aliaga type 42s

Historically speaking there is no significance within this class of ship for preservation. Nothing can be learned from an educational stand point to warrrnt a 42s preservation. Liverpool will perhaps be saved for display on the Mersey but she will be reliant on Scousers being loyal to their namesake ship. In addition the ship will need to make money but as we all know, 42s are cramped ships which were too small in service and don't have the space for conference/ exhibition work.

If you are going to save a ship at least save one with a story. None of the 42s have glowing reports. On reflection they will be recalled as ships not built to original design, ( bar 4 stretched units) a missile system that had major faults when called into action with 2 sunk and others hit by unexploded bombs. Two of the units demonstrated disasterous PR for the navy having incurred collisions which the navy will want to forget.

The 42s through no fault of their own, overstayed their welcome in the fleet and really are obsolete by today's standards. To be fair when the Birmingham went for breaking 10 years ago, others should have gone as well had replacements been forthcoming. If that had been the case no one would be remotely nostalgic about these ships and we would have all breathed a sigh of relief that the RN was getting a decent platform to replace a poor one.

Take nothing away Steve, when it mattered most the 42s were at the fore front of the battle of the Falklands and Coventry and more to the point it's brave crew made a great sacrifice and that will never be forgotton.

I guess we just don't like seeing RN ships being broken up.

i disagree..... if it was me and i have put a case forward with several favourable responses i would use a disposed warship for

weddings ( having got a license)
ships tours
conferencing
themed days/nights/fast cruises
charity opportunities that would definately promote the profile of the venue
themed coctail partie
private dinner parties
tuitional education for schools coleges and private enterprises
sea cadet training/ liason
local tourist attraction



the list is endless and very financially productive..... who knows in this time of financial constraint even the ROYAL NAVY could hire it out !


The role of the navy has changed dramatically with cold deep water ops now not at the fore front of its tasking its now anti piracy/ peace keeping and humanitarian role even when on the offensive the risks are high from blue on blue engagements and if its in doubt they pull off , 42s were designed in the sixties which was really only some 20 years after the end of ww2... they were in their day a superb improvement with lots of automisation even in its infancy which was the next step forward from the much loved counties.. they were however really a single role AA ship, the dart proved to be a problem when operating close to land something which commanders ( and you all know who im on about) chose to dis regard advice about this and sacrifised t42 close in to land when they operate best over vast expanses of ocean where 909 come in to its own... to round up i remeber seing sheffield at navy days 77 and they are still going safe for the bean counters of government...... will we see type 45 lasting so well..... ?????? is the descent plat form the type 45...still not operational still with engine problems , still with software problems and still only made one success ful live shoot of sea viper, imagine the all glass bridge ( ie tv screens) taking a hit in action how helpless will the ships company be if all the power was taken out let alone the tv screens....... if you get the chance have a good look around a type 45 and make your own mind up... mine is made up and i dont like them they are floored and wont last and of lego construction

WD i think your rose tinted glasses are playing tricks on your mind! i agree the 42's had a good life, they did what they were designed to do, and in a fast changing world they did well to keep up towards the end.
As for retaining them for non- military work, well you know how much upkeep such a vessel requires, the cost of keeping a vessel heated, lit, air conditioned, painted, fire main operable, rust free, water tight, safe for a non sea going public (not to mention applying H&S amendments) just would not be viable. It takes a crew of 280 to keep them in a reasonable state of repair when operational, what would be the cost of maintaining a full time civilian maintenance crew? You, more than most would witness the rapid deterioration that transforms a warship as soon as a crew departs.
i do agree we should save more vessels, however it requires significant money, which usually requires some form of government backing, sadly not a likely prospect in the present climate or political sphere. Cavalier only just managed to hang on, Plymouth is in dire straits with a very uncertain future yet she has historical significance. My wife is concerned that i would blow the lottery winnings on a warship preservation dream! hence i don't tempt fate and keep the quid in the pocket....

we are a nation of sentimentality and good will
but little in the coffers to visit the historic preserved ships

I'm afraid WD the preservation scene as it is struggles at the mo and your proposals would never get off the ground for reasons already mentioned. I have experienced the preservation scene and can tell you that it is not profitable. Your 42 idea would be out of money before it even had a conversion to a tourist attraction. Even tougher still attempting to find and paying for a berth for what many would consider a pidgeon roost. Furthermore a 42 is totally unsuited to the task at hand and would have no one banging on the door for a wedding, certainly no bride would wish for such unpleasent surrounds. I can tell you though, HMS Warrior is a nice venue for a wedding.

The 42s served the navy in 5 decades and should go now. I won't miss them and feel the RN will be far better off with Type 45 defending the fleet WHEN they are fully operational. Sadly the 42s by 1982 were bedded in and took a battering. I admit that the surrounds were not ideal for them to make full use of their talents but..... They were designed for a Cold War enemy, if that is what a minor foe like Argentina could do, how would a 42 fair against saturation attacks from the Russians, not a chance.

You mention the 45s being vulnerable to being taken out by a hit to the bridge, but lets be honest, Sheffield took a hit from an unexploded Exocet which knocked her out. A lot will be decided by luck/fate but in truth the ship should not be hit in the first place. I believe Sea Viper with both the talents of long and short range AA missiles followed by close in weapons such as Phalanx will stop a missile way before it could ever hit home.

i don't think our ships are designed to survive anything more than medium calibre fire ie about 30mm

From an RFA seafarer's perspective: i liked being in company with type 42s, as you were guaranteed time alongside in foreign ports, as they were always having problems/defects. I agree with Stevo's comments.
Mick S

Then as most might nod quietly in agreement preserving ships was a good idea. The Type 22s were far better to preserve as they did stand the test of time, still going strong with Brazil and Romania. They could have lasted much longer with the RN, but politics put an end to that... These could have made excellent platforms for WDs proposals, providing the will and money is there...

The Type 22 is a much younger platform and although the oldest Batch 1s of Brazil are approx 30 years of age, only three are operational with one being used as a source of spares to keep them going. The other 22s of Chile and Romania are still young. Nonetheless regardless of a 22 or a Type 42 the proposals for commercial use would still make horrific reading in a business plan. If anything a Type 22 whilst in better material state would be more expensive to convert owing to larger size and cost more to berth, and man.