The Cold War

 

 

Picture: Unknown photographer,Admiralty Official Collection photograph,© IWM A 32072

 

The Royal Navy has been operating in cold climates for hundreds of years and most vessels in An Independent Navy For An Independent Nation shall operate throughout the United Kingdom,the British Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies (except the British Antarctic Territory) and shall be built to Lloyds Register notation Winterisation H,M,C to withstand extremes of temperature which they are likely to encounter in areas ranging from the Shetland Islands down to South Georgia,vessels expected to operate in the low Arctic seas from Canada to Finland shall be built to Lloyds Register notation Winterisation H,M,B and the Assistance class icebreaking tugs which shall operate in the high Arctic ice pack and around Antarctica shall be built to Lloyds Register notation Winterisation H,M,A.

 

An Independent Navy For An Independent Nation: Remember The Titan

 

 

Picture: Unknown photographer,OceanGate photograph

 

Following the recent search for the submersible Titan which went missing whilst on a dive to the wreck of the Titanic,herein we shall discuss how An Independent Navy For An Independent Nation could contribute to such an operation.

 

 

Picture: Alert5

 

Whether launched from the United Kingdom,Bermuda or an Africa class flying ship,with an endurance of twelve hours at five hundred knots a Perseus aircraft (at least forty of which could have been paid for with the thousands of millions of pounds spent on Nimrod,Sentinel,Reaper,Airseeker,Crowsnest,Poseidon,Wedgetail,Protector and Envoy) could quickly reach the search area and conduct a surface search with it's active and passive multispectral sensors and deploy a pattern of sonobuoys to detect noises from the submersible.

 

 

Picture: C.P.O.A. (Phot.) Thomas McDonald,Crown Copyright

 

Beneath the waves at least one of the six Cachalot class and two Defence class submarines (which could have been built with the money spent on seven Astutes) could be in the search area within days,both having the ability to listen for sounds from the submersible and the latter also having the ability to manipulate items on the sea bed.

 

 

Picture: Original photo L. (Phot.) Dave Jenkins,Crown Copyright,modifications by Grand Logistics

 

On the surface several of the twenty-four Duke,Royal Duke and Falkland class frigates (which could have been built for far less than the cost of six Daring class air defence destroyers,five River class patrol vessels,refits for Type 23 submarine defence frigates,repairs for Type 45 destroyers,eight Type 26 submarine defence frigates,five Type 31 point defence "frigates" and Type 32 mystery frigates) would likely be within a few days sailing of the search area with hull mounted and towed array sonars and Merlin or Hermes helicopters which could be helpful in search operations.

 

 

Picture: BAE Systems image,modifications by Grand Logistics

 

At least one of the Hecate class hydrographing sloops is likely to be in the North Atlantic area with it's hull mounted and towed sonars being able to locate items on the sea bed and its tethered submersible being able to investigate and manipulate them.

 

 

Picture: Pete Harmsen,Australian Antarctic Division photograph

 

Two of the four Assistance class icebreaking tugs shall routinely carry a submarine rescue party to support underwater warfare with the Northern Division,whilst the other two shall routinely carry a ship repair party to support vessels on more distant stations,but due to their slow speed it is unlikely that they could cross the Atlantic quickly enough to be of any use.

 

 

Picture: Unknown photographer,ALP Maritime Services photograph

 

However,His Majesty's Rescuing Tug Ranger on station at Bermuda shall be within about a day's sailing time of the Titanic wreck site and her heave compensated crane shall be able to lift the Titan but although designed to accommodate tethered submersibles,a salvage party and a submarine rescue party she shall not routinely carry them and they must be flown out to Bermuda before departure,a flight of around six hours for an aircraft such as the Centaurus.

 

The Iceman Cometh

 

 

Picture: P.O. (Phot.) Owen Cooban,Crown Copyright

 

Retired Lieutenant General Richard Nugee,the Non-Executive Director for Climate Change and Sustainability at the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence,has suggested that the Royal Navy should harden the hulls of some of it's warships to facilitate operations in "disruptive ice".

  

 

Picture: BAE Systems image,modifications by Grand Logistics

 

He should be heartened to know that,despite the impacts on other aspects of performance (which are not all negative),all major warships in An Independent Navy For An Independent Nation shall be built to Lloyds Register Ice Class 1C,not because of the nice weather we have been having but because the Royal Navy has been sailing in icy waters for hundreds of years.

 

 

Picture: L. (Phot.) Barry Swainsbury,Crown Copyright

 

The Royal Naval Harbour Service's Able class berthing tugs shall also be built to Lloyds Ice Class 1C (and to Maritime and Coastguard Agency Workboat Code/Lloyds Register Grey Boat Code Category 2 and Fire Fighting Ship 1) for those rare occasions on which the Royal Dockyards are frozen over by global warming.

 

 

Picture: Ryo Isobe,United States' Navy photograph

 

The Royal Naval Harbour Service's Aidful class escorting tugs shall be built to Lloyds Ice Class 1B (and to Maritime and Coastguard Agency Workboat Code/Lloyds Register Grey Boat Code Category 1 and Fire Fighting Ship 2) for use in areas such as the Baltic Sea.

 

 

Picture: L.A. (Phot.) Stuart Hill,Crown Copyright

 

The Royal Naval Harbour Service's Racer class rescuing tugs shall be built to Lloyds Ice Class 1A (and to Fire Fighting Ship 3,including the most powerful fire monitors ever to go to sea) to facilitate operations at extreme latitudes.

 

 

Picture: Pete Harmsen,Australian Antarctic Division photograph

 

The Royal Naval Harbour Service's icebreaking tugs Assistance,Confiance,Diligence and Endurance shall be built to Polar Class 2 (and with the same Fire Fighting Ship 3 system as the Racer class) which,in addition to their moon pools and dynamic positioning systems,shall allow them to perform tasks such as survey,construction,salvage and rescue beneath the Arctic ice pack.