The proposal assigns River-class offshore patrol vessels and Type 31 frigates to routine presence, fisheries protection, counter-piracy, maritime security, and monitoring Russian movements near Britain. Type 31 also appears as a carrier-group security ship and as a forward-deployed presence in the Far East and Middle East, while River-class ships cover places such as Gibraltar and the Falklands. This lower-cost layer would free Type 26, Type 45, and future Type 83 warships for anti-submarine, picket, and other high-end carrier-group duties. In this division of labour, modest hulls provide geographic coverage and leave scarce specialist escorts available for demanding missions.
Chapter · 7:52-10:09
A lower-cost layer for global naval presence
River-class patrol vessels and Type 31 frigates can provide routine global coverage while preserving specialist escorts for demanding carrier-group missions.