Type 26 task groups with uncrewed escorts

What important naval news emerged from DSEI?

The First Sea Lord described crewed escorts operating with uncrewed companions, although the promised two-year timeline and the meaning of escort were treated skeptically.

The proposal pairs Type 26 and other crewed escorts with uncrewed companions operating as small task groups. The distinction between an independent escort ship and an offboard boat determines how ambitious that proposal is. A ship of roughly 1,000 to 2,000 tons presents a different requirement from a small craft that its parent ship can launch and recover. The task-group concept is accepted, but the announced two-year timetable for the larger vessels is rejected as unrealistic. Launching smaller boats within that period would not fulfil the same claim.