Is there merit in giving up Type 83 for a third Type 26 batch with 96 VLS cells?
Short answerNo. Type 83 supplies the sensor and area-air-defence capability that Type 26 was not designed to provide.
NotesType 26 is designed around anti-submarine warfare. Type 83 must replace Type 45's powerful sensors, long-range missiles, and formation-defence role while adding broader strike and ASW capacity. Australian and Canadian Type 26 derivatives gained size because they took on more air-defence work, yet that does not make the British hull an immediate substitute. Cancelling Type 83 would create a fleet air-defence gap that an enlarged Type 26 batch could not repair quickly. The expectation in December 2025 is a substantially larger Type 83 without a larger crew, with experience from Type 26 and Type 31 informing its development.