D Class Frigates

[vic mcclymont]

Todays papers are full of the news that the new class of destroyer cannot operate in the hot waters of the gulf. At times (also in cold water) these ships have blacked out to due to engineering problems.
Many in the press are blaming RR and BAE, which is very easy to do, stating both companies have designed crap equipment.
The problem is not the shipyard or RR the engine suppliers, but MOD boffins.

At the design stage BAE put forward three tried and proven propulsion systems for the new destroyers, MOD boffins insisted in their infinite wisdom, that they wanted something completely different. It was pointed out that the system that the MOD had chosen was untried, no problems that's what we want and that what they got.
Many solutions were put forward, fitting an additional generator on deck, this was discounted.
The solution is that in four or five years each destroyer will be removed from service and lengthened by five frames and an additional diesel generator fitted.
In the meantime lets hope that they are not called for the business that they were designed for.
MOD is to blame not the engine makers or the shipyard, no doubt MOD boffins will receive a healthy cash bonus.
Regards
Vic

[Braid Anderson]

They've been doing this for a long time Vic. The Sheffield class destroyers were too short, in order to save a tiny percentage of the cost. They also couldn't even have a small cannon mounted to counter terrorists etc, as they were already less stable than the old Leanders. In fact the latter, long in the tooth as they may have been, were probably of more use to the task force commander. The next batches of the class - guess what? - had extra bays in the hull, which gave more room and stability.

[Ron B Manderson]

On MV Markor & Mahout we had RR gennies.
1800 revs and in warm water they were as much use as a mars bar teapot.
Rubbish they were always overheating. The swimming pool was connected to the Gennie water supply.
Royal Navy. Fit the old Rustons never a problem with them at 700 revs
Ron the batcave

[Chris Allman]

As usual down to the bean counters in the MOD, who have been told what to do by the great Dictator Dave and the imbecile Osbourne. Give an impression that we are doing something with the looks etc but keep the costs to the ultimate minimum. There will never be a war whilst we are in the EU - oh yeah, what prats.

[vic mcclymont]

Hi Chris, the D class was ordered by Brown and Blair. Troubles surfaced on the first ship in 2009. So Cameron and Osbourne not to blame this time.
Regard
Vic

[Chris Allman]

Hi Chris, the D class was ordered by Brown and Blair. Troubles surfaced on the first ship in 2009. So Cameron and Osbourne not to blame this time.
Regard
Vic

What a shame - but I bet the two .......s have some say in whats happening to them via MOD funding and Defence reviews. They have got rid of perfectly good ships in the frigate classes for 6 useless piles of junk, under powered, under manned and underfunded, what a crock of .h.t.

[vic mcclymont]

Yesterday's DM carried a story on the D class frigates. An Admiral said that despite the problems the ships were doing well.
The cooling problems experienced were not covered by the warranty and would be paid for by the taxpayer.
Knowing what I know,it looks like the builder is getting the blame,but wewont peruse him
nothing about the MOD incompetence in choosing the wrong type of engine.
Regards
Vic

[j.sabourn]

Vic, I worked for the best part of 4 plus years for the MOD. During that time we were taken the heat off the oldest commissioned ship the Navy had (apart from HMS Victory) which was HMS ( name will come back to me after written this) she had one similar part to Victory as she also had a sail. The Navy at the time was in the process of building a more modern vessel HMS Challenger and she was completed after the Falklands war, but low and behold the story went that she had asbestos built into her structure, and as some of HM ships had burned excessively when hit by also having this built into them as well. Think she was dispensed with shortly after. Which was good for the owners I worked for as they got a few more years charter out of the ship I was on. However thinking back on merchant ships didn't the big scare of asbestos raise its ugly head before 1985, perhaps others can remember better than me. I know no one in Australia will touch the stuff. JWS

[Ivan Cloherty]

In the 50's and 60's most of us sailed with asbestos lagged pipes running through our cabins and washrooms etc

[Hugh]

During that time we were taken the heat off the oldest commissioned ship the Navy had (apart from HMS Victory) which was HMS ( name will come back to me after written this)JWS

That would be HMS RECLAIM, John. She was decommissioned in 1979, 3 years after I joined up.

Regards
Hugh