While passing the "sold" sign outside Murphy barracks the other night,and thinking of the potential purchases the DoD can make from its sale I got to thinking about other things that could be sold to generate much needed revenue for military spending in this country,and my mind went straight to one item..
P31 Eithne. Next month she will be 20 years in the water and there is still plenty of life in her. Would one of our poorer EU member states,or perhaps some south american dictatorshp be willing to take her off our hands?
Her main feature ,the helideck has never been taken full advantage of in this country,and is probably never going to be used in the forseeable future,If we sold her while she is still in good condition we could get the price of another P50 type as replacement. The longer we wait,the closer she will be to scrap value. If we replace her now,we would be one step closer to standardising the weapon fit of all the remaining vessels, as the Eithnes armament was an oddity to the naval service.
She is over equipped for our uses,with Signaal DA05mk4 air search radar,2x Racal Decca1629c surface search radar,Plessey PMS26 Hull Mounted sonar,Helideck,hangar and aircraft handling equipment,and firefighting equipment that would not look out of place on an Oil Rig support ship. In addition to her modern Navigation bridge,she is also fitted with a relatively modern combat control room.
Her 2 engines are located in 2 engine rooms seperated by watertight bulkheads,2 Kamewa Variable pitch propellors and in adition to Bilge Keels she is also fitted with retractable fin stabilisers.
She was designed and built In Verolme Cork Dockyard by a team of naval engineers as a Naval vessel,and has much of the damage control features normally only found on Naval vessels,unlike the rest of the fleet.
Any takers?
P31 Eithne. Next month she will be 20 years in the water and there is still plenty of life in her. Would one of our poorer EU member states,or perhaps some south american dictatorshp be willing to take her off our hands?
Her main feature ,the helideck has never been taken full advantage of in this country,and is probably never going to be used in the forseeable future,If we sold her while she is still in good condition we could get the price of another P50 type as replacement. The longer we wait,the closer she will be to scrap value. If we replace her now,we would be one step closer to standardising the weapon fit of all the remaining vessels, as the Eithnes armament was an oddity to the naval service.
She is over equipped for our uses,with Signaal DA05mk4 air search radar,2x Racal Decca1629c surface search radar,Plessey PMS26 Hull Mounted sonar,Helideck,hangar and aircraft handling equipment,and firefighting equipment that would not look out of place on an Oil Rig support ship. In addition to her modern Navigation bridge,she is also fitted with a relatively modern combat control room.
Her 2 engines are located in 2 engine rooms seperated by watertight bulkheads,2 Kamewa Variable pitch propellors and in adition to Bilge Keels she is also fitted with retractable fin stabilisers.
She was designed and built In Verolme Cork Dockyard by a team of naval engineers as a Naval vessel,and has much of the damage control features normally only found on Naval vessels,unlike the rest of the fleet.
Any takers?
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