Upgraded Phalanx 1B Systems for Royal Fleet Auxiliary – five further PHALANX systems for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary have been ordered under a £40m contract with Raytheon.   The PHALANX system is reportyedly currently installed on 14 Royal Navy vessels.    The PHALANX is currently fitted on the Type 42 Destroyer EDINBURGH, the six DARING Type 45 Destroyers and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships – the three “BAY” Class Landing Ships, the two “WAVE” Class Fleet Tankers plus the Replenishment Ship RFA FORT VICTORIA.   That is thirteen ships and presumably the missing one is from the sistership the RFA FORT VICTORIA, the decommissioned RFA FORT GEORGE currently languishing unwanted at Liverpool.

The PHALANX is the Close-In Weapon System, with a rapid-fire, radar and electro-optical guided gun, designed to defeat anti-ship missiles and a range of surface threats.   The 20mm gun is capable of firing armour piercing bullets at up to 4,500 rounds per minute.

So presumably the unit of the EDINBURGH will be recovered when that ship decommissions in 2013, so with the existing “spare”, plus the five new units gives a total of seven.   The Aircraft Carriers QUEEN ELIZABETH and PRINCE of WALES will account for two units but there are only four new tankers on order for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary – so what have this reporter missed ?   Is there a further order for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary expected – I think we can safely say no