Acoustic Sensors
The hull mounted Ferranti/Thomson Sintra Type 2050 sonar on Type 23’s has a long and complex history with many changes of ownership but the base product is now part of the Thales
UMS 4110 family and utilises much of the processing and display console systems as the CAPTAS 4 or 2087.
From Jane’s;
Sonar 2050 is the medium-range, medium-frequency hull-mounted attack sonar for the Royal Navy fitted to the Type 42 destroyers and Type 23 and Type 22 frigates. It is the successor to Sonar 2016 and is compatible with both bow and keel variants of the Sonar 2016 array
In February 2014, Thales received 5-year
support contract for the thirteen Sonar 2050 on Type 23 Frigates and then strangely, Ultra received a £27 million
contract in December 2014 for the Sonar 2050 Technology Refresh Programme that will upgrade and support for ten years, 2050 sonar systems on eight Type 23 Frigates.
Whether the Type 2050’s will be transferred to the Type 26 or a new purchase of the UMS 4110 (or another type), is not yet known.
In addition to the Sonar 2050’s,
eight of the Type 23 Frigates are fitted with the very sophisticated Sonar 2087 Variable Depth Sonar (
Thales CAPTAS 4) that is designed to detect submarines at ranges greater than they can launch attacks.
Sonar 2087 can be operated ‘hands-free’ up to Sea State 6 and to a depth of 250m, a very important aspect of the system capability and one that has a clear origin in Cold War North Atlantic NATO missions. In addition to the processing, displays and handling equipment, the core components are two towed items, the towed body and towed array, one active, one passive, that can be deployed at variable depths.
Detection in shallow waters is a problem because underwater obstacles might prevent the safe deployment of long towed arrays, fresh/sea water mixes, tidal impacts on water conditions, unpredictable and variable salinity/temperature, reflections from the sea bed and underwater obstacles and even concerns about underwater wildlife may limit the use of low-frequency devices.
Ambient and directional noise from man-made and natural sources also confuses the overall acoustic picture. Because of the smaller areas involved accurate seabed surveys and sediment analysis, sometimes called Rapid Environmental Assessments, can be used for ASW. This kind of technology and processes are more often used for survey and mine countermeasures but research continues at a pace and one capability may very well utilise another.
We might see the kinds of USV’s now routinely used for covert survey and seabed analysis carried onboard a Type 26 GCS in the future. Other promising research avenues include exploiting so-called ‘non-cooperative’ sound sources of opportunity, other ships that just happen to be in the area for example. The returns from these can be passively received into the detection and analysis software, cunning eh?
It is likely that the Sonar 2087’s will be a direct transfer from Type 23 to Type 26.
Anti-Air Missile Systems
Providing self (and possible small area) defence against aircraft and anti-ship missiles will be the Sea Ceptor system.
Sea Ceptor was previously known as Future Local Area Air Defence System – Maritime (FLAADS(M)). The MBDA
Common Anti-Air Modular Missile or CAMM is one of the core UK Complex Weapons programmes that is intended to replace the Sea Wolf Block 2, ASRAAM and Rapier FSC missile systems in service with the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and Royal Artillery respectively under the Future Local Area Air Defence System (FLAADS) requirement.
It is intended to maximise commonality across all three services in order to minimise logistic and support costs. FLAADS(M) for Maritime, FLAADS(L) for Land and FLAADS(A) for Air were all intended to be delivered with the Common Anti-Air Modular Missile. The modular design is also intended to facilitate lower the cost of through life incremental upgrades.
MBDA describe it as;
FLAADS(M) provides a true 360° air defence capability for naval forces out to ranges greater than 25km against the future air threat. Requiring no dedicated tracker/illuminator radars, CAMM can be cued by ship target indication data to provide high levels of protection in open ocean and littoral environments. It can also be used against surface targets. The weapon system, which incorporates a 2-way data-link capability to CAMM missiles in flight, is intended for vessels of corvette size or larger, for either new ships or as a retrofit. It will provide self and consort defence whilst operating with 2-D and 3-D radars and has an architectural design to allow integration within a variety of combat systems. CAMM can operate from SYLVER and Mk41 family launchers utilising features such as folding missile fins to maximise packing density. For smaller ships, a simple bespoke quad-pack launcher (occupying the same space as a Seawolf canister) will be available. The introduction of “soft launch” techniques reduces system mass and eases installation. MBDA has taken a Through Life approach in developing the CAMM solution. New weapon system architectures that reduce customer costs by removing expensive components are now possible. MBDA’s PAAMS (Principal Anti-Air Missile System) naval self, local and fleet area defence weapon system has now established a preferred architectural approach to air defence. FLAADS(M) follows this approach by re-using software and substituting new low cost components.
The missile itself takes a great deal from ASRAAM but it is not a surface launched ASRAAM with a new name. Common components include the very low signature rocket motor from Roxel, the warhead and proximity fuse from Thales. The seeker and open architecture electronics backbone are new, the latter is called Programmable Open Technology for Upgradable Systems or PrOTeUS and uses an IEEE 1394 Firewire bus technology as a starting point.
Sea Ceptor differs from Sea Wolf in a number of respects but the most significant is the elimination of a requirement for dedicated fire control radar. By removing this reliance on fire control radars, the data link and two-way active radar homing seeker is designed to overcome saturation attacks and has the additional benefit of removing a piece of equipment from the support chain.
Although range will, of course, be classified MBDA declare it as ‘in excess of 25km’, which in any case is better than Sea Wolf and Rapier but then it should be, at 99kg it is nearly 20kg heavier than Sea Wolf and over 50Kg heavier than Rapier.
The Common Data Link (CDL) is the small ‘black box’ that sits on top of the mast, especially clear in pictures of FLAADS(L) although it doesn’t necessarily have to use the two-way data link to the launch vehicle, so, it could take mid-course corrections from any number of suitably equipped land or air platforms and then switch to active homing when it gets close enough. The original launch platform could have even moved by the time the missile hits. Type 23 frigates will be fitted with two CDL’s.
It is reported that each missile in its sealed canister will have a shelf life of ten years and although MBDA claims it can be quad packed in either a SYLVER or Mk 41 launcher current images suggest they will be installed on Type 26 in a bespoke low-cost launcher. The soft vertical launch system that ejects the missile to a height of about 30m using an enclosed gas piston before a small a thruster fires to orientate the missile with the target location. This method is safer, removes the need to manage hot gas efflux in the launch silo and ensure all of the main rocket motor fuel is used for arriving at the target.
Read more on Sea Ceptor
here.
The location and configuration of the Sea Ceptor silos have been subject to a great deal of debate and speculation. Models and CGI’s have variously shown multiple locations and silo numbers and whilst the settled opinion seems to be a physically diverse arrangement with one silo block behind the gun and another adjacent to the funnel, 24 missiles in each location, the final arrangement remains subject to confirmation.
The Sea Ceptor missile can also be quad packed inside a Mk41 cell and MBDA have indicated it may have some anti-surface capability.
Surface and Land Attack Missiles
The first design iteration of Type 26 showed amidships Harpoon launchers but they have disappeared in the latest version.
It has been stated that Type 26 GCS will be fitted with a
Lockheed Martin Mk41 Vertical Launch System (VLS), current imagery suggests 3 modules, a total of 24 cells. Like the
SYLVER VLS fitted to the Type 45, the Mk41 provides a compact means of storing and launching vertically launched missiles, and specifically, a means of managing the hot exhaust. The rocket exhaust is directed into a chamber and then vented upwards through an aperture to the surface. It is available in a number of different lengths, the longest referred to as ‘Strike Length’, at 7.6m long.
All good, the Mk41 is a widely used system with many options for filling it.
Filling it, though, is an interesting problem because the Royal Navy has nothing in service or nothing in pre-assessment phase listed by the National Audit Office that could be deployed to make use of the capability.
This leads to a couple of obvious conclusions, new toys will be announced soon, or it is simply a future-proofing exercise with an aspiration to fill them, the filling will be subject to all the usual programme steps.
A post-Libya Jane’s Defence Weekly reported on a Royal Navy lessons learned document in which the two major shortcomings were a lack of precision land attack capability and organic unmanned ISR.
It quoted Colonel Pierson RM, the Deputy Director of NATO Operations in Libya;
It was evident that the Libya campaign showed the need for precision fires, [perhaps the Lockheed Martin] Guided Multiple Rocket Launch System (GMLRS), from the sea base, deep into enemy littoral territory.
Is the Mk 41 there to satisfy the Land Attack or Anti-Ship role, or both?
Because there is no space provision for the in service Harpoon and the likelihood that the Royal Navy Harpoon missiles will be out of service by the time Type 26 hits the water the Royal Navy is likely to be in a position where it has no heavyweight anti-ship missile and must rely on either helicopter launched Sea Venom missiles or perhaps, torpedoes.
There are a few of obvious contenders for the Anti-Surface Warfare and Land Attack requirement if indeed that is the requirement.
Tomahawk
With uncertainty over the future of submarine launched Tomahawk cruise missiles it would make sense to hedge against future risk by ensuring Type 26 can launch the Tomahawk. Think Defence readers will be familiar with the general capabilities of the venerable and relatively low-cost
Raytheon Tomahawk but there have been a number of recent developments from Raytheon that make it an interesting choice.
In April 2014, Raytheon
announced their intent to test a new multi mode seeker for the Tomahawk;
Completion of this test and last year’s passive seeker test will demonstrate that Tomahawk can hit moving targets on land and at sea. Raytheon is working to quickly and affordably modernize this already advanced weapon for naval warfighters
This new seeker is intended to deliver greater precision and and alternative options for both land AND sea targets. The enhancement programme will also
upgrade the communications and warhead. The Block IV missile has a two data link. In October 2015, the planned test was completed and the missile hit a moving target at sea after receiving targeting data from an aircraft.
In January 2016, Raytheon conducted a captive
flight test of an active mode seeker that will provide an ability to attack moving targets at sea and on land.
A recent
contract award saw Raytheon deliver 144 Tactical Tomahawk Black IV all-up missiles to the USA for $122 million.
There is still a lot of life left in Tomahawk.
With a range in excess of 1,000 miles, a Type 26 GCS with a Block IV enhanced Tomahawk would provide a powerful and flexible capability against land and sea targets.
SCALP
Although SCALP would have to be integrated with the Mk41, with the UK the likely lone customer for such a combination, SCALP would provide at least some measure of commonality with the
MBDA Storm Shadow stand-off cruise missile currently being integrated onto the Typhoon. More specifically, the maritime version is called Missile de Croisière Naval (naval cruise missile) or
MdCN, currently carried by French FREMM frigates.
Not sure this is a realistic contender but included for completeness.
There has been some concept work from MBDA on the
Perseus missile as a potential Storm Shadow/SCALP replacement (SPEAR CAP 5), whilst undoubtedly an
impressive concept, the appetite for funding its development seems low. MBDA have also proposed their
Hoplite family of missiles for the land attack role, also
FLEXIS and
STRATUS
As Anglo-French cooperation deepens in the complex weapon portfolio, these studies may well be taken forward into a more formal joint UK/French programme to replace Storm Shadow/SCALP and Harpoon/Exocet. France seems unlikely to adopt Mk41 and the UK will not be putting SYLVER on Type 26 which complicates matter somewhat, at the very least, increasing integration costs
Although there has been little news on the possibility of UK-France joint development the 2016 Summit did describe an intent to co-develop a joint concept phase for the Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon (FC/ASW) programme.
Storm Shadow will be subject to a Mid-Life Refurbishment (MLR) that will meet the SPEAR Capability 4 requirement, with a currently planned start date of 2017. This will take Storm Shadow to it’s planned out of service period of around 2030, when it will be replaced with the SPEAR Capability 5 system, nominally, the UK/France Future Cruise and Anti-Ship Weapon (FCASW) / Futur Missile Antinavire/Futur Missile de Croisière (FMAN/FMC).
A three-year Concept Phase contract will possibly be awarded to the end of 2016 for FCASW.
The conundrum here is that if this FCASW missile is developed for a Storm Shadow and Harpoon/SCAL-EG replacement, what silos will it be integrated with?
It seems unlikely France will invest in Mk41 and unless Type 26 is fitted with SYLVER, the missile will need to be integrated to with both VLS
Joint/Naval Strike Missile
The
Naval Strike Missile from Kongsberg is an anti-ship and land attack missile. It will be integrated onto the F35 as the Joint Strike Missile so commonality benefits could be realised if we chose to purchase it for the F35’s, unlikely, but it is an option. With a 150km range the NSM weighs 400Kg with a 125kg warhead and can attack a mix of land and surface targets, click
here to read about its development path.
The NSM has been criticised by some because it is not hypersonic but I think that is misplaced, the NSM has taken a reasonable line with regards to balancing capabilities against cost and development time, the seeker is reportedly very advanced and low its signature is a valuable feature when faced with a plethora of anti-missile weapons. It would be a great addition to the RN and RAF armoury but whether it would find a place in the equipment programme with the Complex Weapons initiative commercial complications are another matter.
Most images of the NSM show it being launched from an inclined box launcher but there has been some interest from Kongsberg in JSM Mk41 integration, details are scarce, the best at navy Recognition
here.
Integrating JSM with a Mk41 VLS would offer a modern and highly capable missile that would provide some commonality if the UK chose to equip it’s F-35B’s in the future, although smaller and shorter ranged than Tomahawk, it would be useful if both were available.
Long Range Anti-Shipping Missile (LRASM)
Whilst a development of Tomahawk is clearly the low-risk choice the new kid on the block is the Long Range Anti-Shipping Missile (
LRASM) from
Lockheed Martin. It is described as;
LRASM is a precision-guided anti-ship standoff missile leveraging off of the successful JASSM-ER heritage, and is designed to meet the needs of U.S. Navy and Air Force warfighters. Armed with a penetrator and blast fragmentation warhead, LRASM employs precision routing and guidance, day or night in all weather conditions. The missile employs a multi-modal sensor suite, weapon data link, and enhanced digital anti-jam Global Positioning System to detect and destroy specific targets within a group of numerous ships at sea. LRASM will also employ enhanced survivability features to penetrate advanced integrated air defense systems. The combination of range, survivability and lethality ensures mission success. LRASM technology will reduce dependence on ISR platforms, network links, and GPS navigation in aggressive electronic warfare environments. The routing and guidance capabilities of LRASM allows it to safely navigate to the enemy area, where the weapon can use gross target cueing data to find and destroy its pre-determined target in denied environments. Precision lethality against surface targets ensures LRASM will become an important addition to the warfighter’s arsenal.
BAE are responsible for the
sensor system.
Clearly, it is focussed on the anti-shipping Harpoon replacement role, not land attack.
Where Tomahawk is the low-risk option and likely cheaper, LRASM provides a more survivable option against enemy forces that have the ability to shoot down cruise missiles, a classic trade-off. If it is integrated onto the F-35 by the USA then there will be two anti-ship missile options, the LRASM and JSM. Whilst neither have the range and punch of Tomahawk, both would be much more survivable, LRASM comes ready for Mk41, JSM doesn’t, that said, JSM has demonstrable capability against land targets, LRASM doesn’t, yet.
It has been reported that the LRASM is also being developed in a topside launcher.
Decisions decisions, but first, let’s see the budget!
Vertically launched torpedoes are also available for the Mk 41 VLS and MBDA have suggested Mk41 could be used for
SPEAR Capability 3
Land and surface attack missiles remain an area of uncertainty for Type 26. There is a danger that the Type 26 VLS will be filled with nothing but fresh air, a somewhat embarrassing development. This even places under doubt the likelihood of Type 26 being fitted with a VLS at all.
Guns
The new images show both M2 and
Dillon Aerospace M134 Miniguns (Mk44) in 12.7mm and 7.62mm calibres respectively. Given that GPMG and the M3M will be fitted to Wildcat and Merlin it would make sense if the M3M were available on simple pintle mounts as well as the M134 minigun.
A couple of Type 45 and an astute sub can probably take care of a mid size power's entire naval fleet. 
