Internationale ontwikkelingen maritiem

[Harald]

Norway Seeks International Partners For Future Frigate

The Royal Norwegian Navy (RNoN) is looking for international naval and industrial partners to help deliver and support its prospective future frigates.

In June 2023, the Norwegian Ministry of Defence published The Military Advice of the Chief of Defence 2023, in which General Eirik Kristoffersen (Chief of Defence) recommended that Norway replace the RNoN's in-service Fridtjof Nansen-class frigates and increase the force level to six ships.

The RNoN currently operates four Fridtjof Nansen frigates. HNoMS Helge Ingstad – fourth in the five-ship class – was scrapped following a 2018 collision with a tanker off Bergen, when the frigate sustained major damage.

Delivering a new frigate likely will be central to the government's long-term plan to build a new surface force structure within a wider fleet renewal programme, Rear Admiral Oliver Berdal, the RNoN's Chief of Navy, told Naval News.

The complexity of the evolving threat at sea, plus wider regional and global instability, is driving a focus on co-operative capability for acquisition and sustainment, Rear Adm Berdal explained. When presenting its long-term plan to parliament, which is scheduled to happen in 2024, the government likely will emphasize the need to deliver the future frigate through partnership, he added.

Particularly, the RNoN does not wish to be the only navy operating that frigate type, Rear Adm Berdal explained. "I think a partnership is essential: we will not build a frigate alone."

In acquisition and build terms, the admiral continued, the aim will most likely be to "jump into a production line and end up with the same ship that navy is building". The intent will be to develop a frigate as close to 100% identical as possible with the partner's platform, he said.

"Ideally, the more identical the better, for synergies and economies of scale. Any difference in design or system terms will increase the cost, not only in acquisition, but also life cycle,"
"There might be some differences, but they should be kept to a minimum. That is the essence of partnering."

Rear Admiral Oliver Berdal, RNoN's Chief of Navy

Partnering could extend to major refits. Mid-life upgrades, for example, could be carried out where the ship was built, said Rear Adm Berdal. While routine maintenance should take place in Norway to ensure national industrial involvement and to enhance operational availability and readiness, this maintenance work could be supported through partnering, too.

"We have to get the balance right .... My interest is in the effect and total output," said Rear Adm Berdal. "Whatever model suggests the best possible way is what I will be championing."

In operational terms, while the RNoN's overall requirement is for a multidomain frigate covering anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare, and land-attack roles, "for Norway, the most important point is that the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability is good," said Rear Adm Berdal. Here, he explained, the increase in threat in the RNoN's areas of operation means the navy needs more ASW capability now than it has had at any point over the last 30 years.

"The ASW threat is increasing. Modern, capable submarines are very hard to find, track, and defeat,"
"To counter this threat, we need to fully utilize new technology, ranging from enhanced performance on traditional ASW sensors, to using artificial intelligence [and] unmanned systems in all domains, and combining the best of all available technologies to succeed."

Rear Admiral Oliver Berdal

Increasing the frigate force to six will also bolster future ASW capability. Adding platform capacity will enhance Norway's ability to secure its significant coastline and regional patrol areas, while supporting its global maritime interests (which include substantial oil and gas exports, plus one of the world's largest shipping fleets). "There is much to protect and much to defend," said Rear Adm Berdal. "The RNoN must be capable of securing Norway and Norwegian interests, as well as contributing to NATO and freedom of navigation at sea. These tasks will not go away: on the contrary, at the moment the need seems to be increasing."

Partnering again will be important for the RNoN in generating operational output, including for training and deployments. Here, Rear Adm Berdal highlighted the RNoN's close relationship with the UK Royal Navy (RN). "This relationship has been very strong and important for the RNoN," he said.

Nonetheless, currently the RNoN has no set partner for delivering the frigates. "When it comes to a potential future partnership ... the government will have to conduct a thorough analysis of several important aspects to ensure the potential future frigate procurement meets the goals and gives Norway the best possible frigates in the best possible partnership," said Rear Adm Berdal. "At this point in time, it is too early to make any qualified assessments on various partners."

Currently, there is no set deadline for delivering the future frigates either. There are several steps to take over several years prior to setting any deadline, Rear Adm Berdal explained. These steps include receiving parliamentary approval for the long-term plan, establishing the potential procurement plan as a formal project, and maturing work to the point of completing external quality review to demonstrate project readiness for execution prior to seeking further parliamentary approval. Meanwhile, the Fridtjof Nansen frigates will undergo refit to ensure they can remain operational and capable until the new frigates arrive, the Chief said.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2024/01/norway-seeks-international-partners-for-future-frigate/#prettyPhoto

[Harald]

US Navy Conducting SPY-6 Full Rate Production Market Research

The US Navy is conducting market research looking at various procurement strategies for its SPY AN/SPY-6 family of radars.


Two SPY-6(V)1 arrays in Raytheon's Radar Development Facility in Andover, Massachusetts. Currently in LRIP, an RFP for full rate production is expected to come out in 2020.

A Request for Information (RFI) issued by the Naval Sea System Command (NAVSEA) on the 5th of this month, states that "the Government is evaluating procurement strategies, including winner-take-all, "Leader-Challenger", and/or GFE breakouts of LRUs or subsystems as a separate contract(s)."

The service is conducting this market research ahead of competitively awarded full-rate production contract(s) that the service plans to issue in FY26.

According to the RFI, the Navy will provide a Technical Data Package (TDP) containing the instructions to build the SPY-6 hardware as Government Furnished Information (GFI). The RFI also states that software development, software and system integration and test, and software maintenance are not covered under this RFI and will be competed separately.

According to the announcement, the US Navy expects to buy 30 SPY-6 shipsets between FY26 and FY30. Furthermore, the RFI states that the Navy is looking to capture potential Foreign Military Sales (FMS) in this contract.

As such, there is potential for extra unit options to be awarded. These options will comprise up to 3 additional (V)1 units per year (not likely to exceed 9 added units total), up to 3 (V)4 units per year (not likely to exceed 6 added units total) and up to 2 (V)3 units per year (not likely to exceed 5 added units total).

If exercised, this would bring the number of potential SPY-6 orders between FY26 to FY30 to 72 shipsets, and not-to-exceed quantity of 81 shipsets.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2024/01/us-navy-conducting-spy-6-full-rate-production-market-research/#prettyPhoto

[Harald]

Eerder is gesproken over een samenwerking met andere landen dan Duitsland, waaronder Noorwegen en Denemarken. De Denen moeten op den duur ook vervangers vinden voor hun Iver Huitfeldt-klasse, al kan die nog wel even mee. De huidige Deense fregatten hebben tevens Smart-L en APAR. Een samenwerking kan voor de nodige economies of scale zorgen.

Zo niet, dan is het op z'n minst interessant om te zien waarmee de Denen zelf komen, de Iver Huitfeld's zelf zijn interessante schepen, helemaal voor de prijs. Edit: zelfde geldt overigens voor de Spanjaarden en de F100-klasse, die is tegen 2030 ook aan vervanging toe. Samenwerking met Nederland is hoogst onwaarschijnlijk, maar desondanks interessant waarmee men op de proppen komt.

Ja en nee, als dat kijken naar wat andere landen willen een vertraging voor onze vervanging tot gevolg heeft.. dan zeg ik nee.

Maar is voor mij ook nog weer afhankelijk van de modernisering van de LCF-en, aks alle 4 compleet aan gepakt worden, zoals eens eerdere besproken, dan is het de overweging waard om dan te wachten en te kijken waar dan andere landen mee komen en of er een samenwerking inzit.

Maar over het algemeen is stilstand (wachten) achteruitgang.

[Jellington]

Laten we idd hopen dat er wel doorgepakt wordt en dat Damen/COMMIT hun eigen weg gaan zonder Duitsland. Natuurlijk kunnen, moeten we ook wel meekijken naar wat Damen voor ontwerp, ideeën heeft in de F127 programma.

Eerder is gesproken over een samenwerking met andere landen dan Duitsland, waaronder Noorwegen en Denemarken. De Denen moeten op den duur ook vervangers vinden voor hun Iver Huitfeldt-klasse, al kan die nog wel even mee. De huidige Deense fregatten hebben tevens Smart-L en APAR. Een samenwerking kan voor de nodige economies of scale zorgen.

Zo niet, dan is het op z'n minst interessant om te zien waarmee de Denen zelf komen, de Iver Huitfeld's zelf zijn interessante schepen, helemaal voor de prijs. Edit: zelfde geldt overigens voor de Spanjaarden en de F100-klasse, die is tegen 2030 ook aan vervanging toe. Samenwerking met Nederland is hoogst onwaarschijnlijk, maar desondanks interessant waarmee men op de proppen komt.

[Harald]

Lang kan het kan het eerste concept niet meer op zich laten wachten gezien een blik op de agenda.

Laten we idd hopen dat er wel doorgepakt wordt en dat Damen/COMMIT hun eigen weg gaan zonder Duitsland. Natuurlijk kunnen, moeten we ook wel meekijken naar wat Damen voor ontwerp, ideeën heeft in de F127 programma.

[jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter)]

Helaas...     zal dat nog wel ff duren, denk ik. Maar idd ik ben ook erg benieuwd.
Ik hoop eigenlijk ook dat er een "Omega" look saus er overheen gegoten wordt.

Lang kan het kan het eerste concept niet meer op zich laten wachten gezien een blik op de agenda.

[Parera]

Volgens mij doet de LST-100 van Damen er niet voor onder

Dat klopt zeker, al vind ik de H260 qua looks wel veel beter dan de LST-100.

Maar overall is het niet echt een bijzonder landingsvaartuig, maar wel een interessante gedachte. Ook als ik naar NL kijk waarbij we het LCVP en LCU de komende jaren gaan vervangen door lichtere schepen. Door het vervangen van de LPD's door de LPX komt ook een ''zwaar landingsvaartuig'' mogelijk in beeld vergelijkbaar met dit.

Met 8000 sq ft (743 m2) aan vrachtruimte kijk je meer naar een LST-120 maar ik ga er vanuit dat dit ook de gecombineerde vrachtruimte is (RoRo + stores). Bij een LST-100 komt dit al in totaal uit op 1300 m2 (575 m2 RoRo, 440 m2 vracht, 250 m2 voorraden & 35 m2 munitie) wat overeenkomt met bijna 14000 sq ft.

Mogelijk krijgen we in de toekomst dan ook een klein aantal (3 tot 6) zware landingsvaartuigen naast de LPX'en voor het aan land zetten van zware ondersteunende eenheden van de KL zoals artillerie of tanks.

[Benji87]

The Irish ship will likely be similar to the Dutch HNLMS Karel Doorman. Alamy Stock Photo

State moves closer to purchase of €200m multi-role ship that will be largest in navy's history

The multi-role vessel will have medical facilities, a helicopter landing area as well as other facilities to manage large-scale incidents.

THE PURCHASE OF the Irish Navy's biggest ship in its history which will respond to humanitarian crises is set to move a step forward as information documents are to be issued across an EU platform.

The project has been in planning in the Department of Defence for many years but stepped up a gear with the recent Commission on the Defence Forces.

Sources have said the ship is anticipated to have a helicopter landing area on board as well as other possible facilities such as a roll-on-roll-off facility for vehicles like the Defence Forces armoured personnel carriers.

The ship would be capable of responding to major disasters and humanitarian crises – similar vessels have also been involved in the rescue of civilians from warzones.

It is also anticipated that there will be a large medical facility onboard and specialist command and control systems for large-scale incidents.

The project will cost an estimated €200m however it is understood that the exact cost will not be decided on until the completion of the tender process.

The Department of Defence was contacted for a statement.

A Government source has confirmed that there will be a release of documents in regard to the tender process for the project in the coming days. Known as a Prior Information Notice it will be examined by prospective builders.

Minister for Defence and Foreign Affairs, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said in the Dáil last year that the ship would replace the LÉ Eithne, which was the former flagship of the Irish Naval Service.

He said "it is a priority" for the Government and that it is "an important element of the Defence Equipment Development Plan".

Funding for the project, he said, would be drawn from major capital projects budget.

"It is the Government's intention that this new vessel will provide a flexible and adaptive capability for a wide range of maritime tasks," he said.

Sources, with a knowledge of the planning process, said that officials had spoken to several shipbuilding firms across Europe and wider afield either formally or informally.

It is understood that a number of those firms are likely to make their interest in construction known. With a potential date of completion hoped for 2025.

A source also stated that there will likely be an effort to award the build of the ship to a European firm with a dockyard in Poland the most likely location if the State opts for one of the EU companies.

It is understood that British ship builder, Babcock which previously built a number of patrol ships for the Irish Naval Service would be a potential builder. Their offering would likely be their Arrowhead MRV.

In November of last year Janes, a defence industry news website, reported Dutch firm Damen was awarded a contract to build an identical MRV-style ship for the Portuguese navy.

The contract would see that ship, the D Joao II, enter service in the second half of 2026.

Dutch officials had met their Irish counterparts on board the HNLMS Karel Doorman which visited Cork Harbour in November 2022. This included the landing of an Irish Air Corps helicopter on the huge vessel.

There are other options for the state including a Danish ship building firm and a South Korean yard which has built tide-class resupply vessels for the British navy.

A security source said news of the tender process beginning would be welcomed but that the Government would have to be consider more vessels to ensure the ship is available at all times.

This would be in keeping with the Commission on the Defence Forces recommendation of a enlarged naval service which is currently struggling with a staffing and retention crisis which has enabled just two ships to go to sea.

A source said: "With the changing sea conditions in the North Atlantic due to climate change and the growing need for sealift capabilities in both humanitarian operations like those under way in Gaza and Sudan, next years updated-White Paper on Defence could well establish the need for additional multi-role vessels.

"A minimum of two vessels would be required to ensure that at least one is available to the State for most of the year."

That is slowly changing with the Government's funding for greater pay for sailors. 

Bron: https://www.thejournal.ie/irish-defence-forces-irish-naval-service-multi-role-vessel-6274245-Jan2024/

[bergd]

USMC Taps Birdon Group To Develop Heavy Landing Craft

Australian maritime engineering company Birdon has been selected by the USMC for "test and evaluation" of its H260 Heavy Landing Craft. The H260 design features some striking similarities with the Landing Ship Medium (LSM) project.

../..

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2024/01/usmc-taps-birdon-group-to-develop-heavy-landing-craft/#prettyPhoto

Volgens mij doet de LST-100 van Damen er niet voor onder

[Parera]

Helaas...     zal dat nog wel ff duren, denk ik. Maar idd ik ben ook erg benieuwd.
Ik hoop eigenlijk ook dat er een "Omega" look saus er overheen gegoten wordt.

Het kan twee kanten op gaan voor het AWWF:
- Een opgeschaalde ASWF romp/ontwerp
- Een variant op het F-126 / Omega ontwerp

Zo nu en dan hoor ik wel eens een gerucht voorbij komen maar echt 100% bevestiging heb ik op dit moment nog niet qua ontwerp. Bij de geplande samenwerking met Duitsland was het voor de hand liggend dat we kozen voor het F-126 als basis, maar nu is dat misschien wel helemaal van tafel.

[Harald]

Ik ben dan ook zeer benieuwd naar het eerste concept ontwerp we het publieke domein haalt... Ik ga nog steeds uit van een vergroot ASWF van 7000 ton+ en
rond de 160 meter met 2 eilanden en 2 VLS posities (minimaal 64 maar vermoedelijk meer).

Helaas...     zal dat nog wel ff duren, denk ik. Maar idd ik ben ook erg benieuwd.
Ik hoop eigenlijk ook dat er een "Omega" look saus er overheen gegoten wordt.

[jurrien visser (JuVi op Twitter)]

Zo goed bewapend zijn deze KDDX'en niet hoor, slechts 32 VLS cellen + 16 grotere cellen voor ballistische raketten.

Laat COMMIT & Damen maar rustig haar gang gaan met het AWWF en dan weet ik zeker dat er een prachtig ontwerp komt 

Mee eens!

Daarnaast, we hebben een reputatie hoog te houden immers zowel de GW's als haar opvolgers waren/zijn vooruitstrevende ontwerpen en voor haar klasse is het huidige LCF goed bewapend.

Ik ben dan ook zeer benieuwd naar het eerste concept ontwerp we het publieke domein haalt... Ik ga nog steeds uit van een vergroot ASWF van 7000 ton+ en rond de 160 meter met 2 eilanden en 2 VLS posities (minimaal 64 maar vermoedelijk meer).

[Parera]

Misschien Damen deze Destroyers in licentie laten bouwen als vervanger voor het LCF dan hebben we meteen de GK 2.0 erbij.

Zo goed bewapend zijn deze KDDX'en niet hoor, slechts 32 VLS cellen + 16 grotere cellen voor ballistische raketten.

Laat COMMIT & Damen maar rustig haar gang gaan met het AWWF en dan weet ik zeker dat er een prachtig ontwerp komt 

[Master Mack]

Misschien Damen deze Destroyers in licentie laten bouwen als vervanger voor het LCF dan hebben we meteen de GK 2.0 erbij.

[Harald]

HHI Completes Basic Design Of The Korean Next Gen Destroyer KDDX (    met 2x CIWS GK opvolger)

On December 27, 2023, South Korea's HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) announced the completion of the basic design for Korea's next-generation destroyer KDDX.



HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) recently held a ceremony to mark the completion of the basic design for the KDDX at its Ulsan headquarters. The basic design contract for the KDDX was awarded to HHI by South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) in 2020, which took 3 years to complete. The KDDX, a cutting-edge naval vessel of the Republic of Korea's Navy, features indigenous detection and combat systems.

According to HD HHI, its capabilities are on par with the ROK Navy's most advanced destroyer equipped with the Aegis Combat System, the 'King Jeong-jo the Great' (KDX-III Batch-II). Launched in 2022, the 'King Jeong-jo the Great' is currently undergoing trials and is expected to be delivered by the end of the year. Marking a significant milestone, the KDDX is the first destroyer built entirely using domestic technology. This encompasses everything from its hull structure to the combat system, including state-of-the-art multi-function radars and a range of armaments. Its construction represents the pinnacle of the Republic of Korea's naval combat vessel technology.



During MADEX 2023 HHI showcased a mock design of the KDDX stating system integration and technological advancement as the main keywords of the design. As the first warship to utilize a full electric propulsion system powered by two gas turbine generators and three diesel generators, it is equipped with a 25MW extra-large propulsion electric motor. The powerful propulsion system along with an abundant number of generators is to allow the KDDX to sufficiently utilize the surplus energies across the various systems of the ship as well as leave possibilities to accommodate future directed-energy weapon systems such as lasers.

The KDDX is equipped with Hanwha Systems' integrated mast (I-MAST), which features a "Dual-Band Multi-Function Radar." This radar system consists of two radars operating simultaneously. The S-band radar is utilized for long-range air defense targets and ballistic missile detection and tracking, while the X-band radar is employed for short-range air defense targets and surface target detection and tracking. With the inclusion of the I-MAST and electric propulsion system, the KDDX aims to achieve reduced RCS (Radar Cross Section) and decreased underwater radiated noise, thereby enhancing its survivability against enemy submarines and radar detection.

In terms of weapon systems, the KDDX will be equipped with a Mk 45 5-inch main gun, two CIWS-II systems, eight anti-ship missiles (potentially the C-Star by LIG NEX 1), as well as KVLS-I and KVLS-II to accommodate the new naval version of the L-SAM (함대공유도탄-II). L-SAM will provide greater air defense and cruise missile interception capabilities to the fleet. For anti-submarine warfare, KDDX incorporated an integrated sonar system composed of Hull-Mounted Sonar (HMS) at the vessel's bow and Multi-Function Towed Array (MFTA), and a Low-Frequency Projector Array (LFPA) at the rear.

The recent update to the KDDX's basic design, as reported by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), includes the implementation of a 'manpower-reduction platform.' This development responds to the Republic of Korea's growing concerns over a shortage of military service-age population. To address this, advanced automation technologies have been incorporated. These include automated ammunition handling systems, a smart bridge, and a state-of-the-art navigational assistance system based on autonomous navigation technology.

Furthermore, HD HHI's efforts to automate parts of the vessel continue, as evidenced by the completion of the concept design for the ROK Navy's future Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) last year which will greatly reduce the number of crews required through AI. Park Yong-Yeol, Senior Managing Director of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' Naval & Special Ships Business Division, said, "HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has been dedicatedly working, based on over 50 years of experience in leading the development of naval ships for the Navy and a strong sense of mission to complete the development of Korean-type naval vessels." He added, "Based on this basic design, the KDDX will become the flagship of the K-ship, writing a new chapter in the history of the Republic of Korea's naval shipbuilding industry."

The total cost of the program is estimated at 5.8 billion USD, with plans for the acquisition of six vessels by the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy by 2036. These vessels are intended to reinforce the Maritime Task Flotilla Seven, which serves as the main fleet of the ROK Navy. This year, the KDDX is scheduled to undergo detailed design, followed by the signing of the lead ship construction contract

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2024/01/hhi-completes-basic-design-of-the-korean-next-gen-destroyer-kddx/