Long development phases for capital ships not viable to deal with future threats, says Indra
An artist's impression of all eight Type 23 frigates. (Image: UK MoD/Crown Copyright)
Long development phases for capital ship programmes have been the norm in the naval world for centuries. That has largely been necessitated by the nature of ship construction, the size of such undertakings, the rigidity of ship class, and the straight line thinking between the way ships have been designed and the missions for which they have been envisioned.
However, as multi-mission vessels have become increasingly more common in recent years, the idea of doing more with fundamentally less, but focusing more on technology to achieve effective naval warfighting, has become a driving factor in ship design.
The UK’s Type
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
As uncrewed naval systems advance, capabilities to counter them are emerging
Research programmes and system procurement efforts to counter uncrewed surface and underwater vehicle threats are accelerating as naval drone uptake spreads.
-
Thinning Arctic ice reveals naval capability gaps and new opportunities
As sea ice extent hits a record low and geopolitical tensions increase in the High North, navies are contending to adopt the technologies needed to operate beneath an increasingly unpredictable Arctic Ocean.
-
Lockheed Martin confirms 2029 target date for US Navy’s Aegis/PAC-3 MSE integration
Enabling Aegis-equipped vessels to launch PAC-3 MSE interceptors will give the USN more options to engage highly manoeuvrable hypersonic missiles – including the ones China has been developing.