Turkey’s STM offers FAC-55 missile boat to Pakistan

[The SC]

The STM FAC-55.
Daily News
Nov 27, 2016

With the Pakistan Navy seeking four to six new fast attack craft (FAC) missile boats, the Turkish shipbuilder Savunma Teknolojileri Mühendislik ve Ticaret A.Ş. (STM) is offering its newly unveiled FAC-55.

The Turkish news outlet Deniz Haber Ajansi reports that the STM FAC-55 was showcased in Karachi during the International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS), and had attracted interest from Pakistan and a few other countries.

With a top speed of 55 knots (102 km/h), STM designed the FAC-55 to exhibit several capabilities typically found in larger corvettes, such as STM’s Ada-class. For example, the FAC-55 appears to be armed with at least four (potentially eight) anti-ship missiles (AShM) and Thales SMART-S Mk2 radar.

STM added that it is in touch with the Pakistan Navy on the FAC-55 and the MILGEM. At IDEAS, STM said that it hopes to finalize a MILGEM order with Pakistan in 2017.

Notes & Comments:

Pakistan is seeking four to six FACs to protect the Gwadar deep-sea port. In addition to policing, the FACs will also be armed with AShMs, which will allow the Navy to use them as part of its anti-access and area denial (A2/AD) efforts in time of war.

As noted earlier, the selection could comprise of ships emphasized for speed, endurance, or both.

Seeing that STM is showcasing the FAC-55 with the SMART-S Mk2 radar, which can provide surveillance coverage of up to 250 km, it appears that the FAC is being positioned as something analogous to the Finnish Hamina-class FAC. The 250-ton Hamina-class FAC is capable of anti-ship warfare (AShW) as well as short-range air defence, which is done via the Denel Umkhonto-IR surface-to-air missile (SAM).

Granted, the FAC-55 design does not include a SAM solution, but the notion of configuring it with one or at least a point-defence missile system (PDMS) such as the Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) or its Chinese analogue the FL-3000N is plausible. On the other hand, or in tandem, one could potentially configure the ship with electronic support measures equipment, which can be used to monitor nearby radar activity. Alternatively, the end-user could opt for a much less complex (and less costly) configuration, one focused on patrolling littoral waters and, in time of war, deploy AShMs.

In any case, the FAC-55 platform has considerable potential in terms of capability. In terms of the hull in of itself, the FAC-55 benefits from retractable AShM-launchers, which helps the FAC-55 maintain a smaller radar cross-section (RCS). Its superstructure appears to comprise of composite materials, helping with RCS reduction. The FAC-55’s displacement is 535-tons (C4Defense).

http://quwa.org/2016/11/27/turkeys-stm-offers-fac-55-missile-boat-to-pakistan/

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

sure why not

 

[Rashid Mahmood]

Milgem II will probably be acquired.

 

[Hakikat ve Hikmet]

The only staffs left to be offered are Borek and Manti from my Mahalle Teyze!!!

Borek: something like lasagna
Manti: something like rivoli
Teyze: Aunt

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

FAC-55
17-20 of these fast attack boats can play a important role specially in trade areas to protect against pirates

We do still have to get the Corvettes & Frigates orders filled but the Missile boats are
vital asset to safe guard our assets

 

[graphican]

Thats pretty stealthy design. Good on Turks and Good on Pakistan!

 

[The SC]

Innovatively designed, Fast Attack Craft, ‘FAC-55’, was introduced by STM in Qatar and Azerbaijan earlier this year and drew great interest at the IDEAS 2016 Defense Fair in Pakistan. Designed completely in Turkey by STM, FAC-55 impresses with her warfare capabilities.

The monohull vessel, FAC-55, designed by STM under the Turkish Naval Forces Fast Attack Craft Project, has made its debut in Pakistan. STM, which implemented the ‘Navy Fleet Replenishment Ship and ‘Submarine Modernization Project’ with the Pakistani Naval Force and has appended its signature to successful projects in brother country Pakistan, has drawn interest from the Pakistani Naval Forces with its new high speed Fast Attack Craft, ‘FAC-55’, which was completely designed nationally, like the MİLGEM Corvettes.

Goes beyond 55 knots…

With its capabilities like Corvettes, the FAC-55’s innovative design, goes one step further than similar platforms in the World, especially with its superior surface warfare effectiveness. It conforms to international standards with its gas turbine propulsion system and has the features of a mono-hull warship. Reaching speeds beyond 55 knots on the sea, the displacement weight of this new type of fast attack craft is approximately 535 tonnes.

After two years of continuous design work and test results, the FAC-55 has displayed a performance beyond expectations and will be a strong candidate for the Turkish Naval Forces Fast Attack Craft Project in the near future.

While already being the subject of interest in Pakistan, the FAC-55 is also being followed with great interest by other countries.


http://www.defense-aerospace.com/ar...ish-fast-attack-craft-tests-world-market.html

 

[The Eagle]

So, these type of boats were discussed w.r.t. Gwadar Security and FACs.

 

[monitor]

SMART-S Mk2, Thales’s latest 3D multibeam radar, operates in S-band and is optimised for medium-to-long-range surveillance and target designation in littoral environments.

E/F-band
SMART-S Mk2 is the naval 3D air and surface surveillance radar operating in E/F-band. The multi-beam concept creates a long time-on-target resulting in excellent performance over the whole coverage. Pulse-Doppler processing enables fast target track initiation and stealth target detection, even in a cluttered environment. The use of solid-state transmitters extends the system reliability and allows for graceful degradation.

The latter consisting of a mix of sea, land, islands, coastal rains and thunderstorms and a multiple of radar targets including small surface targets, helicopters and anti-ship missiles. Furthermore, SMART-S Mk2 is designed to match the full performance of surface to air missiles (SAM), such as the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM). SMART-S Mk2 is extremely suitable as the main air and surface surveillance radar in a one radar concept for light frigates, corvettes and ships such as Landing Platform Docks (LPD).
Superior littoral performance


With its 2 main modes, 250-km range, special helicopter mode, surface fire channels, easy installation, high reliability and easy maintainability, SMART-S Mk2 is again a step forward in Thales’s radar development. SMART-S Mk2 is very succesful. At present, over 50 systems were sold to navies all over the world. They will be installed on new ships as well as on older vessels that are being modernized.

Main features

• Multi-beam with full Doppler processing within each beam
• Dedicated Doppler channel for surface targets
• Fully automatic detection and tracking of air and surface targets
• Dedicated ECCM techniques
• Multipath suppression using beams under the horizon
• Graceful degradation due to multiple solid-state transmitters

Documents

• Datasheet SMART-S Mk2

 

[Imad.Khan]

In my opinion, having 20-30 FACs is better than having 3-4 frigates. As long as these FAC can carry anti-ship missiles. They can be used in a wolf pack strategy where they come in fast, fire its missiles and speed away. Best for defending against enemy ships approaching your shores.

For offensive strategy submarines can be used

 

[Bilal Khan 777]

Milgem II will probably be acquired.

likely.

 

[Khafee]

Having dedicated aircrafts, with a combat radius of at least 600km radius, and decent loiter time, is what is missing.

 

[Tsar Bomba]

Having dedicated aircrafts, with a combat radius of at least 600km radius, and decent loiter time, is what is missing.

Inflight refuelling probably in their minds but pNS need at least 36 heavy dual engine jets to fill this gap.

 

[Muhammad Omar]

Milgem II will probably be acquired.

Milgem II is a Corvette right?

 

[Khafee]

Inflight refuelling probably in their minds but pNS need at least 36 heavy dual engine jets to fill this gap.

If PAF could get 3 to 4 squadrons of twins, it would change the dynamics of South Asia.

2 squadrons dedicated for PN.