Re-arming the Leander frigates

[Scott Kenny]

And later in the same paragraph it says . . .

However, he resulting equipment was difficult to handle and operate, and was not of much use in areas of relatively shallow water such as the North Sea and British coastal waters. For these reasons the equipment was not fitted to all of the class.

And so the RN made 16 of the ships less useful when more than 100nmi from English shores?

The GIUK Gap is deep water. Build for there, and set the VDS for 10ft when close to the UK...

Something like 90% of the ocean, some 65% of the entire planet's surface, is deep water where VDS are very good. *facepalm*

 

[Rainmaker]

Given the discussion around re-arming the Leander-class, one question that I’ve had of late is the performance of early Type 965 versus the alternatives of the day, primarily the Dutch LW-02.

Friedman states that prior to the introduction of Type 965, four options were considered beginning in 1955:

1. The American AN/SPS-6C radar (not a likely option as the SPS-6 programme was considered obsolescent and was running down by this time period)
2. The Dutch LW-02 radar
3. Adapting one of Marconi’s commercial designs originally conceived for land-based air defence - this is the radar that ultimately became Type 965
4. Extending the range of the Type 992 radar, by slowing its scanning rate (again, another non-starter as Type 992 is late 1940s technology and by this point there is likely not much additional performance to be extracted from the system)

Obviously we know now that the Marconi design was ultimately selected for development, but I’m curious as to whether the LW-02 would have been a more capable option for the RN Leanders in the long run. By the mid 1950s, we are starting to enter the era of Anglo-Dutch radar cooperation with Type 988/Broomstick coming in a few years’ time, so mutual cooperation on Type 965/LW-02 doesn’t seem completely far-fetched.

With all that being said, performance data on LW-02 and its successor LW-03 is hard to come by. British, Chilean, and Indian Leanders ended up with Type 965, while the Australian and Dutch variants came equipped with LW-02. The Dutch upgraded their radars to LW-03, which utilized the same antenna, whereas the Indians upgraded their radar to the Signaal LW-08 (a later, more advanced radar that shares its transmitter and receiver with Type 1022).

Could an Anglo-Dutch Type 965/LW-02 joint development have had the capability to become a ubiquitous “NATO standard” long-range early-warning radar from the mid-1950s to the early 1980s? If so, I’d be interested to explore the possible implications for the Leanders’ mid-life refits.

 

[NOMISYRRUC]

Part of Post 82.

With all that being said, performance data on LW-02 and its successor LW-03 is hard to come by. British, Chilean, and Indian Leanders ended up with Type 965, while the Australian and Dutch variants came equipped with LW-02. The Dutch upgraded their radars to LW-03, which utilized the same antenna, whereas the Indians upgraded their radar to the Signaal LW-08 (a later, more advanced radar that shares its transmitter and receiver with Type 1022).

That reminded me that the Indian Navy operated Sea Kings from some of their their broad-beam Leanders by removing the Limbo & VDS and fitting a telescopic hangar & the Canadian Beartrap haul-down gear.

In addition to fitting the LW-08 radar, their Leander modernisation included keeping the twin 4.5in gun turret, fitting a pair of triple 324mm torpedo tube mountings, fitting a Bofors 375mm twin-tube A/S mortar and replacing the Sea Cats with a pair of twin 30mm AK230 gun mountings.