I believe they are doing the right thing - its experimenting in this way that shows you what works and what doesn't. Also bear in mind the global security situation changes, threats change from particular countries and in particular regions, and the navy may have only certain ships available at certain times...

 

But for a notional 'baseline standard' carrier group (that can be added or subtracted from as needed), how about:

 

1 cruiser

2 destroyers

4 frigates

1 SSN

1 supply ship

 

I think this would allow for a layered defence; you have your cruiser as the goalkeeper up close to the carrier, destroyers as an inner screen, and then frigates as the outer screen up-threat.

SSN for a variety of tasks (to include ASW cover) and supply ship to also operate in the centre under maximum protection by the cruiser too.

 

The number of frigates allows you to post the majority up-threat whilst still allowing you 1 (or even 2) posted elsewhere to maintain an all-round defence in the event that the enemy attacks from an unknown quarter.

 

Although I am from the other side of the lake, and so my definitions of certain ship types may differ slightly from yours!

 

Thoughts?

 

 

There really isn't a standard strike group that carriers get underway with anymore.  And the ships a carrier gets underway with don't necessarily stay with it.  They could escort it to the eastern med, then one or two could get detached to carry out other missions in the gulf.  Then maybe an allied ship might join the strike group for a while.  There may or may not be submarines present. 

 

There's really not much that frigates can contribute to a strike group now.  Their helos can be helpful (even with a carrier nearby) and they can at least still "detect" threats, but there's very little they can do to actually stop threats from reaching the carrier since they don't have ASROCs or SM's anymore.

Ahh, I didn't realise your frigates had been downrated so far and used only in the convoy protection role I take it... ours are fully members of a larger group, but there again we have fewer destroyers and no cruisers.

 

For my term 'frigate' in the discussion above, I was envisaging a vessel of about 5000 tons, outfitted with:

 

1 medium range turretted gun (4.5in or more)

SSMs (8 Harpoon)

Lightweight torpedo launch facility (tube or magazine)

Maritime patrol helicopter (i.e. not a Lynx that is more geared towards the surface battle, but something larger that can handle ASuW and ASW)

CIWS (2 Goalkeeper and 1 11-round Sea RAM in a Phalanx mount would be nice, but unlikely)

Area air defence missile system operating out to the ~40nm range (although point defence is more likely)

Phased array radar if possible (medium range air search more likely) and towed array sonar

The usual assortments of small calibre short range crew served upperdeck gunnery

CODLAG propulsion to allow usual gas turbine performance, but with quiet running during ASW operations

 

i.e. essentially something like the Type 23 except with an improved range air defence missile system and phased array, and a sturdy CIWS fit, to turn it into more of an 'all-rounder' as opposed to an ASW-biased ship.

 

Thoughts?