In early March, the Secretary of State for Defence Procurement and Industrial Technology, Maria Iger, announced that the UK has officially launched the next generation of main anti-aircraft and anti missile warships - the Type 83 destroyer project. Relevant market research has been completed and the country is currently in the stage of developing demand standards, preparing for the next formal bidding. The Type 83 destroyer project is an important component of the UK's future air superiority system. This type of ship is expected to achieve initial operational capability by the end of the 1930s and gradually replace the six active Type 45 destroyers. At present, the specific performance indicators of this type of ship are not yet clear. There are reports that the new warships that the British military tends to build will have features such as larger displacement, more complete functions, greater payload capacity, and the ability to defend against hypersonic missiles. For this new ship, many British military industry insiders have proposed a different idea from traditional thinking, which is to transform or even abandon the design of large warships and build a "first-class escort ship" similar to the French Admiral Ronak class medium anti-aircraft warship, with a tonnage controlled at 4000 to 5000 tons and requiring 40 to 50 crew members to operate, mainly for air defense combat missions. This type of ship, which plays a specific role, simplifies its functions and specifications, reduces construction and maintenance costs, and increases deployment flexibility. However, this plan has been coldly received by the British shipbuilding industry and military decision-makers, with the former focusing more on the lucrative profits of building larger tonnage warships and the latter more on the fleet's long-range endurance. At present, the British military and military industry have basically reached a consensus to adopt a relatively conservative construction plan and fully utilize existing mature designs. In terms of hull, it will be expanded based on the Type 26 frigate known as the "Global Combat Ship". The Type 26 frigate adopts a better stealth design than the Type 45 destroyer, with a length of 150 meters, a width of 20 meters, and a full load displacement of about 8000 tons. With slight modifications, it can be enlarged to the 10000 ton level. In terms of power system, the electric power system and highly reliable engines of the Type 45 destroyer will be used. In terms of air defense missile systems, this type of ship will abandon the current "Silva" vertical launch system and "Aster" missile combination, and instead adopt the American "Standard" series missiles with better comprehensive performance. The expected payload capacity is roughly equivalent to the gradually retiring Ticonderoga class cruisers in the United States (carrying 122 missiles). The main radar equipped on this type of ship has two options: imported and self-developed. There are reports that the British military may not use the "Sampson" radar carried by the Type 45 destroyer, but instead develop it independently to maintain independent innovation and cutting-edge standards in this field. The UK may also collaborate with Australia to improve the CEAFAR2 active phased array radar on the Australian Navy's new generation of Hunter class frigates (with the first ship under construction in 2023 and expected to enter service in 2031). In recent years, due to the continuous exposure of serious problems and even long-term stagnation of the British Navy's Type 45 destroyer, the demand for a new generation of destroyers in the UK has become increasingly urgent. However, the development of modern main combat vessels in the UK has taken many detours, especially in the field of destroyers. The Type 82 destroyer, with a displacement of 7000 tons and equipped with advanced multi-target tracking radar, was the first carrier of the "Sea Spear" air defense missile. However, due to high costs and power system issues, it was "cut in half" and only one "Bristol" was built in the end, and it was transferred to a training ship early on. The Type 43 destroyer, also known as the 'Super Sheffield', was unable to be put into subsequent construction due to poor performance of its original template, the Type 42 destroyer, in the Battle of Falklands. The reliability of the current Type 45 destroyer is worrying and its upgrade potential is limited, resulting in a situation of "50% reduction in construction quantity, 30% reduction in comprehensive combat capability compared to expectations, and 70% increase in cost". The detours taken in the development of modern main battle vessels have led to repeated hesitation in the UK's new generation destroyer project, ultimately adopting a conservative construction strategy. According to foreign media, the Australian Hunter class frigate and Canadian River class frigate projects, based on the British Navy's Type 26 frigate and expected to be completed in the mid-2030s, will provide technology accumulation and validation for the UK. However, whether it can help the Type 83 destroyer avoid detours remains to be further observed. (New Society)