British Sverdlov!

[Lawman]

With the prospect of the Russian Sverdlov class cruisers coming online, the Royal Navy decides that it needs a new cruiser, to counter them. The unfinished Tiger class is looked at, but it is decided that they would need too much work to bring them up to any decent spec. As such, it is decided to combine the new cruiser design with the planned County class.

The result is a ship in the 10,000 ton range, using the most modern systems available. It is to use the new 120mm Bofors, which is to be used in a new triple turret, with two mountings in total. This is intended to provide weight of fire, with almost the same range as the Sverdlov's 6in guns. The Bofors guns are able to fire at no less than 40 rounds per gun, i.e. a potential total rate of fire of 240 rounds per minute! For missile launch, the ships are to be fitted with a British version of the American Terrier/Tartar launcher, which is seen to be a better option than the Sea Slug launcher then in testing. In order to assist in countering surface ships, there is to be a nuclear-armed version of the new surface to air missile, for use in anti-ship mode.

In addition, since it is recognised that the new ships will need to have excellent helicopter facilities, the new ships are to be equipped with a good size hangar, for two Sea Kings.

For radars, they are to use two Type 965 radars, and two of the new Type 984 3D radars. This gives them one of the most advanced capabilities of any surface warship afloat.

For close in defence, they are to use a new quadruple 30mm Aden gun system, similar to that of the Hawker Hunter, but with more ammunition of course. Each of the four guns has a cyclic rate of over 1000rns/minute, giving the new mount a total rate of fire of over 4000 rounds per minute, in short bursts. These fire the very powerful 30mm rounds, and can tear through missiles or aircraft at very good ranges.

With the combination of all this firepower, and excellent radar control, the ships can deal with air threats, surface threats, and sub-surface threats at very good ranges. As soon as they start entering service, the Royal Navy falls in love with them, and sees them as the best ships they can get their hands on! The initial batch of eight are bought in place of the County class, and the Royal Navy are desperate for more, and push hard for a second batch of eight. With the Royal Navy managing to 'get their house in order', i.e. getting the new cruiser/destroyers, new Polaris subs, new nuclear attack subs and carriers, things look great. The carriers are the common Anglo-French 40,000 ton (about 48,000 tons in real terms), with no fewer than four on order. The amphibious shipping is chosen to be a heavily modified French Ouragan class, but with a through-deck, all the way to the bow. These are bought to fulfill both the LPD role, and the commando carrier role, with the benefit of larger numbers though.

As an aside, in order to satisfy the RAF, it is decided to create a mobile, land based Polaris, to be carried on special transporters, operated by the RAF. These allow the RAF to maintain part of the nuclear triad, with air-launched missiles supplementing them, especially in the semi-strategic role. The Polaris gives the RAF a reasonably mobile missile system, with multiple warheads, and allows a more balanced 'deterrent role'. Since the French are to use a common Anglo-French Polaris version, it allows for a decent production run, with both sub and land launched versions for each nation.

[Lawman]

One of the other major changes would be the rationalisation of the shipyards, with fewer, larger shipyards, with more solid work. The government agrees to a managed buyout of the yards, so that it ends up owning a 50% stake in the main shipyards, allowing the actual companies greater freedom in spreading work around. The aim is to allow the companies to freely bid for work, based not just on capacity of their own shipyards, but based on their ability to manage the project. This means that the workers end up with better security, since a contract being awarded to one company doesn't mean massive redundancies.

The new shipbuilding contracts see a renaissance in shipbuilding, with dozens of new ships being needed, and a solid multi-year shipbuilding plan, stretching from the '60s to '80s. Submarines are to be built at no less than three every 18 months, initially consisting of one SSBN, and two SSNs, to switch to one SSN and two SSKs after that. After six years, the RN has a batch of four SSBNs and eight SSNs, and after another six years, the RN has another four SSNs, and eight SSKs. This proves to be a major success, giving the shipyards a steady stream of work.

Along with the shipbuilding roadmap, the government decides that a new aircraft roadmap is needed. This is to see the TSR-2 project cancelled early on, and replaced with the NA39 project, i.e. the Buccaneer, to be bought in huge numbers. The mobile Polaris missiles allow the RAF to switch their bomber emphasis away from pretending to be able to reach Moscow, and cancel Blue Streak as well. Instead, the RAF are to switch them to maritime strike, and tactical bombing roles, using cluster bombs. Vulcans are to carry a Sea Dart-derived anti-radar missile (a la AGM-78 Standard ARM), and a full bombload of no less than 21 cluster bombs! Each Vulcan is able to destroy a huge grid-square, and prove to be very useful in demonstrations. In the maritime strike role, they are adapted to carry Martel missiles externally, with the bomb bay carrying a massive fuel tank, with a sideways looking radar, for maritime surveillance.

Due to the British procurement of Bofors guns as the main ships gun (in place of the British 4.5in guns), Sweden agrees to buy Bloodhound missiles. This cooperation takes a great step further when the UK decides it needs a new lightweight fighter, and selects the Saab Draken! The Draken is to be built in the UK, under license, by Hawker, which is quite appropriate, since it is replacing Hawker Hunters. The P1154 is never progressed, as it is decided to focus instead on developing a high performance twin engined conventional fighter, to rival the American F-4 Phantom. This fighter is to use a pair of Medway engines, in the 25,000lb thrust rating, with 15,000lb dry thrust, for a takeoff weight of 50-60,000lbs, depending on mission. The new fighter, combined with the Draken and Buccaneer are to form the backbone of both the RN's FAA and the RAF.

In the transport and tanker categories, the RAF is to get the Short Belfast, and the Vickers VC-10, both in significant numbers. It is agreed that the government will agree to procure batches of 10 of each per year, for no less than four years, with options on another four years. The VC-10s are all to be in two versions, the first being a conventional transport, and the second being a tanker version.


Not forgetting the Army of course, who get a modified Sea Dart to replace its Thunderbird missiles, along with the new Sea Wolf / Rapier missiles, and 30mm Aden anti-aircraft guns. It also gets Blue Water short range nuclear missiles, which also get cluster warheads as an option, forming a major part of British Corps level artillery. The Sea King, made under license by Westland, is chosen to form the bulk of the Army's transport helicopter force, and allow airmobile units to be flown around the battlefield. The Huey, and later the Cobra, are selected to complement the Sea King, acting as transports and gunships respectively.  

[Zen]

RB.177 "Medway" was 27,800lb reheated and probably 16,400lb dry, in sea level static ratings.
This was a development of the RB142 Medway.

[Lawman]

The real question is what might have happened is P1154 had never got off the ground, so to speak. I envisage something similar to the P1154's front end, but with a normal jet's wing, and tail, like that of the F-4 Phantom. If it had two Medways, then it should have a pretty good amount of 'oomph'! Variable geometry wings would be one option, but would certainly slow development, with entry into service probably early '70s at best. The problem is that there is a need for an F-4 Phantom type aircraft, with a service entry no later than the mid '60s, especially for the RN, to replace the Sea Vixens. I am always a fan of the Phantom, and if it weren't for the need to have a new UK-produced fighter, then the Phantom itself would be ideal. The real problem is that if the UK is already buying Drakens, which could at least be argued to have good UK content (Avon engine, possibly UK avionics etc...), then buying another foreign fighter might not be an option. I certainly wouldn't buy Spey engined Phantoms, since it proved to be so horrendously expensive, and for little benefit. If the Phantom were chosen, I would just push for complete UK license production, rather than buying MD-build ones, and then cramming a Spey in...