Pacific 2012: A bigger and better replacement for the Anzac frigates

Tom Muir | Canberra

These first steps will focus on obtaining cost estimates, capability and schedule information to help in the development of preliminary requirements. These will be followed by more formal requests for information or proposals to elicit more robust information.

It is anticipated that the $10 billion Sea 5000 project will begin with funded studies to explore the ship platform, combat, and support system options in the quest for an affordable ANZAC Class replacement.And in acknowledgement of the need among smaller navies to share in ship design the RAN is showing interest in a number of new ship designs, including the UK’s Type 26.

To this end an exchange officer, based in the UK, will help to ensure that the RAN understands the RN requirements (and vice-versa if the RN sees this country as a possible export customer). As well, there has been considerable dialogue between Defence’s Maritime Development Group and their opposite numbers in the UK. ADM recalls UK officials at the 2010 Pacific trade show speaking of the obvious benefits that teaming on the program would bring to both parties.

The May 2009 Defence White Paper stated that a fleet of eight new Future Frigates would be acquired. They would be larger than the ANZAC Class ships they replace and would be designed and equipped with a strong emphasis on anti-submarine warfare (ASW). Their weapons would include a land attack cruise missile (LACM) capability.

The DCP provides little detail of the ‘next generation combatant’ sought however it is likely that it will broadly conform to new and emerging concepts in the design of naval frigates of around 5,000-7,000 tonnes entering service by the 2020s or even earlier. These concepts range over new developments in hull design, stealth, propulsion systems, sensor technologies, communications, offensive and defensive systems, computerised management systems, sustainability and so on.

And it would seem axiomatic that locally developed technologies such as CEA-FAR and CEA-MOUNT would be retained and while ASW is seen as a priority mission for the RAN Future Frigate, and all that means in terms of helicopter and u/w detection technologies, does this necessarily mean ignoring mission or role flexibility? In a recent interview with Australian Defence Magazine RADM Peter Jones, head of Capability Systems, said the Future Frigates might be the workhorses of the fleet and, in addition to their planned ASW role, would have to contribute significantly to air and surface warfare, both in blue water and in the littoral.

“Now the Defence White Paper highlighted the need for the ADF to have greater emphasis on its capacity to detect and respond to submarines in its primary operating environment but this will be achieved through a layered ASW capability, and you can see in the White Paper that this approach is highlighted not only by Sea 5000.

“In the nearer term you’ve got significant ASW capabilities with the Air Warfare Destroyer, capability improvements to the Collins-class submarines, also the ASW capability improvements for the Anzac frigate, and the planned introduction into service of the MH-60 Romeo Seahawk helicopters and the P-8 Poseidon Maritime Aircraft. So I think we’ve just got to see it as part of the system,” Jones said.

But ASPI’s Andrew Davies was more forthright. In his assessments of naval capability, anti-submarine warfare (ASW) is a continuing major capability shortfall. Faced with a region that is rapidly developing the ability to operate a range of very sophisticated submarines, he says Australia cannot expect to be able to conduct major naval operations in the future without a major upgrade to its ASW capabilities.

The Future Maritime Force

The Future Maritime Operating Concept 2025 (FMOC 25) sees the future maritime force (FMF) as being prepared to contribute to conventional coalition combat operations at potentially high tempo and levels of threat during the next two decades and that it should also be prepared to contribute to combat operations against insurgent groups, including groups employing maritime terror tactics.

It suggests that the 2025 battlespace requires highly responsive command and control systems and battlespace awareness to ensure the effective engagement and prosecution of maritime, land and air targets. And while the engagement grid should include use of lethal and non-lethal systems, the FMOC25 acknowledges the obvious – that the capability to strike targets at Sea and ashore is enhanced through the availability of systems with increased range, speed, precision and responsiveness.

According to the FMOC25 measures that individually and collectively will enhance the future frigate’s sustained presence in an area of operations include:

• Increased system redundancy and commonality through the force,
• High endurance of platforms, including the use of alternate propulsion systems,
• Flexible designs that permit operation of platforms across the wide range of environmental conditions expected across the projection space, and
• Uninhabited systems and remote sensors/weapons.

Possible Sea 5000 design candidates

The Royal Navy’s proposed Type 26 design is almost certainly a candidate for the RAN Future Frigate. In the UK, the Future Surface Combatant (FSC) has been a long running, off-and-on, program to replace the Royal Navy’s Type 22 and Type 23 frigates.

Although more off than on—at times FSC was little more than an umbrella for funded studies such as BMT’s reSearch on fast ship enabling technologies—it nevertheless encouraged shipbuilders and designers over the past ten years or so to offer their design concepts for the Type 23 frigate replacement.

As of March last year the FSC program finally got underway with a £125 million four year contract to BAE Systems Surface Ships to undertake the assessment phase of the first (C1) Type 26 combat ship due to enter service in the early 2020s. And as of that date the FSC program was to comprise two classes of warship an ASW task group enabled platform, and a more general purpose platform. A third, anti-air warfare version, has since been included.

Working with the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), BAE Systems’ Type 26 design aims are for a ship that is:

• versatile - able to undertake a number of roles,
• flexible - to adapt to the changing needs of defence,
• affordable - both in build and support through its service life;
• exportable - designed with the international market in mind.

According to reports, the original working baseline design was for a 141m long vessel, displacing 6,850 tonnes equipped with a towed low frequency sonar array and advanced air defence systems. But by November 2010 it was reported that the specifications had been pared to reduce the cost from £500 million to £250-350 million per ship.

And by May 2011 new specification details began to emerge of a smaller 5,500 tonne ship emphasising flexibility and modularity akin to the ANZAC Class MEKO designs. Under the new design the ship’s length is 145m, with a beam of 19m, and a top speed of 26-29 knots (48 km/h). There will be berths for a crew of 130 with room for another 36 embarked troops. The ship will have 60 days endurance and a range of 7,000 nm at 15-18 knots.

One novel design concept is the inclusion of a multipurpose mission bay on the stern to permit the deployment of towed array sonar systems, or the launch of offboard vehicles or boats, according to mission requirements.

While it has been anticipated that the Type 26 would have either an all electric or hybrid electric propulsion system it seems probable the Navy will adopt the combined diesel electric or gas propulsion system (CODLOG).

The warship program survived last October’s strategic defence review that cut the Royal Navy’s frigate and destroyer fleet to 19 comprising six new Type 45 anti-air destroyers and 13 Type 23s to be replaced by the Type 26.

At the MOD’s important Capability Decision Point meeting in November 2011, senior Royal Navy officers were to decide on the capability package of the new frigate, such as power plant, armament, crew complement and other aspects of the core design. It is anticipated that approval for the package will then be sought in early 2012. This will be followed by detailed design activities until Main Gate approval—similar to our second pass—is anticipated towards the end of 2013. With production starting soon after first steel being cut in 2016 and launch in 2018 or 2019, the lead ship is planned to be in service in 2021, some eight to nine years after Main Gate.

Collaboration?

At this very early stage in the development of both the RAN’s Future Frigate and the RN’s Type 26 concept frigate, there is one aspect that particularly favours a collaborative RAN/RN program – the schedule with delivery of the first Type 26 frigate in 2021 well ahead of the planned Initial Operational Capability (2028-29) for the RAN program.

In January 2010, Jane’s Defence Weekly announced that the UK government and the government of Australia were exploring the potential for cooperation on the C1 and C3 designs, which correspond closely to the Royal Australian Navy’s requirements in replacing its Anzac-class frigate with a new frigate, and four minor war vessel classes with a single class of offshore combatants.

But while Australian official (and commercial) interest in the UK Type 26 program has been ongoing and may eventually bear fruit, there is no indication at this early stage that such may necessarily be the case.

There is likely to be a dearth of common ground between the Australian Navy’s requirements and those of the Royal Navy and a one-size-fits-all global Type 26 may not suit our very different maritime environment or strategic outlook. Nevertheless there could be export opportunities for those homegrown technologies that the RAN would prefer to see on an Australian version of the Type 26, should that design be adopted for our Future Frigate project.

But the Type 26 concept is by no means the only design with development and build timelines in broad harmony with Sea 5000 planning.

Navantia multi-mission future frigate

At Euronaval 2010 Navantia of Spain introduced its 5,000-tonne F2M2 trimaran guided-missile frigate (FFG) design, which has a notional length of 140 metres, beamwidth of 30 metres, draught of five metres, and a displacement of 4,000 metric tonnes. Cornerstones of the design are:

• trimaran hull form that provides an excellent Seakeeping capability and offers a higher flexibility for accommodating the payload,
• incorporates a new integrated generation propulsion plant to achieve high speed, and excellent maneuverability,
• modern integrated superstructure that provides signature reduction and protection to the enclosed equipment,
• Command & Control and Communications capabilities to operate as an active participant of a networked task force,
• large dry mission bay designed to operate with robotic vehicles with minimal crew intervention. It also provides a basis for Special Forces operation and humanitarian relief missions,
• enlarged flight deck to operate conventional, attack and transport helicopters, ASW, logistics etc., in conjunction with UAV and UCAS,
• enhanced adaptability and flexibility. Most of the future operational capabilities rely on a combination of unmanned and robotic vehicles that will be common to other units

The on-board multi-spectrum sensor systems are totally integrated into the warship’s superstructure, which has no mast.

Eight anti-ship cruise missiles are positioned in the superstructure, and a large platform provides two landing spots for medium-lift multi-role helicopters. The warship also has space for installing vertically-launched surface-to-air missiles (SAM), one 76mm main gun and one 30mm cannon, and can also launch rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIB).

The F2M2’s propulsion system (using a CODLAG configuration comprising a combined diesel-electric engine and a gas turbine driving two electric motors, and one gas turbine driving three water jets) will enable the vessel to reach speeds of more than 30 knots. Crew complement is expected to be about 150.

According to Navantia naval architect Juan de la Cueva the F2M2 is not based on a particular government requirement, but incorporates a number of concepts and innovations developed in the past few years by Navantia. The ship, meant to be produced in the 4,500- to 5,000-tonne range, would be equipped with a combined diesel-electric and gas turbine plant featuring two electric motors and one gas turbine which would drive three water jets, the outer two being steerable. Speed would be about 30 knots, and a total of 150 personnel could be accommodated.

Forward, the F2M2 presents a conventional frigate bow with a medium-calibre gun and vertical launch system. However the superstructure has angular, flat-sided faces that incorporate all the ship’s sensors. No masts or sensors project from the superstructure block, while a single exhaust is located on the topmost deck, and air intakes are flush with the structure.

The hull amidships widens to a trimaran configuration and reaches its full width over the last third of the ship. A hangar is fitted in the aft part of the superstructure, and the flight deck is spotted for two NH90 helicopters. Space and weight for surface-to-surface missiles is located ahead of the hangar, atop which secondary guns can be mounted.

The mission bay is located beneath the flight deck, with aside door ramp fitted to starboard. While a ramp for a rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) was on the model displayed, de la Cueva said a roll-on/roll-off deck, somewhat similar to that on the Danish flexible support ship Absalon, could be fitted.

The ship would be built with a steel hull, de la Cueva said. Final determination of the superstructure material has yet to be made, he said, although it is likely to be a composite material rather than aluminum.

The RAN is forging strong links with Navantia with two of its ship designs now under construction for the RAN fleet. These are the Hobart Class AWD based on the F100 design and the Canberra Class LHD based on the 27,000 tonne Strategic Projection Ship (Buque de Proyeccion Estrategica). These five ships will be the core of the this country’s future surface navy. What a scoop that would be for Navantia, to score another eight ships for the RAN, built to their designs!

DCNS AdvanSeas

French shipbuilder DCNS has proposed its ADVANSea (ADVanced All-electric Networked ship for Sea dominance) as a concept aimed at meeting the needs navies are likely to face in the 2025s. Presented also at Euronaval 2010 the concept ship is described as a next-generation all electric surface combatant.

In its approach to designing and building a warship offering improved sensors, safety and stealth as well as compliance with environmental standards the DCNS design team aims to manage and coordinate three disruptive technologies. These are:

• Superconducting electric propulsion motors combining energy savings, reduced weight and size and optimal power ratings (10 MW/motor).
• Impulse energy storage devices that promise the instantaneous availability of large pulses of power.
• Real-time power flow management to users thanks to the convergence of combat system and platform management system technologies.

In each of these areas, DCNS says its engineering teams are working on the practical integration of these technologies in a shipbuilding environment.

In terms of naval missions, the aim is to design a warship for use in regional conflicts with a risk of intense combat. This means designing a ship combining improved means of threat detection, the capacity to respond quickly to such threats using gradual – and decisive-response weapons, and greater safety and comfort for the ship’s crew.

DCNS says the first demonstrators may be available towards 2018.

FREMM

Another design of possible interest for the Australian Future Frigate is the Franco/Italian Frégate Multi Mission or FREMM program for which the French first of class Aquitaine has successfully undergone Sea trials. For French shipbuilder DCNS, the FREMM Program comprises twelve units, eleven for the French Navy and one for the Royal Moroccan Navy.

The first Italian FREMM, the Carlo Bergamini, was launched in July in 2011. Italian shipbuilder Orizzonte Sistemi Navali will deliver 10 frigates for the Italian navy with first commissionings anticipated in 2012.

The FREMM program will produce 11 frigates for the French Navy, 10 for the Italian Navy and one for the Royal Moroccan Navy. The Italian FREMMs are due to replace the 1970s-era Lupo and Maestrale-class frigates beginning in 2012.

Three versions are built by both countries—ASW, anti-air and a general purpose (land attack) version. The frigates has a displacement of 6,000 metric tons, somewhat smaller than the 6,700-tonne Horizon frigates currently in service by the two nations – and be powered by a LM 2500 gas turbine and electric propulsion. The vessels are 142 metres long with a maximum width of 20 metres. Endurance is 6,000 nautical miles at 15 knots with a top speed of 27 knots. Crew complement varies between France 108 and Italy (145).

However whether the RAN will be interested in introducing into service a design that reflects the here and now rather than the 2020s is a moot point.

BMT Group’s F5 concept

One of the designs emerging as a result of the UK’s FCS program is the BMT Group’s F5 Future Fast Flexible Frigate. The F5 concept is founded on the patented pentamaran hullform, originally developed for modern fast and efficient commercial multi-hulled passenger ferries and container ships.

The pentamaran combines a slender extended centre hull, stabilised by pairs of port and starboard outer hulls, to give a large and stable low drag hull form, as well as side protection and easy berthing. The extended centre hull of the pentamaran, and the full breadth superstructure across the wide beam of the ship make the F5 an excellent weapons and sensors platform. It allows clear separation of topside sensors, such as a fixed four-face MPAR, and 64 VLS weapons silos in two modules fore and aft, as well as an electromagnetic rail gun, all with good arcs of fire.

Further spaces in the superstructure and below deck, allow the modular fitting of additional weapons and sensors to provide a rapid swing capability for changing missions; whilst the upper deck layout also allows safe and easy replenishment at Sea evolutions when underway. The F5 uses a novel COmbined Gas, electric and Gas (COGLAG) waterjet propulsion arrangement to provide low speed efficiency and excellent cruise and boost performance.

The F5 also boasts a double hangar capable of housing two Merlin type helicopters. This arrangement also offers the flexibility to segment the hangar to accommodate embarked military forces, deployable sensors, UAVs, UUVs and Special Forces craft. These can be deployed from the unusually wide flight deck, which has room for the operating footprint of Chinook sized helicopters.

Displacing 6,339 tonne with an overall length of 181.5m, beam of 32m and 6.3m draught, the F5 boasts a service speed of 35kt and a maximum speed of 45kt. Range of 5,500nm is indicated at 35kt ‘with one stop’. Crew size is 105.

Could Austal be proposing an indigenous design and build for the Sea 5000 requirement, possibly along the lines of the F5 and drawing on features of the company’s Littoral Combat Ship design?

Conclusion

 This article has focussed narrowly on platform designs that may be candidates for the Future Frigate program. It has not covered those other important phases concerned with the weapons fit and the proposed Land Attack Cruise Missile capability, that are worthy of discussion in their own right.

Acknowledgement
In writing this article, the author gratefully acknowledges the reuse of some material he prepared for the Project Briefs section of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Defence Budget Brief 2011-2012.