Double ended missile ships for the RN

[uk 75]

With the exception of the Type 22s and their Seawolf
point defence systems the RN was never able to field
a double-ended missile ship like the Leahy/Bainbridge
or the later California/Virginia and Kidd/Ticonderoga classes
in the USN.

Essentially from the early 60s on the RN concentrated on
frigate sized ships as platforms (the air defence ships got
the tag destroyer but in size terms 22s and 42s were
similar).

Did the RN miss a trick in limiting itself to such small hulls?
The USN were able to put a whole range of systems into
the Spruance class hulls, depending on availability and
budgets. If the RN had ordered say 14 Spruance sized
hulls would this have been more effective than that 28
or so 22s and 42s that were built in the 70s and 80s?

A Spruance hull could easily have shipped the RN's key
weapons in one hull, and in more effective quantities.

 

[starviking]

A Spruance hull could easily have shipped the RN's key
weapons in one hull, and in more effective quantities.

True, but giving up 30-odd hulls for 14 means that you don't have enough ships to cover all deployments you have to do.

 

[uk 75]

Starviking

Indeed, that would be a trade off issue. The RN never had much luck with the
idea of a mix between first and second rate ships. Deployable hulls were and
are determined by a range of requirements for the RN to meet in peace and war.
On that basis I suppose that 30 or so less capable frigates were more essential
than 14 more capable destroyers. A shame though, as I cannot help thinking
that fewer more capable ships would have been an advantage in instances like
the Falklands where the RN gets used. Equally, however, the RN spent and spends
most of its time doing fairly routine stuff which hardly requires any armament at all.

UK 75