VAN & Nobel l
15. Employment
a.
b.
Peacetime
(1)
The present mode of operation is that one craft is kept at two hours and one at four hours notice for sea. The craft at two hours is normally at sea either on patrol or exercising in Colony Waters with a normal limit for each craft of two nights and four days at sea in any week.
(2) Patrols are undertaken in conjunction with the Marine Police. When patrolling in North Sector RN Craft are in communication with Army border patrols.
(3) Three deployments of two craft (each ship to deploy once per year but. in pairs) overseas per year for four weeks. With one craft in refit a total of five craft will be required to achieve paragraph 15 ́a (1) during deployments.
Period of Tension and IS Situations.
(1)
To be ready to give physical support to the Marine Police throughout accessible Colony waters preferably within one hour.
(2) To deter and counter CCN gunboats.
(3) Three craft are required at sea to achieve the aims at paragraph 15 b (1) and (2). With the present refit and maintenance cycles, and subject to advice about crew ratios it is assumed that five craft will be required to enable three craft to be available throughout the year.
SHIPS TO BE SUPERSEDED
16. In 1972 a feasibility study was undertaken to examine the implications of keeping the current 'Ton' Class running after 1976. The conclusion of the study was that it was feasible to extend the lives of the craft to 1982 by subjecting them to extended refits of six months duration at an estimated cost at 1972 prices of £300,000 each. The extended refit programme was approved and it finished with HMS WOLVERTON in June 1976.
*
17. By 1982 the age of the hulls since launching will be as follows:
2.
HMS BEACHAMPTON
29 Years.
b.
HMS MONKTON
27 Years.
c.
HMS YARN TON
26 Years.
d.
IMS WAS PERTON
26 Years.
e. HMS WOLVERTON
26 Years.
18. Hull maintenance costs will undoubtedly escalate markedly should it be necessary to run them on beyond 1982, noting that the extent of hull and deck planking renewal during their last refits was limited to that required to prolong hull life only until 1982. By then hull life will have already been extended beyong that normally accepted for a wooden warship. A further prolongation will be neither desirable nor cost-effective.
19. Some equipments in the patrol craft are becoming increasingly difficult to support due to spares shortages, notably:
a.
Main engines, Deltic 18-7A.
b.
Foden Generators.
C.
Radar Type 975.
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