Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 4:21:34-4:22:19

A larger Type 83 need not require a larger crew

Automation can let a very large air-defense ship operate with a smaller crew, making personnel cost rather than displacement the key force-size constraint.

British ShipbuildingNaval PersonnelRoyal NavyShip AutomationType 83 DestroyerWarship Design
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Question

Do very large warships necessarily need very large crews?

Short answer

No; automation can reduce complement, and achieving that on Type 83 could permit a larger class to be built and operated.

Notes

Type 83 is expected to be a much larger air-defense ship than Type 45, with an earlier estimate placing it around 14,000 tons. Its complement could still shrink through greater automation. Trained sailors are expensive and scarce, so personnel cost can constrain class size more sharply than steel or displacement. Reducing crew while preserving firepower could make nine or ten ships affordable to operate while supporting continuing work in British shipyards.