as final assembly of the next RFA boats will be conducted in country.

[hidetheelephants]

thewarlock said:

That was the 3rd to last foreign order.

There's been Brunei (Indonesia) and Oman since then.

I forgot about that one; not exactly a glowing endorsement of buying british though given it ended in courtroom acrimony and the white elephants being punted to whoever offered more than scrap value.

[thewarlock]

hidetheelephants said:

I forgot about that one; not exactly a glowing endorsement of buying british though given it ended in courtroom acrimony and the white elephants being punted to whoever offered more than scrap value.

There was nothing wrong with the ships, the customer realised they didn't actually want them/couldnt man them, so backed out.

Also, it was Brunei that had to sell them for whatever they could get. The courts ruled in favour of BAE, BAE got paid, and Brunei contracted Lurssen to punt them for them.

Edited by thewarlock on Thursday 20th July 16:52

[Cold]

HMS PWLS is back in the water and is currently waiting for suitable conditions pass under the Forth Bridge.

[normalbloke]

Cold said:

HMS PWLS is back in the water and is currently waiting for suitable conditions pass under the Forth Bridge.

I noted how they parked the Queen Elizabeth this morning, that she’s probably due back soonish.

[Cold]

Yep, I believe there are first going to be some propulsion tests carried out before heading back to Portsmouth - which will probably amount to steaming around in figures of eight for a bit while the hi-viz clipboards look on with furrowed brows.

[Cold]

If anyone is still following this story, she has escaped the Forth and is now on the high seas.

[Ash_]

Hopefully see her back in Pompey soon then.....and she can get ready to go and do what she should have gone and done last year...

[Cold]

Look who's back.

[OtherBusiness]

She’s leaving at 1330 today, and both are currently in.

[98elise]

OtherBusiness said:

She’s leaving at 1330 today, and both are currently in.

Where are ship movements posted? I like to see one of them leave, and also see them both in harbour at some point.

[normalbloke]

98elise said:

OtherBusiness said:

She’s leaving at 1330 today, and both are currently in.

Where are ship movements posted? I like to see one of them leave, and also see them both in harbour at some point.

https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/khm/portsmouth/shipping-movements