Arransian Royal Navy Fleet List - November 2007Since the reverses of the Great War, Arransia has developed a credible and efficient blue-water navy, which in terms of numbers of major warships is reckoned about fifth in the world. Its amphibious warfare capability is particularly impressive, with a helicopter assault ship, two dock landing ships and four logistic landing ships, which gives them the ability to put ashore a force of up to 5,000 Marines, plus tanks and other heavy equipment, anywhere in the world. Arransia has sometimes been criticised for having a "tin can navy" of superficially impressive warships that lack the latest weapon systems and technology. However, the admirals would respond that this is missing the point, and that the fleet is not intended for a "hot war" with a major power, but rather to engage in the more complex modern world of limited, undeclared and asymmetric warfare. The success of the deployment of HMS Roebuck and the replenishment ship Tiderace to the southern hemisphere in 1997 to support Arransia's whaling fleet certainly made an impression on other countries. The captain of the Roebuck during this episode was Iain Moncrieffe (b 1952) who is now a full Admiral and the commander of the seagoing fleet. The standard of maintenance of Arransian warships is generally regarded as exemplary. Arransia has never experimented with gas turbines, and all the major surface warships are powered by conventional steam turbines, apart from the fishery protection cutters, which have diesels. The new long-distance patrol frigate HMS Rainbow is also powered by diesels which are appropriate for her specialised role. Most of the larger warships have been built on the Tean at the shipyards of James Caird at Elswick and McLaughlin & Reid at Hebburn. The nuclear hunter-killer submarines were built in Arransia using Brunswickian reactor technology. The design, however, is entirely Arransian and the vessels are generally regarded as superior to their Brunswickian counterparts in stealthiness while sacrificing nothing in terms of endurance or habitability. The Arransian naval design office is very well respected and has done extensive contract work for other navies, for example having been responsible for the Brunswickian Walden class of coastguard cutters. Arransia is also a significant exporter of warships, with over 20 ships of a frigate design based on the Hind class, but with a lower freeboard, having been supplied to various minor powers. The Arransians have also supplied small diesel-electric coastal submarines to many foreign navies, even though they operate none of the type themselves. Update June 2007: HMS Triumph and HMS Garland have now entered service. The Triumph in particular has been widely praised as a particularly fine-looking ship. Orders have been placed for two new anti-aircraft destroyers, taking their names from distinguished admirals of the Great War, two new general purpose frigates, adopting the historic warship names of two of Arransia's most notable geographical features, and two new diesel-electric submarines, with the names of famous submarine commanders of the Great War (John MacAndrew eventually serving as Admiral of the Fleet). These ships will replace the remaining major units over 30 years old. Update November 2007: In early November, Stuart Logan, the Minister of Defence, formally announced the order for the replacement aircraft carrier for the Queen Margaret. The ship is to be named HMS Leviathan, a historic and evocative name carried by two three-decker sailing ships of the line but not so far used in the steam era. Although her nominal displacement is less than that of the Queen Margaret, her dimensions will actually be slightly larger as, not weighed down by structural armour, her draught will be considerably less. She will be built at the James Caird shipyard at Elswick and entry in to service is planned for Spring 2014.
¹ HMS Triumph is designed to provide a shore bombardment capability and also to act as a command centre for amphibious operations. She mounts two quick-firing 6-inch guns and has an extensive helicopter deck, but is only powered for a modest 22 knots, in line with HMS Sealion. She has very spacious accommodation and is also likely to stand in as a royal yacht. The guns, in a pair of automatic single turrets on the fo'c'sle, are claimed to exceed the range and rate of fire of the eight or ten 15-inch guns of a Great War battleship. ² The Rainbow class arise from a specific Arransian requirement, and no other navy has a comparable warship. Their intention is to provide protection for Arransian shipping and fishing operations in distant waters, and to act as an autonomous "ship of force" in remote locations. They are powered by diesels for a maximum speed of 28 knots, with an endurance sufficient to allow an unrefuelled around the world cruise. They mount two 4.5-inch guns and three helicopters, and also carry a 125-foot cutter capable of 40 knots amd mounting a 76 mm gun, which would strike fear into any pirates or smugglers. Accommodating this results in an oddly asymmetrical hull design. HMS Rainbow, commissioned in February 2006, has a unique and purposeful appearance, with a high freeboard, low superstructure, sharp bow and rakish funnel and radar masts. The cynics might argue they are designed specifically for protection of Arransia's whaling fleet, but in reality they have a much wider application. "In the real world, is this the world's most effective warship?" asked one Brunswickian newspaper. Certainly Captain Margaret Huxley, on taking command of HMS Rainbow, looked extremely pleased with herself. The names are taken from two sailing galleons that were in the thick of the fighting at the Battle of Ugglesby Head.
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