F-22 Frigate arrives in Karachi

ironman · Sep 16, 2009

F-22P FFG Deliveries To Pakistan Begin

The Pakistan Navy’s (PN) first of four 2,250-tonne F-22P Sword-class guided-missile frigates (FFG), named PNS Zulfiqar (F251), was formally delivered on July 30 at the shipyard of China State Shipbuilding Corp’s (CSSC) Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co Ltd in Shanghai. The FFG had been launched on April 7, 2008 during a ceremony witnessed by the PN’s then Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Afzal Tahir. The second F-22P—PNS Shamsheer (F252)—which was launched on October 31 last year from CSSC’s Yard 252, is now getting ready for sea trials. The third F-22P FFG, named PNS Saif, is scheduled for launch on November 4 from CSSC’s Yard 253. The first three FFGs are being built in Shanghai, while the fourth will be fabricated by Pakistan’s state-owned Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KSEW) under a technology transfer agreement. It may be recalled that on April 4, 2005 a Letter of Intent was inked in Shanghai between Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence Production and China’s state-owned CSSC calling for the PN to acquire four F-22P FFGs along with six Harbin Z-9EC shipborne ASW helicopters. The formal contract worth US$750 million was inked in Rawalpindi on July 11 the same year. The first F-22P FFG will be commissioned later this month, followed by PNS Shamsheer early next year. The last FFG will be ready by 2013.

The multipurpose F-22P—an improved version of the CSSC-developed Type 053H3 Jiangwei 2-class light FFG—has a length of 118 metres, beamwidth of 13.2 metres, draught of 3.5 metres, and has a maximum cruise speed of 29 Knots. Each F-22P will be armed with a 76mm single-barrel main gun, plus eight 180km-range CPMIEC-built Yingji-82/C-802A ‘Eagle Strike’ anti-ship cruise missiles, twin 30mm six-barrelled Type 730 close-in weapon systems, and twin triple-tube ASW torpedo launchers. The principal on-board radar is the YLC-8A VHF-band 320km-range air search radar, followed by a LR-66 X-band surface search radar coupled with DLD-100A monopulse SSR 460km-range air search radar, and twin I-band MR-34 fire-control radars for the CPMIEC-built HHQ-7N SHORADS. Other on-board electronic hardware includes one MR-35 I-band fire-control radar for the 76mm main gun, a CLK-3 radar data extractor, X-band CLC-7B marine navigation radar with 50km-range. JZ/XW629D IFF, NRJ-5 and HZ-100 ESM suites, Seawatch naval countermeasures dispensers, SEC-35 HF and SEC-83 VHF/UHF radio encryptors, and a MFA-01B voice/data multiplexer. The combat management system and integrated platform management system will be supplied by China’s CETC International.

The F-22P FFG’s helicopter deck will host both a Z-9C helicopter as well an APID-55 vertical takeoff and landing UAV, built by Sweden’s CybAero AB. The VTOL-UAV can carry an optronic payload of up to 20kg/44lb. It has a maximum take of weight of 160kg/352lb. The APID-55’s flight control system guides it, including the start-up and landing functions, without assistance from any operator. With the assistance of an inertial navigation sensor, a GPS receiver and a couple of other sensors, the flight control system, via an operator’s command, maintains the UAV’s stability during flight. The APID-55 operates with a water-cooled 55 hp two-stroke engine. The rotor is a Bell-Hiller system with a rotor diameter of 3.3 metres. The operator controls the helicopter via communications relay from its shipborne control station using a laptop-based graphical user interface. The operator uses a computer for both the helicopter’s flight plan and flight surveillance.

In a related development, the PN is inching closer to procuring the three 95-metre Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) built by BAE Systems Marine for the Royal Brunei Navy, collectively valued at roughly £500 million. Under a proposal initiated by German shipbuilder Lurssenwerft (appointed by the Royal Brunei Technical Services to dispose off the three OPVs), the company would also arrange financing for the purchases. The Royal Brunei Navy had first discussed the acquisition of OPVs in 1987, but talks with BAE Systems Marine did not start until November 1992. On January 14, 1994 BAE Systems Projects Ltd (previously Glasgow-based GEC-Yarrow Shipbuilders) was awarded a prime contract for the construction of the three 95-metre OPVs, each valued at $254 million, whose design is derived from that of the two F-2000 Batch 1 Jebat-class FFGs (KD Jebat and KD Lekiu) procured by Malaysia (ordered in April 1992 and delivered in 1997). The subsequent Asian financial crisis that hit Southeast Asia, followed by the global depression in oil prices, had at one stage cast dark clouds on the OPV programme’s future prospects. However, better sense prevailed and the project was re-scheduled at the customer’s request. In April 1999 GasTOPS of Canada was awarded a contract from CAE Electronics of Canada to develop a ship simulation model for the OPV. The model was subsequently used to test the OPV’s propulsion control and training systems prior to the ship’s construction. The first OPV, KDB Nakhoda Ragam, was christened and launched by the UK’s then Scottish Secretary, John Reid, at Scotstoun Yard on January 13, 2001. This was followed by launching the second OPV, KDB Bendahara Sakam, in July 2001 and the third vessel, KDB Jerambak, was officially launched by the British Scottish Secretary, Helen Liddell, on June 22, 2002. The first OPV was to be commissioned by the RBN in 2003. Sea trials for KDB Bendahara Sakam, the second of three OPVs, were successfully completed by November 2002. The ship then underwent Compartment Completion Inspections and Phase 1 Engineering Sea Trials back in Scotstoun. The first ship, KDB Nakhoda Ragam, had by then gone out on Sea Acceptance Trials for its weapons systems. The third OPV was launched on June 22, 2002 from the BAE Systems Marine Scotstoun shipyard. The Nakhoda Ragam is named for the ‘Singing Captain’, a nickname for Sultan Bolkhia, the fifth Sultan of Brunei, who reigned from 1485 to 1524. Pengiran Bendahara Sakam, one of Brunei’s most famous warriors, defeated and expelled the Spanish from Brunei in 1578. Awang Jerambak was the cousin of Sultan Muhammad, the first Sultan of Brunei, and a renowned warrior who defeated pirates off the coast of Brunei. Although the OPVs do not have helicopter hangars on board, AgustaWestland’s Super Lynx 300 shipborne ASW/ASV helicopters are expected to be ordered by the PN in the near future for the OPV. Good sea-keeping capability of the OPVs is assured by long fine lines with generous freeboard, by the use of ‘Vee’ sections forward and the provision of a slight flare on the main body of the hull at all sections. The arrangement of bilge keels and stabilisers further enhances the OPVs’ sea-keeping performance. The PN intends to use the three OPVs for maritime policing, anti-air defence, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, as well as naval gunfire support.

Last Updated ( Saturday, 12 September 2009 )
Written by Prasun K.Sengupta
http://officialsite.my/tempur/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=882&Itemid=2

ironman · Sep 16, 2009

Guyz... Please comment on the quoted part..

a1b2c145 · Sep 16, 2009

wangrong said:
#252 sea test

didn't the two ships crash each other? :blink:

TaimiKhan · Sep 16, 2009

ironman said:
Guyz... Please comment on the quoted part..

Well the performance of the radars seem pretty impressive. Their ranges is adequate for a ship of this size. Would be better if some more detailed info about the other combat systems on the ship can be found, like the ECM systems & CIWS, but alas Chinese either haven't yet released much of the info of their ECM system or other systems on their ships to do secrecy issue or may be they just don't like to publish something like that.

Myth_buster_1 · Sep 16, 2009

WOW.. isnt 256 million dollars little bit too much? Is it really worth it...

ironman · Sep 17, 2009

taimikhan said:
Well the performance of the radars seem pretty impressive. Their ranges is adequate for a ship of this size. Would be better if some more detailed info about the other combat systems on the ship can be found, like the ECM systems & CIWS, but alas Chinese either haven't yet released much of the info of their ECM system or other systems on their ships to do secrecy issue or may be they just don't like to publish something like that.

The best I can found is...

Type 730 Close-In Weapon System

A later variant Type 730 CIWS with modified electro-optic director

The Type 730 is an indigenous close-in weapon system (CIWS) designed to provide surface combatants with terminal defences against incoming anti-ship missiles that have penetrated other fleet defences, as well as being used against other airborne targets such as aircraft. The Type 730 CIWS is installed on the Type 052B Luyang class DDG, Type 052C Luyang-II class DDG, Type 051C Luzhou class DDG, and Type 054A Jiangkai-II class FFG. A land-based air defence system known as LD-2000 has been developed based on the Type 730.

The Type 730 development reportedly commenced in the early 1990s. The system bears some resemblance to the Thales Navy Netherlands Goalkeeper, but it is not known whether the two are associated. The Type 730 has replaced the Type 76A dual-37mm automatic AAA guns to become a standard air defence weapon on some PRC-built surface combatants, while other combatants are fitted with the Russian-built AK-630 CIWS.

Design

The Type 730 CIWS consists of a seven-barrel 30mm cannon, gun control and ammunition feeding mechanism, and fire-control system. A surface combatant is equipped with two of such system to provide a full 360 degree coverage.

The fully automatic seven-barrel 30mm cannon is fed by two ammunition boxes each holds 500 rounds of ready-use ammunition. One magazine would typically hold armour piercing discarding sabot and the other high explosives. The empty cartridge cases are ejected forwards out of the lower part of the mount. The cannon is driven by external power, with a maximum cyclic rate of fire of 4,600~5,800 rounds/min. The cannon has a maximum range of 3,000m, but targets are typically engaged at a distance of 1,000~1,500m.

The fire-control includes a TR47C fire-control radar and an electro-optic director, both of which are mounted on the turret roof. The electro-optic director a TV tracking camera, infrared tracking camera and laser rangefinder, which provide a maximum tracking range of 5~6km. The TR47C radar has a maximum detection range of 8km against an airborne target of RCS 0.1 square metre.

Specifications

Calibre: 30mm X 7
Rate of fire: 4,600~5,800 rounds/min
Range: 3,000m
Elevation: N/A
Traverse: 360 degree
Ammunitions: 1,000 rds (armour piercing discarding sabot and HE)
Fire-control: Electro-optical + radar

Type 730 Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) - SinoDefence.com

For ECM please do read :
The Naval Institute guide to world ... - Google Books