Does the Navy�s New, Shiny Frigate Have Enough Missiles?
[The National Interest]
July 12, 2019
Michael Peck
We take a look.
Does the Navy�s New, Shiny Frigate Have Enough Missiles?
The FFG(X) will only have 32 Mark 41 Vertical Launch System tubes, which are missile launchers � actually more like silos � embedded in the deck.
The U.S. Navy�s new frigate may not be armed with enough missiles to defeat Russian and Chinese warships, according to a new report.
FFG(X) is the Navy�s attempt to resurrect frigates, which are essentially small destroyers. The last frigates in the American fleet was the Cold War Oliver Hazard Perry class, which was retired by 2015. The Navy wants 20 of the new frigates, with the first acquired in late 2020. The Navy has asked for $1.3 billion in the FY2020 defense budget for the first vessel.
The Navy has not fixed on a design, though five American and European shipbuilders have offered their versions, which range from a trimaran hull to 6,000- and 7,000-ton vessels.
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"Haijun" means "navy" in Mandarin Chinese.
"You have enemies? Good. It means you stood up for something in your life."- Winston Churchill
And then the next article will ask why they do not have 64 cells, then 96, then 128 etc. And then, for some strange reason, there will be the question why the price of the ships was rising dramatically...
I wonder why this question is not asked of LCS? Surely it is lacking the armament it needs to carry out its tasks? LCS production should obviously be stopped straight away and the USN should get on with the FFX.
Why is this taking so long? They are buying an off the shelf frigate of proven design and all the equipment is presumably ready for production so just make a choice and get on with it!
In 1757 Admiral John Byng was shot "pour encourager les autres". Voltaire
The contract for the FFG(X) are scheduled to be finished in 2020, i.e. only in 2020 the ships will be ordered.
The program is completely in time. The US Navy had decided NOT to order an existing design, but will order a design based on existing parent design, but with significant changes. E.g. the design derived from the Italian FREMM deviates strikingly from its parent design, different bow shape, different mast etc. etc.
For sure, if there are constantly new requirements, the program will be delayed. Already the number of VLS cells was upgraded from 16 to 32 and apparently also the requirements regarding the hull strength and damage resistance were increased (causing the Freedom class-derived design to be withdrawn).
Judging from the size of the F-100- and FREMM-derived designs (and the number of VLS cells of their parent designs), it could possible to increase the number of VLS cells if needed without making the hull larger. To limit the number of VLS cells installed limits the costs.
Thanks for the clarification Maxim. However, that method of procuring warships makes even less sense to me. I am sure the USN is capable of designing a frigate by themselves, but they decided to take an existing ship to speed up the process and save money on designing a totally new ship and then tinker with it to fit their requirements. Okay, fair enough.
But the process goes on and on and we are more than half way through 2019 and they have not even selected the parent design yet to begin the task of altering it.
Once they start tinkering with it I wonder how much time and money will actually have been saved by this process?
In 1757 Admiral John Byng was shot "pour encourager les autres". Voltaire
No, the designs are now altered to the requirements, see e.g. the report above about strengthening the hull of the FREMM-derived design.
In 2020 the ships are scheduled to be ordered - to a then finalized design. In 2018 the US Navy had already chosen five designs and gave orders to those companies to develop their designs according to the requirements.
Perhaps I am too cynical but I will be amazed if there is no delay due to last minute alterations to the finals design. The FREMM ship is almost unrecognizable in its US configuration!
In 1757 Admiral John Byng was shot "pour encourager les autres". Voltaire
It could be that the program can be delayed, e.g. by new changes.
It is really amazing. The USN version of FREMM is so different from the Italian and French ships! That makes is for sure more interesting for modellers
Pentagon proposal cuts an FFG(X) and an attack submarine out of the budget
By: David B. Larter ? 4 days ag
LANSDALE, Pa.� A small but potentially significant change in the Pentagon�s five-year budget projection slows down the buying profile for the U.S. Navy�s new frigate, which is expected to be awarded in 2020, according to a memo from the White House�s Office of Management and Budget to the Department of Defense obtained by Defense News. The Navy�s 30-year shipbuilding plan submitted to Congress with the 2020 budget showed the Navy planned to buy one FFG(X) in 2020, then it had planned to buy two every year until 2030, when it would buy the last of the planned 20-ship program. That would mean the next future-year defense program, or FYDP, in the 2021 budget would be for 10 FFG(X).
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"Haijun" means "navy" in Mandarin Chinese.
"You have enemies? Good. It means you stood up for something in your life."- Winston Churchill
Here�s the timeline for the US Navy�s next-generation frigate
By: David B. Larter ? 1 day ago
A rendering of the FFG(X) from Austal USA, one of the competitors for the next-generation frigate. (Image Courtesy of Austal USA)
WASHINGTON � The Navy is expected to buy its first next-generation frigate in the coming months, so here�s what the next few years are going to look like in FFG(X)-land, according to budget documents released Monday.
The Navy plans to award the frigate design and construction award to one of the competitors in July, the documents say.
The competitors for FFG(X) are Fincantieri�s FREMM design; General Dynamics Bath Iron Works and Navantia�s F-100 variant, which is roughly equivalent to a small Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. Many observers think Huntington Ingalls Industries will offer an up-gunned version of the National Security Cutter; and Austal USA�s frigate version of its aluminum-hulled Independence-class littoral combat ship.
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"Haijun" means "navy" in Mandarin Chinese.
"You have enemies? Good. It means you stood up for something in your life."- Winston Churchill
The US Navy�s FFG(X) could be awarded sooner than expected
By: David B. Larter ? 2 hours ago
WASHINGTON � The U..S Navy�s next-generation frigate could be awarded within the next few months, earlier than expected, the service�s top civilian said Friday.
Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly told conservative radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt that he had tasked Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition James Geurts to look at accelerating the award of the first ship, which was slated for this fall. �The plan was to try and do it in the latter part of this year,� Modly told Hewitt. �I�ve asked [Geurts] to try and accelerate that earlier, and he�s looking into the possibilities for doing that.
�But obviously, you know, we have acquisition rules, and we want to make sure that we do this in the proper way.�
(...SNIPPED)
"Haijun" means "navy" in Mandarin Chinese.
"You have enemies? Good. It means you stood up for something in your life."- Winston Churchill
Thanks Roberto. A much more handsome ship than the US version!
But I meant that it is US practice to fit the 5 inch gun to their major surface combatants and these frigates are intended for a general purpose role which should include naval gunfire, so it is odd to select a much smaller, shorter ranged (I assume) weapon.
In 1757 Admiral John Byng was shot "pour encourager les autres". Voltaire
The OHP had no space for a larger gun, the new ships would have it. I assume that they have chosen the cheaper gun, which is also already in production for the LCS and the Legend class cutters.
The 57mm is much faster firing (220 rds/min versus ~30/min for the 5"), which makes it better for traditional frigate escort missions where you're defending against enemy missiles or small boats. The only real benefit of a 5" is longer range gunfire support on land, which isn't what the frigate's really aimed at.
