The Pakistan Navy's Frigate Options

[Hell hound]

Huitfeldt class and Absalon class share common hull with same propulsion and basic systems, and many components. This means development costs are lower and spread over more hulls.

Navy | krigsmakten

Huitfeldt class: The cost for all three frigates fitted with sensors and weapons (save Standard SM-2 air defence missiles) is given as 4.7 billion Kroner (Cdn $1B or about $333M per ship).

4,700,000,000.00 DKK = 629,707,319.38 EUR = 697,876,215.25 USD
About 210 million Euro or 233 million USD per ship (no helicopter)

Absalon class: Prices as low as 1.256 billion Kroner (Cdn $263M) have been quoted. The actual cost for the entire Absalon class program, completely equipped, is quoted as 2.7B Kroner (Cdn $565M).

2,700,000,000.00 DKK = 361,744,515.81 EUR = 401,091,699.05 USD
About 186 million Euro or 200 million USD per ship (no helicopter)

BY COMPARISON
The first three were built at the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai, China, while the last ship was constructed in Pakistan by Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works (KSEW) and was completed in 2013. The $750 million contract also includes 4-6 Harbin Z-9EC anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters as well as ammunition for the frigates.
F-22P Zulfiquar-class frigate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Which boils down to $188 million USD per ship, including at least 1 helicopter and ammunitions.

As we are aware, Pakistan may very well be getting these for friendship prices, which China has used in the past e.g. vis-a-vis Thailand. But still, seeing as how different these ships are in terms of capability, it can't be that they cost about the same.

Comparison from Danish Naval Projects - Patrol Frigate - Iver Huitfeld Class - Patrol Ship - Projekt Patruljeskib - NATO Comparisons - CASR - Canadian American Strategic Review - Danish Ships - Standard Flex - Frigate Project - Absalon Class - SCSC - Single Class - Surface Combatant - Type 124 - FREMM - F100 Frigate - De Zeven Provinciën - Shipbuilding - Canadian Forces - DND
Unit costs for naval vessels (especially when averaged) are notoriously unreliable – there are simply too many variables and accounting practices. With that caveat in mind, the following are rough unit prices for the frigates mentioned in the text and the Single Class Surface Combatant.
• Danish – 1.5B Kr = $333M Cdn (Project Patruljeskibe) = 3 ships + 2 flexible support ships
• FREMM – 280M € = $447M Cdn (French version, diesel powered) = ? units (initially 17 units, currently 8) 328 to 437 to 795 per unit. Almost 900 with development cost. EUROS
• FREMM – 350M € = $600M Cdn (Italian version, turbine powered) = 10 units, last 2 at 764 million euro =390 each
• Dutch – 400M € = $639M Cdn (De Zeven Provinciën class) = 4 units
(or up to – 450M € = $719M Cdn quotes vary according to source)
• Spanish – 400M € = $639M Cdn (F100/Nansen class, prices vary) F100 (7-2=5, last one costing 800m+ euro. See 3 ship Hobart class Australia) and Nansen are very different ships (3.33billion USD for 5 ships > 666m USD)
• Typ 125 – 550M € = $878M Cdn (projected German Fregatte Klasse F125) 4 ships
• FREMM – 550M € = $879M Cdn (projected air defence version) see above
• Typ 124 – 700M € = $1.12B Cdn (German Sachsen class air defence frigate) 3 ships

In view of this, I find the price quited for the Danish ships unbelievably low.

A top of the line but not very big frigate is the LaFayette based Formidable class obtained by Singapore (6 ships)
Naval Analyses: Formidable class frigates of the Republic of Singapore Navy

According to Sipri.org : $750 m deal (part of $1.6 b 'Project Delta'); incl 5 produced in Singapore; ordered 2000, delivered 2007-2009. That would be $1,032,3m in 2015 > $172m per ship. Still seems on the low side if you ask me.

Consider the "DW 3000F " for Thailand

"Following a contract with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) for a 3,700-ton frigate, the Royal Thai Navy plans to procure one more frigate built by the South Korean shipyard, according to officials. The contract for the first frigate was signed in August. The deal was valued around $470 million, the highest weapons import for a single item in Thailand."
South Korea Sees More Weapons Sales to Thailand | Chiang Rai Times English Language Newspaper

Incheon FFX / HDF-3000 type Frigate:Each FFX Batch I frigate is said to cost around WON 250 billion ($232 million).
FFK Ulsan class Frigate Korea (FFK)

Batch 2 ships (units 4 to 6-12) are larger and more expensive : USD 305.8 million.
Korean Navy Orders Another Frigate from DSME | Naval Today

The South Korean products above aside, relevant Navantia products could be :

• Fragatas Ligeras/Corbetas
  • 
    ALPHA 4000

• AVANTE Multimisión
  • 
    AVANTE 2600 MM

Navantia - Líneas de Actividad - CONSTRUCCIÓN NAVAL - BUQUES MILITARES

dammit man how expensive these helis are?i thought they were in $60 to 80 million a piece max.

 

[Penguin]

Staying with the 2006 PN deal, Z-9C costs less than 188m-175m=13m USD
A more recent 2011 deal, 12 Z-9 to Cambodia, involved 12 Z-9 for $195m i.e. $16.25 million each
KI Media: 12 helicopters delivered to Cambodia
DEFENSE STUDIES: Cambodia to Acquire Z-9 Helicopters for US $ 195 Million

In July 2006, the New Zealand Government signed a NZ$771 million (~€500M) contract to purchase eight NH90s (plus one extra for spares) to replace the Royal New Zealand Air Force's (RNZAF) fleet of 13 UH-1 Iroquois. NH-90 was around $60m in 2013

US$42.9 million (MH-60R in FY2012) = ASW version
US$28.1M (MH-60S in FY2012). = Utility version

 

[Quwa]

Staying with the 2006 PN deal, Z-9C costs less than 188m-175m=13m USD
A more recent 2011 deal, 12 Z-9 to Cambodia, involved 12 Z-9 for $195m i.e. $16.25 million each
KI Media: 12 helicopters delivered to Cambodia
DEFENSE STUDIES: Cambodia to Acquire Z-9 Helicopters for US $ 195 Million

In July 2006, the New Zealand Government signed a NZ$771 million (~€500M) contract to purchase eight NH90s (plus one extra for spares) to replace the Royal New Zealand Air Force's (RNZAF) fleet of 13 UH-1 Iroquois. NH-90 was around $60m in 2013

US$42.9 million (MH-60R in FY2012) = ASW version
US$28.1M (MH-60S in FY2012). = Utility version

@Penguin The CSOC 'High Performance Frigate' (outlined in the first post) equipped with a 32-cell VLS for HHQ-16 and CY-5, what would be your per unit cost-estimate? I don't think it would cross $350 million U.S. a unit (i.e. nearly double that of the F-22P). I genuinely believe this (like the S20 SSK in the PN submarine deal) is going to be the platform the PN will adopt for its future frigate requirements. New Western frigates (including Turkish) are going to be very unlikely.

 

[Tank131]

For any chinese vessel, PN would be better served with dk-10 than hhq-16. The range is slightly better (50km vs 40km) and there is a lot of speculation that it can be quad packed. Even 16 cells for vls if able to be fitted in hq7 place would give pn a formidable defensive platform using f22p (64 medium range missiles). If not, i think quad packed fm-3000 (30km) would be better than hq-16 given the number of missiles that would be available.

 

[Kompromat]

In other words if were to acquire 15 of these Frigates it would cost us almost as much as we are paying for the Submarines?

@Penguin The CSOC 'High Performance Frigate' (outlined in the first post) equipped with a 32-cell VLS for HHQ-16 and CY-5, what would be your per unit cost-estimate? I don't think it would cross $350 million U.S. a unit (i.e. nearly double that of the F-22P). I genuinely believe this (like the S20 SSK in the PN submarine deal) is going to be the platform the PN will adopt for its future frigate requirements. New Western frigates (including Turkish) are going to be very unlikely.

 

[Quwa]

For any chinese vessel, PN would be better served with dk-10 than hhq-16. The range is slightly better (50km vs 40km) and there is a lot of speculation that it can be quad packed. Even 16 cells for vls if able to be fitted in hq7 place would give pn a formidable defensive platform using f22p (64 medium range missiles). If not, i think quad packed fm-3000 (30km) would be better than hq-16 given the number of missiles that would be available.

Agreed. Actually, by the time the PN's new frigate plans take shape, the Umkhonto-ER (60km) will also come closer to fruition.

In other words if were to acquire 15 of these Frigates it would cost us almost as much as we are paying for the Submarines?

Apparently seems so...but then again, we don't know what submarines we got. I mean, we can guess they're S20s, but there is no way the S20 as-is can be that expensive. Looking at the money being spent by PN, I am wondering if the AIP is being imported from Europe or that the design isn't S20, but larger.

 

[Kompromat]

My wild guess is this, though i may be wrong.

Agreed. Actually, by the time the PN's new frigate plans take shape, the Umkhonto-ER (60km) will also come closer to fruition.

Apparently seems so...but then again, we don't know what submarines we got. I mean, we can guess they're S20s, but there is no way the S20 as-is can be that expensive. Looking at the money being spent by PN, I am wondering if the AIP is being imported from Europe or that the design isn't S20, but larger.

 

[Blue Marlin]

Agreed. Actually, by the time the PN's new frigate plans take shape, the Umkhonto-ER (60km) will also come closer to fruition.

Apparently seems so...but then again, we don't know what submarines we got. I mean, we can guess they're S20s, but there is no way the S20 as-is can be that expensive. Looking at the money being spent by PN, I am wondering if the AIP is being imported from Europe or that the design isn't S20, but larger.

apparently khajwa said its s20's (he said that on his officail fb Page) so chances are that your getting the saab stirling aip.

 

[Quwa]

apparently khajwa said its s20's (he said that on his officail fb Page) so chances are that your getting the saab stirling aip.

All export control issues considered, the cost would make some sense. But then again, would be nice if they were able to squeeze VLS.

 

[Blue Marlin]

My wild guess is this, though i may be wrong.

View attachment 294831

thats a test sub for the jl-2/1. or a non nuclear type 93 ssk. and then in the future you can stick your own nuclear reactor in it and then done!

 

[Maarkhoor]

@Quwa
Bro i searched on Net Pakistan is going to Purchase S20 Submarine a variant of Type 39A with some costumed modifications. Is that correct ?

 

[Quwa]

@Quwa
Bro i searched on Net Pakistan is going to Purchase S20 Submarine a variant of Type 39A with some costumed modifications. Is that correct ?

Seems to be the case, yes. S20 customized with AIP and enlarged torpedo tubes for SLCM.

 

[Maarkhoor]

Seems to be the case, yes. S20 customized with AIP and enlarged torpedo tubes for SLCM.

Means Option to arm it with Babur is on board...It is possible that after customization we can install vertical tubes on Subs to launch Babur or we have to use conventional torpedo tubes for this purpose?

 

[Quwa]

Means Option to arm it with Babur is on board...It is possible that after customization we can install vertical tubes on Subs to launch Babur or we have to use conventional torpedo tubes for this purpose?

To be honest, I don't know.

 

[Blue Marlin]

To be honest, I don't know.

it will be similar to that of the israeli dolphin subs. they will be launched via the torpedo tubes. having a vls is no good as it compromises in the stealth of the sub as it needs a flat top to launch the missile. and it needs a straight back too.