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New Patrol Ships:
Three New large Frigate
sized Patrol Ships for the RDN granted
The final projecting of three new large patrol ships is
now underway, production can start, and the new ships will be ready for
commmissioning in 2010-2011
These new ships wil enable the RDN to
paticipate in a great number of different tasks, says the Admiral Danish Fleet,
these ships will be able to endure international operational tasks spending from
humanitarian missions to combat missions.
The latest design draft of the new patrol
ships, here seen with the Dutch guidance, surveillance and early warning systems,
APAR (fore) and SMART L (aft).
(Illustration by courtesy of the
Naval Material Command)
By Johnny E. Balsved
The Danish Defense Plan 2005-2009 included the
construction of three new frigate sized patrol ships for the Royal Danish Navy.
These ships are to replace the more than 25 years old corvettes of the
NIELS JUEL Class.
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On June 22, the Danish Parliament's Finance
Committee areto make its final approval to build these new ships for the Royal Danish
Navy.
Commissioning of these new large frigate sized
ships, together
with the two already built command and support ships of the
ABSALON Class, will highly increase the navy's ability to perform its
planned new inter-national tasks.
Large and Powerful
With a displacement of an estimated 6,200 tons,
the new patrol ships will have double the size of the last frigates in the RDN,
the frigates of the
PEDER SKRAM Class (1966-1990), and more than four times the size of
the corvettes, which they are intended to replace.
The patrol ships are to be built at the Odense
Steel Ship Yard at Lindoe, just like the command and support ships of the
ABSALON Class.
They will use the same hull as the
ABSALON Class, and the propulsion system will be almost the same, but
with 4 main engines,
giving the ship a maximum speed at around 28 knots.
The endurance will be 9,000 nautical miles at 15
knots, and the ship can hold the sea for around 30 days with-out additional
supplies, increasing its ability during international operations.
Network Operations
The weapons and communication systems on the
patrol ships will enable them to take part in modern network based
combined operations with other nations in the support of land and sea
operations.
The new ships wil have a state-of-the-art ability
to participate in air defense, strike and artillery support missions.
"These new ships will enable the RDN to paticipate
in a great number of different tasks", says the Admiral Danish Fleet, Rear
Admiral Nils Wang, |
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FACTS ON THE NEW
PATROL SHIPS: |
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Type:
Patrol Ship (frigate)
Number of units:
3
Years of Construction:
2007-2011
Dimensions:
Length: 138 m
Beam: 20 m
Draught: 6 m
Displacement:
6,200 tons
Complement:
Around 100 men
(accomodation for 160)
Armament:
1 -
127 mm Gun M/02
1-2 -
76 mm Gun M/85
1-2 -
35 mm
Gun M/04 (CIWS)
x - 12,7 mm Heavy Machine Guns
16 -
HARPOON SSM
Block II
24 -
Evolved Sea Sparrow
(ESSM) SAM's
1 - Mk 41 Multi missile launcher with 32 cells for long range SAM's etc.
2x2 -
Stinger
SAM Lv M/93
2x2 - Anti Submarine Torpedo Launchers (MU-90)
Speed:
28 knots
Range:
9,000 nautical miles at 15 knots |
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as he continues, "the ships will be able to endure
international operational tasks spending from humanitarian missions to combat
missions. For the first time in present history, the RDN will have on hand,
ships built for a global contribution".
The main weapons platform will be placed
amidship as here seen on the command and support ship
ABSALON,
but it will be larger, as it should also hold the Mk 41 Multi Missile
Launcher.
(Photo: Royal Danish Navy)
Armament
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The main weapons platform will be placed
amidship, as on the command and support ship of the
ABSALON Class. It will hold a number of flexible container positions
for the standard versions of containerized Harpoon and SeaSparrow missiles.
The weapons platform will be slightly larger,
as it should also hold the new Mk 41 Vertical Multi Missile Launcher planned
for the new patrol ships, giving them primarily a heavily increased air
defense capabilty.
The launcher has been chosen, but there has been no
decission on the type or types og long range missiles.
Main artillery will initially be a Danish
standard 76 mm Oto Melare in the A-position on the foredeck. This mount is
prepared for the quick installation of the 127 mm (5").
In the B-position is a 76 mm in the Danish
standard contanerized model, which makes it possible to quickly exchange the
B-position with a 35 mm CIWS, depending on the task.
One 35 mm Millenium CIWS will be placed in a
fixed mount on the top of the helicopter hangar, as is also the case on the
ABSALON Class.
The patrol ships will also be equipped with
MU90 anti submarine torpedoes, Stinger missiles for close-in air defense,
and a number of 12,7 mm (cal. 50) heavy machine guns.
Sensors
The total control and communication system
will be based on the C-Flex system from the Danish company Terma, a system
that is introduced as the standard command and control system in the RDN.
There has so far been made no final choice on
the primary surveilance and guidance systems, but it appears, that the final
choice will be either the Dutch APAR/SMART-L system or the
British/Australian SAMPSON/ CEAMOUNT system.
Both systems can deliver surveillance and early
warning out to a distance of app. 400 kilomtres, and at the same time
deliver guidance for a great number of air defense missiles (SM-2 and/or
ESSM) at the same time.
Besides from the main surveillance and guidance
sensors, the ships are also planned to be euipped with a number of active
and passsive electronic sensors to meet the newest requirements in modern
warfare.
It is also planned that the ships will be
equipped with a bow mounted sonar. |
A long range SM-2
Block III missile being launched from a US Nany vessel.
(Photo: U.S. Navy)
The APAR guidance system, here installed on the Royal
Dutch Navy frigate
DE ZEVEN PROVINCIEN, is one of the options for the new RDN frigates
(Photo:
Naval Technology) |
The SMART L surveillance and
early-warning radar, here installed on the Royal Dutch Navy frigate
DE ZEVEN PROVINCIEN, is one of the options for the new RDN frigates,
notice the hatch in the middle to judge the size of the radar.
(Photo:
Naval Technology)
Helicopter Platform
The patrol ships will be the first dedicated
combatants int the RDN being able to operate a helicopter from its helodeck aft.
The ships will have a hangar that can house an Agusta-Bell EH-101 Merlin
helicopter (Danish designation, EH-101 Joint Supporter).
The Royal Danish Air Force has already taken
delivery of the first eight of a total of 14 new EH-101 helicopters. The first
eight are primarily to be used for SAR (Search and Rescue) and the remaining six
will be equipped for tactical troops transport.
The Danish Defense Plan 2005-2009 also included
the acquiring of an addi-tional four helicopters in a maritime configuration for
use on the command and support ships of the
ABSALON Class and on the new patrol ships.
No final descission has been made on the type of
naval helicopters, but due to standardization, it seems most likely that the
maritime version of the EH-101 will be the choice for RDN.
The EH-101 Merlin, here in the Royal Navy
version, is also one of the options.
(Photo:
Agusta-Westland)
Total Expenditures over 4,7 Billions
The total cost of the three new patrol ship will
be in the surrounding of 4,7 billion Danish kroners (around US$ 800 millions),
which include 435 million dkr. already spend on the pre planning, and the
balance amount of 4,2 billions to be accepted by the Finance Committee.
The price tag does not include the future aquiring
of long range air defense missiles etc. This descission wil most likely be
included in the upcoming Defense Agreement after 2010.
Should the RDN descide to equip the ships with a
127 mm (5") gun, due to a change in the operational pattern; such a descission
would call for a new separate apporval.
Bearing in mind, that the expected lifetime of the
new ships are expected to be around 30 years, the total costs seems reasonable,
and far beyond those amounts used by other nations on new similar naval projects.
Helicopters for the patrol ships are not included,
as these helicopters are a separate part of the Defense Plan, and this
descission will be made during the upcoming year.
Time table
Final planning of the project will take place
during the coming year with an actual production start on the first ship planned
at October 16, 2007.
The production and delivery of the three new
patrol ships for the RDN will follow the below mentioned table:
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1st Ship |
2nd Ship |
3rd Ship |
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Production start |
10/16/2007 |
07/09/2008 |
01/26/2009 |
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Laying the keel |
09/01/2008 |
05/29/2009 |
03/05/2010 |
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Launching |
05/28/2009 |
03/04/2010 |
11/11/2010 |
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Naming |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
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Delivery from the shipyard |
07/20/2010 |
12/11/2010 |
08/07/2011 |
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Commissioning |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
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Fully operational |
01/01/2011 |
08/01/2011 |
02/01/2012 |
|To the Top
4Frigate
building in progress -
11/14/2008
4Frigate keel on station - 07/05/2008
4New
Patrol Ships - 06/24/2006
4
Patrol
Ships Project (2006) - 03/25/2006
4Patrol
ships project - 10/01/2005
4Frigate
like patrol ships - 02/24/2005
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