Image source: topwar.ru
The British command intends to achieve air superiority in all directions. According to Defense Procurement Minister James Cartlidge, in terms of ground-based air defense, work focused on creating a special complex capable of effectively fighting the "Shaheds" and "Lancets" [kamikaze drones] of the Russian army.
At sea, new destroyers should act as an anti-aircraft shield, which will replace the Type 45. During his speech, the Minister presented a conceptual vision of the new Type 83 ships, the development of which was officially announced in March 2021. However, the details of this project have not yet been disclosed.
In February 2022, the Ministry of Defense indicated that the Type 83 was being created to counter the threat posed by hypersonic missiles. It is expected that destroyers of this type will enter service in the second half of the 2030s, replacing the existing Type 45 destroyers.
As indicated in the UK Defense Journal, from the presented demonstration, you can pay attention to the design of the ship's hull, which assumes increased secrecy. The streamlined superstructure suggests the integration of advanced radar and sensor technologies.
Image source: topwar.ru
The Type 83 image reworked from the presentation
The ship is comparable in size to the Chinese Type 055 destroyer (with a displacement of about 12 thousand tons). The Type 83 is armed with a five-inch main gun, Phalanx melee systems, two 30- or 40-mm artillery launchers and additional unidentified melee systems. Missile systems are represented, apparently, by two Mk 41 vertical launch units, each of which contains approximately 64 cells, that is, in total, the ship has 128 missiles ready to fire. Also, judging from the presentation, the Type 83 will receive laser guns.
