Q&A · 28:02-29:10

What would a modern Royal Navy fourth-rate look like?

An enlarged general-purpose Type 45 derivative with greater missile capacity and electrical power would fit the role.

Question

What ship would fill the role of a modern fourth-rate in the Royal Navy?

Short answer

An enlarged general-purpose Type 45 derivative with greater missile capacity and electrical power would fit the role.

Notes

The proposal starts with the maximum-length Type 45 design and expands its missile capacity. It adds 24 Mark 41 cells forward alongside the existing 48 Sylver cells, then 48 Sylver A50 cells and 48 strategic-length Mark 41 cells aft. The illustrative weapon mix includes 96 Aster 30s, 96 quad-packed CAMM missiles, about 24 Tomahawk land-attack missiles, eight ASROCs, and eight SM-3s. These are suggested loads for the enlarged design, with the cell allocation worked out informally. More power generation would support the expanded fit. The result is intended as a general-purpose destroyer able to supply the strength once associated with a fourth-rate on a foreign station.