Could Type 45 destroyers become reserve arsenal ships?

Should the Royal Navy mothball Type 45 destroyers after Type 83 enters service?

That depends on their condition and the Type 83 programme. Options include conventional reserve service or conversion into heavily automated missile magazines with small crews.

The case for retaining Type 45s depends on their condition when Type 83 enters service and on the number, size, and missile capacity of the replacements. Conventional reserve service would need a suitable port, a maintenance cadre, and expanded reserve formations assigned to provide each ship's crew. A more radical conversion would strip away functions unrelated to air defence, including the helicopter facilities, and use the released space for additional vertical-launch cells. Extensive automation would reduce the crew needed for these reserve ships, drawing a comparison with the Royal Navy's interwar radio-controlled target ships. During a major emergency, a converted Type 45 could accompany one or two Type 83s as an additional missile magazine. The proposal includes quick escape arrangements for the small crew and accepts greater risk to an old hull than to a new destroyer. It would also test whether a large combatant can operate with very few people before committing to fully autonomous warships.