Evolution to Frigate and a New Patrol Boat
The most important US Navy-sponsored briefing at this year’s Navy League Exposition was the presentation by Captain Dan Brintzinghoffer, the director of the newly established Frigate Office (PMS 515). The programme official waded into the murky, but increasingly clearing waters of his service’s plans to continue building ships in the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) programme of record beyond LCS-32.By way of a brief, but necessary, historical discussion, MT’s readers may recall that in early 2014 then US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel directed the Navy to reassess its Small Surface Combatant (SSC) programme against persistent questions about the survivability and other attributes of LCSs. The direction also prohibited Navy from building ships beyond LCS-32.
In December 2014, Hagel agreed to continue the SSC programme with the very important caveat that the service address future survivability and lethality requirements in LCSs 1-32 and more important, in the remaining 20 ships of the class.
The Navy is on course to build “frigate-like” capabilities in the remaining 20 hulls of the programme and backfit new systems, when feasible, on LCSs 1-32.
As with any military bureaucracy establishing a new program, the Navy opened a new office (Frigate Office (PMS 515)) under the direction of a Navy captain. The senior officer is leading the remaining LCSs (33-52) on a path to frigate designation.
During his 15 April briefing to an overflowing group of delegates, Brintzinghoffer noted his office is quickly working to finalise requirements for the programme. This will be no small task as the documents will need to traverse the normal Pentagon acquisition process – gaining approval at the Joint Requirements Oversight Council and in other headquarter organizations.
The Navy Captain was very complementary about the work to date of the two LCS teams, led by Lockheed Martin and Austal USA. “They have forced innovation and the completion has helped drive down the cost of each ship,” he recalled. And he added the new frigate programme will take advantage of the “hot” production line with the intention to also maintain the current levels of LCS competition in a new frigate programme.
The Navy’s newest programme manager also asked, and responded to what will be a $(US) billion dollar question: What is a frigate?
For starters, the new 20-ship class will be multi-mission capable, compared to the single mission focus of the LCS, which will be reconfigurable and more capable by way of adding mission packages for anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and mine warfare.
The frigate programme will selectively take best-of-breed capabilities from the current mission packages and LCS hull systems – the torpedo defense system and multi-function towed array for instance – and permanently install them on the new class of ships.
The new frigates will also have enhanced anti-surface warfare weapons: a medium (25mm or 30mm) calibre gun system and an over-the-horizon surface-to-surface missile. “We’re going to be looking around the world for the best systems. And the intent is to take existing weapon and other systems which are at high levels of technology maturity, which will take small amounts of effort to use – we’re not interested in lengthy R&D programmes,” Brintzinghoffer emphasized.
While the new frigates will have improved onboard weapon lethality and other survivability attributes, there will also be the possibility of using LCS-like mission packages’ subsystems. One such equipment solution may be the LCS ASW mission package’s variable depth sonar.
As for the timeline of the LCS program, the construction of the first 32 LCSs will continue through fiscal year 2018. Metal will be bent for the first frigate in fiscal year 2019.
“This gives us 18-20 months to pick the design,” Brintzinghoffer remarked.
And during this time, the Navy will also develop a strategy on backfitting the first 32 LCSs to enhance their lethality and survivability during maintenance periods.
The US Navy has also taken delivery of its first two MKVI Patrol Boats (PBs). The lead PB of the class was present at this conference. The author, accompanied by Navy Commander Peter Berning, the Branch Head (N83) for Coastal Riverine and NEIC Warfare Requirements at Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, had an opportunity to gain a first-hand look at the Navy’s latest addition to its littoral warfare force.
The sea service has eight more of the 85ft craft on contract. The new class of patrol boats is being built at SAFE Boats International in Tacoma, Washington.
The MK VIs can reach speeds in excess of 35kn and have a range in excess of 600 nautical miles. The propulsion system consists of two MTU diesel engines and Hamiltonjet waterjets.
The PB’s main armament is BAE Systems Platforms & Services’ MK38 Mod 2 25mm gun system. The gun is equipped with Orbital ATK’s BUSHMASTER barrel and has a magazine capacity of 168 rounds. The gun can be operated from its current forward position or aft, taking advantage of common deck rings/fittings.
Of particular interest is the configuration of the rear (aft) part of the boat, with its sloped fantail, permitting the ease of loading and offloading vehicles and other loads. “From this area we’ll be able to support unmanned vehicle operations – unmanned air vehicles (UAV), unmanned underwater vehicles and even unmanned surface vessels,” the navy commander remarked. Indeed, during the ship visit UAV equipment was on display. Each PB is being equipped with an AeroVironment PUMA AE (All Environment) package consisting of three air vehicles and a control station.
Unmanned Systems
The Navy also took a bold step forward to help bring unmanned systems into future service missions. At the exposition, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announced that he is reorganising his department to put more emphasis on unmanned systems, from aerial drones to robotic mini-subs.“I’m going to appoint a new Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Unmanned Systems,” Mabus said. On the uniformed side, the Chief of Naval Operations’ staff will create a new directorate (N-99). Together, he said, these two organizations will “coordinate and champion…. all aspects of unmanned – in all domains – over, on and under the sea and coming from the sea to operate on land.”
The Navy continues to move forward with its MQ-4 TRITON high altitude unmanned air system. The UAS, a variant of Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4B GLBAL HAWK, is slated for its first operational test this summer.
The Navy’s programme of record is for 68 TRITONs, with three requested in the Obama administration’s fiscal year 2016 budget.
Marty Kauchak, MT’s US correspondent, provides this exclusive report from the exhibition hall and conference rooms of the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.
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