ABSTRACT
The Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) or through deck cruiser is a euphemism for ‘small aircraft carrier’. The functions of the cruiser are twofold: command, control and co-ordination of British and NATO maritime forces and the deployment of ASW aircraft – the Sea King helicopter and the Harrier VTOL aircraft. The Ministry of Defence claims that to combine these functions in a single large hull is the most ‘cost-effective’ solution. Recognition that the Government must enter industry as an investor is implicit in the nationalization of shipbuilding. The ASW Cruiser is being built by the Wickers Shipbuilding Group at Barrow-in-Furness. The armaments and naval shipbuilding division, together with the overseas subsidiaries, are the only sections of Vickers to show continued growth and profitability. The projects involving mining, marine agriculture and various kinds of capital equipment depend directly on the levels of investment and income and may also involve less emphasis on oil technology.
