Originally posted by subudei:
Maybe not that useful. Arleigh Burkes are really just platforms for the AEGIS system, so their almost exclusive purpose is to provide air defence against enemy missile swarm attacks.
So, they're obviously useful to the US Navy, because they provide valuable protection for aircraft carriers, which would be the first target for missile attacks in an engagement. Taiwan is trying to procure Arleigh Burkes because of the mass missile threat being deployed against them by China.
Would they be all that useful for Singapore? I doubt so - our potential wartime enemies don't possess the missile capability that would justify us investing in AEGIS. AEGIS is an expensive system, designed to intercept massive, large scale missile strikes - and none of our enemies have the ability to launch such an attack of that sort. Sure, our enemies do have missiles on their warships, and AEGIS could deal with them quite easily, but that would be a waste of resources. Hammer to crack a walnut, and all that.
What's more, the Arleigh Burke is a destroyer class ship, and our navy doesn't currently have any ships even nearing that size / displacement. We don't even have frigates yet, our biggest ships are the Missile Corvettes.
So, if the RSN bought Arleigh Burkes, its budget would have to skyrocket dramatically; not only would there be great expense involved in procuring the AEGIS systems, but the RSN would also have to fork out the additional cost of maintaining and supplying the destroyer-size ships which float those systems.
Not much point in that - for a fraction of the price, you could buy yourself a nice fleet of second hand submarines, which are far more versatile and much better suited to the RSN's needs.
Agree. Most Admirals will want them in their fleet. But we couldn't afford it and it is not cost effective. Money better used elewhere.