New Zealand orders decoy system for its frigates

Deck-mounted decoy systems for defense against RF-seeking missiles have been ordered for the Royal New Zealand Navy.
Decoy systems for protection against RF-seeking missiles are to be procured by the Royal New Zealand Navy from Airborne Systems Europe.

 

The systems, Airborne's FDS3 corner reflector decoys, will be fitted onto the service's ANZAC-class frigates over a three-year period.

 

The contract from the New Zealand Ministry of Defense for the FDS3 is valued at more than $5.6 million.

 

"This NZ MOD contract follows on from the success of the $41.7 million U.S. Navy contract in 2013," said Chris Rowe, president of Airborne Systems Europe. "In addition to providing protection for the forces of our allies, it sustains high-quality jobs in the UK, and more particularly in South Wales."

 

The decoy system is comprised of a deck-mounted launch tube loaded with a decoy that inflates alongside the ship's hull and then free floats past the vessel's stern. Each decoy has a passive array of radar reflectors.

 

The number of systems to be delivered by Airborne Systems Europe was not disclosed.

‘Fast-track frigates to save jobs’

A PLAN to save Australia’s ship building industry by bringing forward construction of eight potent new frigates for the Royal Australian Navy is being considered by the Abbott government. 

              

This option to bridge the so-called “valley of death” for shipbuilding would mean constructing sections of some of the new frigates when the hulls of the three air warfare destroyers (AWDs) are completed. That would mean the 7000-tonne frigates would use the same hulls as the destroyers so that they could be built with the existing equipment and the same workforce.

 

The sections, or “blocks” can be built in different shipyards and then welded together.

 

This option will be discussed in a speech to be made by Defence Minister David Johnston to key defence industry figures in Canberra today.

 

The valley of death is the tag given to the point when current defence contracts run out with the completion of the AWDs and two giant landing ships. Companies say they will have to sack thousands of skilled workers unless more ships are ordered.

 

That follow’s last night’s warning by Royal Australian Air Force chief Geoff Brown that the world was entering a period of political and economic instability “which will shape a potentially volatile and dangerous security environment, especially in our region”.

 

“Of particular concern to Australia is the rising tension in the South China Sea where our vital interests are directly engaged,” Air Marshal Brown told The Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

 

He said air power was the most agile and responsive military instrument available to government.

The use of air power by the US to save refugees trapped on Iraq’s Mount Sinjar had demonstrated how decisive it could be.

 

Senator Johnston will tell the industry representatives today the AWD project is running 21 months late and more than $360 million over budget.

 

He stresses the option of building the frigates in Australia ­depends on the shipbuilding industry demonstrating that it can complete the destroyers without further cost overruns or delays.

 

“This is to ensure everything is in place to allow a continued naval shipbuilding industry in Australia,” he will tell the Australian Business Defence Industry Group.

 

“All we are asking is that industry demonstrates it can meet an acceptable benchmark for cost and productivity.

 

“Part of the work on the future frigate program is to examine whether we can commit to the construction of some early blocks to ensure there is no break in production overall.”

 

Senator Johnston says no decision has been made on the design of the navy’s new submarines but work is progressing well on ­options. The government has ­already provided $78m for preliminary work on the new frigates.

 

The new class was set out in the Rudd government’s 2009 defence white paper which intended they’d be operational by the mid-2020s.

 

The ships were to carry cruise missiles and they were likely to be equipped with a system able to ­destroy ballistic missiles.

 

Co-operation on such a system was announced in Sydney last week at the annual AUSMIN talks between Australia’s foreign affairs and defence ministers and their US counterparts.

Bespoke French Frigates For Malaysia

A year ago Malaysia ordered six Gowind corvettes from France. As part of the deal the French builder agreed to set up production in Malaysia and to modify the Gowind design to meet Malaysian requirements. Because of this arrangement the first Gowind will not enter service until 2019, two years later than if they were built in France. Malaysia is using this deal to develop its own warship building capability.

 

The Malaysian Gowinds were originally to be 2,400 ton corvettes, but the Malaysian modifications have increased them to 3,000 ton frigates with a crew of 106. The Malaysian Gowinds are still armed with a 57mm gun, anti-aircraft missiles, anti-submarine torpedoes, and an EC-275 helicopter. It has a top speed of 48 kilometers an hour. Some of the modifications made include the turret for the 57mm gun being modified to maintain its low-radar visibility aspect in the expanded superstructure. Design modifications like this were part of the basic Gowind design, which can be applied to ships using the basic Gowind design but varying from 1,100-4,000 tons displacement. These ships have a maximum endurance (assuming mostly using cruise speed) of 21 days.

 

With the Malaysian sales, French warship builder DCNS has won its first export customer for the new Gowind concept. Malaysia is buying the Gowinds for about $500 million each. DCNS has had a very difficult time finding any export customers for Gowind. The French Navy wasn't buying either. So three years ago DCNS began building one of the 1,100 ton OPV Gowinds with its own money and persuaded the French Navy to provide a crew to operate the ship for 18-36 months. Thus, DCNS could pitch potential customers with the fact that at least one Gowind has been built and successfully served with the French Navy. This worked for Malaysia, as did the willingness to move construction  (and assembly of some of the electronic subsystems) to Malaysia. France is supplying eight Exocet anti-ship missiles for each Gowind, along with quad launchers of VL-MICA anti-aircraft missiles (with a range of 20 kilometers) and two 30mm anti-missile autocannon.

Israel mulls purchasing 4 South Korean warships

A South Korean Incheon class frigate

 Israel has voiced enthusiasm in purchasing four frigates from South Korea and plans to send a team of its officials to Seoul next month to pursue a potential deal.

"Israel recently expressed an interest to buy four frigates," Yonhap news agency quoted an official at South Korean’s state-run weapons procurement agency, Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), as saying Saturday on condition of anonymity.

The 1,400-ton frigates under negotiation with Israel are said to be priced at about US$100 million each.

South Korea offered to build warships for the Israeli navy after it lost a bid to sell Israel T-50 fighter trainer jets earlier this year.

A team of representatives from the South Korean government and Hyundai Shipyards visited Tel Aviv in April to discuss a deal aimed at building frigates for the Israeli navy.

There are reports that Hyundai would sell Israel the vessels, and that various Israeli defense industries would install locally-made systems on board, including radar and Barak anti-missile system.

Some of the work could be done by the Israel Shipyards in the city of Haifa, located about 90 kilometers (56 miles) north of Tel Aviv.

No submarines for Thailand’s Navy, but maybe frigates instead?

A big procurement project of 2 frigate ships for 30bn Baht ($977m) has drawn criticism against the Royal Thai Army and has also raised the question of its necessity and its usefulness amidst the exorbitant price, considering the aftermath of the failed procurement of 6 decommissioned submarines from Germany for 7.6bn Baht ($250m), which was the highest priority of the Royal Thai Navy until it was eventually shelved. When the Royal Thai Navy ordered the HTMS Chakri Naruebet from Spain in 1992, the country’s only aircraft carrier planned as the Navy’s fleet command center, the price then was only 7.1bn Baht ($231m).

On September 18, 2012 the cabinet of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has approved the budget to buy frigates weighing 2,000 to 3,500 tons for 30bn Baht, after it was submitted by “Big Oh” - Air Chief Marshal Sukumpol Suwanatat, Defense Minister. The Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Navy, Adm Surasak Rounroengrom (“Big Roun”) has assigned a fellow Class 13 graduate from the same army preparatory school, “Big Jieb” Adm Jakchai Poocharoenyos (Royal Thai Navy Chief-of-Staff) to head the project.

In the planned time frame, the navy wanted to have the approval for the frigates before the end of the fiscal year 2012 [September 30, 2012] in order to regain leverage over the internal balance of power after the failed submarines procurement and also to replace the soon-to-be-decomissioned frigate HTMS Phutthayotfa Chulalok.

The procurement of the frigates will supposedly take place in two phases: in the first, one frigate for 15bn Baht ($488m) during the fiscal years of 2012-2016 and during the second phase, another one for 15bn Baht during the fiscal years of 2014-2018. Also, the currently active frigate HTMS Naresuan is being upgraded in three phases, with budget commitments during the fiscal years of 2011-2014, 2012-2014 and 2013-2015. Currently, the Thai navy has two frigate fleets with 11 and 6 ships each.

The procurement committee has decided that the new frigates would be from Germany, since they are known for their well-built, high quality ships for a good value. But the navy would have to push for German frigates even more when submitting the request to the Ministry of Defense. The first hurdle there, “Big Tuey” Adm Chaiwat Bukkaratna, Adviser to the Minister of Defense and overseeing this very procurement, will approve it.

But there are also rumors that the “Big Boss” [possibly the Defense Minister?] wants to have frigate from China instead, which worries the navy officers in charge, since they fear the Chinese ships would be of bad quality and corrode within a few years. The HTMS Naresuan and the HTMS Taksin were procured from China and then commissioned in 1995, but are now in process of being repaired after growing corrosion and upgraded for total budget of 7bn Baht ($228m).

This coincides with rumors that the “Big Boss” [most likely Defense Minister Sukhumpol] has ordered the navy to change the procurement of submarines into the procurement of frigates instead. If they would have insisted to buy a new submarine, the price would have been about 15bn Baht ($488m), same as a frigate ship. But that would still have proven problematic and it could have ended in the same fate like the German second-hand submarines.

This wouldn’t have boded well with Defense Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat, who decided to stop the procurement process for the six decommissioned Type U-206 A submarines from Germany worth 7.6bn Baht ($250m) in total by not submitting the proposal to the cabinet for approval. Apart from letting the bidding deadline pass and other “technical problems”, Sukhumpol has ordered Adm Surasak Rounroengrom to look into other types of submarines and prepare the procurements of new submarines instead.

However in that case, he would have been accused to have deliberately scrapped the procurement process in order to purchase new submarines from Korea or China. In order to avoid this problem, Sukhumpol thus has altered to procurement to the two frigates instead.

A high-ranking navy source told SW:

    “Since the navy has been given a budget of 30bn Baht, we could go ahead and buy two new submarines. However, the higher-ups in the Ministry of Defense have stopped the submarine procurements and have changed the procurement to two frigates, [...] because if we would have searched for new submarines, we would have been criticized why we have stopped bidding for the German second-hand submarines and have been accused of ‘hidden benefits’. If the navy’s necessity for frigates is real, why has this been kept secret for so long with only a few high-ranking officers in the know?“

This coincides with the state visit of Sukhumpol and his advisers to Ukraine in October 9-15, 2012, also including a visit to Austria to build the relationship between both countries’ armed forces.

The trip to Ukraine also includes a factory tour of the T-84 OPLOT tanks, of which the Abhisit administration had approved the procurement of 54 tanks worth 7bn Baht ($228m) in order to strengthen the armed forces. The tanks are excepted delivered in 2013.

Sources - By Saksith Saiyasombut & Siam Voices

DCNS to unveil new FREMM Frigate variant, updated BRAVE supply ship design at Euronaval 2012

At the 23rd EURONAVAL show to be held from 22 to 26 October 2012 at the Paris-le Bourget exhibition center, DCNS will unveil several new designs of submarines and surface vessels. Among them are the new FREMM-ER (for Extend Range) Frigate dedicated to Air Defense missions and an updated design for the BRAVE replenishment ship which was first unveiled two years ago at Euronaval 2010.

                         

The FREMM-ER was designed with a focus on Air Defense and possibly Anti Ballistic Missile Defense. The hull and general platform of the vessel is almost identical to the French Navy's and DCNS' FREMM class. However the two masts (Herakles radar and electronic warfare) found on the current FREMM (such as the Aquitaine frigate) is replaced by a new radar by Thales called SF 500 (or Sea Fire 500). The new Thales radar seems to be similar in concept to the Lockheed Martin's AEGIS - AN/SPY-1D multi-function phased-array radar system with its four fixed arrays noticeable on all 4 sides of the main mast.

Contacted by Navy Recognition DCNS and Thales representatives would not give details on the new radar system, explaining details would be made public during Euronaval. Regarding the vessel itself however, DCNS told us that a FREMM-ER would be able to fulfill the exact same missions as the current FREMM. Indeed, FREMM-ER has the same multi-mission capabilities as FREMM, in particular extensions capability can be installed on FREMM-ER such as:

FREMM-ER's CIC (Combat Information Center) shares the same characteristics as the CIC found on FREMM:

- Large workstations

- Multipurpose Consoles

- Modular configuration

The SETIS modular CMS (Combat Management System) developed by DCNS and the CIC area can implement new and future innovations as they become mature. In FREMM-ER, sailors for example will be able to use augmented reality in the fight against asymmetric threats.

                         

At the 23rd EURONAVAL show to be held from 22 to 26 October 2012 at the Paris-le Bourget exhibition center, DCNS will unveil several new designs of submarines and surface vessels. Among them are the new FREMM-ER (for Extend Range) Frigate dedicated to Air Defense missions and an updated design for the BRAVE replenishment ship which was first unveiled two years ago at Euronaval 2010.

The new BRAVE replenishment tanker and support vessel. Note the new inverted bow design.

                         

DCNS presented during Euronaval 2010 its new-generation underway replenishment tanker and support vessel named BRAVE (Bâtiment RAVitailleur d'Escadre).

At Euronaval 2012, DCNS will be showing an updated design for the BRAVE class. As you can see in the images above and below, most of the redisgn work has been focused on the bow and stern of the ship. The bow is now inverted for better sea-keapping and there is now only one helicopter spot while the previous design had space for two helicopter spots. The sole spot is still able to accomodate heavy helicopters however (35 t). There is still space for two helicopters in the hangar.

Developped in association with STX-France (based on the same principles that made the BPC Mistral class a success), the design should answer French Navy needs to replace the Durance class. BRAVE will also be available to international customers.

                         

At the 23rd EURONAVAL show to be held from 22 to 26 October 2012 at the Paris-le Bourget exhibition center, DCNS will unveil several new designs of submarines and surface vessels. Among them are the new FREMM-ER (for Extend Range) Frigate dedicated to Air Defense missions and an updated design for the BRAVE replenishment ship which was first unveiled two years ago at Euronaval 2010.

Artist impression of a BRAVE vessel underway replenishing a FREMM frigate and an Aircraft Carrier

The BRAVE main missions include:

» Refuel and support all types of vessels at sea (Aircraft carriers, large & small surface vessels, submarines);

» Support force projection operations;

» Command and control of maritime operations;

» Support humanitarian operations.

The vessel's defense system is designed to be modular and can be adatped to customer requirements.

For more details on the FREMM-ER, Thales Sea Fire 500 radar, the new BRAVE design and other new developments by DCNS, make sure to check Navy Recognition's Euronaval 2012 online coverage from 22 to 26 October 2012.

Russian Shipyard to Deliver Warship to Indian Navy

Frigate 'INS Tarkash' under construction at the Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad is due to be handed over to the Indian Navy next month.

INS Tarkash is the second Talwar-class ship being built for Indian Navy under a contract signed in 2006.

Frigates of this class are designed for anti-submarine, surface ship warfare, as well as air defence.

Length of the ship is 125 meters; beam is 15 meters; displacement is about 4,000 tons; full speed is 30 knots; cruising range at 14 knots is 5,000 nautical miles; crew strength is over 200 men including 20 officers.

Yantar shipyard won the tender for three such frigates and began construction of the lead ship INS Teg in the summer of 2007. Afterwards, building of other ships started – frigate INS Tarkash (laid down in Nov 2007, launched in 2010) and INS Trikand (laid down in June 2008, launched in May 25, 2011).

First three Project 11356 frigates were built by Baltiysky Zavod shipyard (St. Petersburg) in 1999-2004, commissioned into Indian Navy and are currently in service.

The second trio of frigates has different armament. In contrast to the first frigates armed with Club-N missile system, ships built by Yantar have BrahMos missile systems jointly developed by Russia and India.