Speed accepts that Soviet capabilities forced modern warships toward greater complexity and cost. A fleet made only of the most sophisticated ships, however, could shrink below the number of hulls needed for Atlantic operations. The ministry was therefore considering simpler merchant-hull vessels able to carry anti-submarine helicopters and a smaller, cheaper successor to the Type 22. Any economy still had to retain enough capability to contribute meaningfully to Atlantic ASW. The passage captures the enduring force-structure tension between exquisite performance, manpower economy, affordability, and presence.
Chapter · 2:17:10-2:18:30
Balancing high-end warships with simpler ASW hulls
Escalating warship costs lead Speed to consider merchant-hull helicopter ships and a smaller successor to the Type 22 as ways to preserve fleet numbers.