With the withdrawal of the final Type 22 frigate in June 2011 and the retirement of the last Invincible-class aircraft carrier in 2014, the number of Goalkeeper mountings in the active fleet will dwindle to just two: those fitted on board the assault ship HMS Bulwark .
Given the disproportionate logistics support and training costs associated with keeping such a small population in service, the MoD has taken the decision to retire Goalkeeper from RN service in 2015
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Originally ordered in 1984 from what was then Hollandse Signaalapparaten (now Thales Nederland) under a reciprocal deal that saw the Netherlands government order Rolls-Royce Spey gas turbines, Goalkeeper was intended to address gaps in RN ship self-defence identified during the 1982 Falklands (Malvinas) conflict. Fifteen mountings were purchased, being fitted to two Invincible-class carriers (three systems each), four Type 22 Batch III frigates (one system per ship) and two Albion-class assault ships (two systems each), plus a shore reference site.
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