Professor Wayne King-Meiouf of the University of ProximaIts been some time since we have analysed the DDS combat fleet so i thought it would be interesting to see where the DDS is now with its 5 types of combat ship, where numbers are projected to be with current production up to 2120 and where they could be at the end of the following decade.
| Type | 2113 | 2116 | 2120 | 2130? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bomber | 8 | 14 | 20 | 20 |
| Carrier | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| FCS | 46* | 43* | 51 | 60 |
| MCS | 48 | 53 | 70 | 106 |
| Patrol/MCM | 46 | 47 | 47 | 47 |
As can be seen the bomber and carrier fleets are expected to reach equilibrium by the end of the decade with combat ships of the fleet and medium types expected to increase, the latter greatly thanks to Corkscrew. Although no ships are expected at the moment after the Kinetic FCS is built later in the decade i am sure the DDS will want to increase their larger combatants.
The Patrol and MCM fleet is an interesting question, the DDS will need more minesweepers at some stage so i suspect they may convert some of their Rome 46As into MCM ships. We could see more bombers in the next decade though this is quite a niche role that can be supported by other types like the Indy 35B so a fleet of more than 20 may be considered excessive.
More carriers are a possibility though the DDS may achieve this through a gradual increase in their amphibious assets which can also serve in this role.
The trend for the DDS is the great increase in the number of MCS, this already is the workhorse of the DDS fleet and the Corkscrew will be a very flexible asset that can serve in a large number of roles and situations.
