[IronDuke99]

The RN will end up with 8 type 26 Frigates, 6 type 45 Destroyers and at least 5 type 31 Frigates (although the RN really needs a minimum of at least 8 type 31's).

The current type 23 Frigates will be around until the early 2030's, while the first type 26, building starting this year, should reach the RN in 2024, so the Royal Navy will have a mixed fleet of two or three types of Frigates from about 2025 onwards, including, as I originally said, 5 inch Naval Gunfire Support.

In terms of "hunting pirates with pop guns" that is, more or less, what the RN OPV's are for and the RN will have at least six of those as a result of a make work project for ship builders, due to the Government delay in finally ordering the type 26 ships...

The major Royal Navy job from C.2020 (other than operating UK's nuclear deterrent) is to operate a Carrier Task Force, that is the main thing the type 45 Destroyers and type 23-26 Frigates will do, escorting the QE Class carriers, most likely two Destroyers and three or four Frigates in a high risk setting. The RN also needs to be able to escort the UK Amphibious Force, with the Royal Marines embarked, another major job, when required.

Then there are standing tasks, like patrols/escort missions in the Gulf (and the RN ships, mostly MCM, based out there full time) a Frigate for the NATO standing force Atlantic, guardships in the Falkland's and Caribbean and likely, sooner or later, Gibraltar. Plus the RN Antartic Patrol ship. Some of the guardship tasks can be done by OPV's, but the others need real warships like a type 31 Frigate...

So as of now one RN Frigate just ended a very long South Atlantic Patrol, while a Destroyer is currently visiting Pakistan and another Destroyer will shortly be going to the Black Sea. There is also another Destroyer and the Helicopter Carrier HMS Ocean in the Gulf area. You also need one good ASW Frigate up in Scotland to help escort the nuclear missile armed subs to sea... The RN is always very busy...