Shipbucket

I can't help but think what you really need is a Floréal rather than what appears to be most of a T23 on a much smaller hull.

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AU Projects: | Banbha et al. | New England: The Divided States
Blood and Fire

Its a nice design, reminds me of the Castle Class. The bridge is far back, so won't far in heavy seas which will reduce motion sickness and keep it dry.
Two negative points do stand out though with the layout; the funnel seems too far aft, its almost above the propeller shafts so there seems to be no room for the engines and gearboxes. The bows seem too long, this suggests a fine bows and this might pose strength problems in pounding seas, though the forecastle should stay reasonable dry.

I'm not really sold on the need for VLS and ESSM on what it a big OPV. It seems a bit cramped where it is, so if you really want it, perhaps move in ahead of the bridge and ditch the CIWS?

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Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft

Keep it up (and please don't take my comments as to negative and its a bit long)
IMO CA/CLs rebuilds have the following +/- (post 1945-55).
+ long cursing range/spare parts etc
+ good flag facilities
+ good NGFS/AsufW (pre SSMs)
- cost
- crew size
- age of hulls
- guns no longer very useful v AA (as missiles come in)
- may not survive SSMs much better than a DDG
- hard to rebuild to fit new systems (missiles/radar/electronics/etc.)

As to the Didos in particular IMO they are to small for the new systems/to big to be cheap,
- they are old (and hard war used)
- they are more expensive than a DDG but give you not much more ability/survivability.
- the 5.25 was never great (and in now really surface only so why not go 6 inch ?), the 4.5 ones don't give you much over a good post war DD and anyway will stop being good AA in early 60s

For the FI I think they don't really make sense (unless you are going for a contribution to the RN not local defence, I would just have a force of DDGs or FFGs) and they will be got rid of in the early 60s (after that they are just a very expensive not very good DD(G if fitted with missiles) unless you are doing NGFS but the FI doesn't need that much if its defending properly.(I.e. stopping landings rather fighting them afterwards)
I think you need to decide on populations/GDP etc, then write the story/ships to fit. If the FI can run a Dido (and the huge navy that implies) then I cant see a war (at last over the main islands with the Argentinians invading 82 style (unless they can land 10,000+ troops in first wave and even then I cant see it). So you will at worst have a navel war with FI v ARG ships/planes shouting at each other.

AND finally I like the 'Cape' class but do you want a FF or OPV ? what else does the FI have ?
Is a bad FF/good OPV a good idea if you can have real FFs and cheaper OPVs ? (Is it me or do you mostly see super OPV with really small naves that don't have sufficient FFs ? Is a mix a good idea ?)

My alt design study .

- 76mm( I was thinking 57mm would 76mm be better, not sure how good a 57mm will be in 90s as CIWS ?), Sea Ram, 2 x 20mm and a hangar.

My plan was for alight(ish) OPV with SeaRAM / Helicopter + a few cheap ish guns.
JSB

That's not a 57mm but a 76mm

How big a crew are you envisioning? Right now you've got enough rafts for 160 people (25 per raft + 25% extra)

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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

Worklist

Source Materiel is always welcome.

To be totally honest with you I didn't change them from the base ship I ruined .
Vosper 98M class by Bombhead (I didn't think about the rafts, but can my ship be so different from his ?)

JSB

Why do an OPV need CIWS. The Norwegian coast guard us only a 57mm, and that one is used only for a warning shoot. And the Norwegian OPV have to deal with those Russians.

Haha, thanks JSB - had thought about the 98m design as a basis, may even go there yet as i refine the concept down some more but wanted the hull form i went with more.

Thanks all for your contributions - had a quick rehash based on your suggestions, will commit some more work to the type 23-inspired version in due course, but in the meantime;



What think ye?

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Current Worklist;

DCFI (Falkland Islands) AU Nation

I'm not sure (I did mine with ram+76 because you did) but a (large) part of me thinks heuhen is right and you should just go with a 57mm (maybe with systems so it can work as a CIWS), I might leave room for added weapons later on if needed.
JSB

the Norwegian Nordkapp class. carry only 56mm, and work as and command vessel, when needed. but in war time a Nordkapp class coast guard vessel would be armed with torpedoes, pengunine missiles and 3" (the old tactical plans).