To Kill An Orion オライオン哨戒機の解体作業

 

JMSDF P-3C at Hachinohe Air Base
Photo @p_studio75 via Twitter

The P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft needs no introduction. It is named after the great hunter Orion in Greek mythology. Designed by the Lockheed Corporation and first introduced into service with the United States Navy at the height of the Cold War in Aug 1962, it had since been adopted by numerous countries worldwide. Many are still in active service after almost six decades.

Operators of the P-3 included Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, Germany, Norway, Portugal, Canada, Brazil, Pakistan, and many others, even Iran. Among them Japan has the biggest fleet of the P-3C after the USA, numbering 110 aircrafts in total. 

These P-3Cs were acquired to replace the earlier generation P-2J Neptune. Except the first three which were built by Lockheed and procured under the foreign military sales program, the rest totalling 107 airframes were produced by Kawasaki Heavy Industries under licence. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ( JMSDF ) received its first P-3C on 29 Apr 1981. Most of the aircrafts were configured for maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare but a small number were converted to OP-3C optical reconnaissance aircraft. A handful were purpose-built as UP-3C equipment testing aircraft, UP-3D electronic warfare trainer and EP-3 ELINT/SIGINT aircraft.

After decades of continuous service with the JMSDF, the P-3C is facing obsolescence and is being gradually replaced by the Kawasaki P-1. Many have already been scrapped or mothballed over the years and the P-3C numbers are dwindling. The total number of P-3C still in active service is said to be only 44 airframes by Mar 2021. 

One of the latest airframe to be dismembered is P-3C serial number 5067 assigned to Fleet Air Wing 2 ( 第二航空群 ) at Hachinohe Air Base ( 八戸基地 ). It was a less advanced version with the Update II.5 configuration. Most of the JMSDF's active P-3 fleet has the Update III or III+ configuration. This aircraft was delivered to the JMSDF on 6th Nov 1990.

Dismantling P-3C s/n 5067. Video Capture : Fleet Air Wing 2 JMSDF

Cut up fuselage of P-3C. Video Capture : Fleet Air Wing 2 JMSDF.

The time-lapse video below was originally posted by Fleet Air Wing 2 on 21 Dec 2021 but the event must have taken place much earlier in the year in late summer or early autumn from the appearance of the foliage and the worksite in general.

It showed how a P-3C was completely cut up and scrapped, all within a matter of hours, well maybe half a day, gauging from the length of the shadows. Of course all the useful or sensitive parts like the radar and the turboprop engines would have already been removed, and likely the aircraft had also been drained of hydraulic fluid and other toxic chemicals that could potentially contaminate the environment. I am not certain if asbestos had been used as an insulating material in the construction of the P-3C as Japan only completely banned asbestos used in 2004 and this aircraft was constructed in 1990. Those yellow stuff from the fuselage looked suspicious. Fortunately, the workers were all seen wearing what looked like N95 respirator masks. Asbestos can cause mesothelioma, an aggressive malignancy that affects the lungs, and asbestosis, a progressive chronic lung disease, frequently only years or decades after initial exposure.

At the end of the video are the words 長い間お疲れさまでした ( nagaiaida otsukare samade shita ) meaning " Thank you for all the hard work over the years ". At least the aviators are appreciative of the Orion's contributions to Japan's maritime security, but seeing any aircraft being destroyed is heart wrenching.

The P-3C Orion's days might be numbered in the JMSDF but rather than simply destroying them Japan might want to consider donating them to South East Asian nations that are in need of maritime patrol aircrafts like Indonesia, Philippines and Malaysia. That fact that it had not been done so far could be the fear of retribution from China who has many territorial disputes with these countries. Hopefully some may be preserved, perhaps at the Kanoya Air Base Museum which have yet to receive a P-3 of any variant. One of each, P-3C, OP-3C, UP-3C, UP-3D and EP-3 would be great!

Victory-Class Missile Corvettes : Crooked Masts And Other Quirky Stuff ...



Missile Corvette P88 RSS Victory in its original configuration
Photo : Lurssen


The Victory-class missile corvette ( MCV ) of the Republic of Singapore Navy ( RSN ) might be small but do not let its size fool you. At 530 tonnes, these tiny multi-role platforms are not much bigger than the fast attack crafts favoured by many small navies of the world but they do pack a huge punch and could pose a serious threat to much larger opponents.

Based on the MGB 62 design by German shipbuilder Lurssen Werft, in its original configuration, its impressive list of capabilities included anti-surface warfare ( ASuW ), anti-submarine warfare ( ASW ), anti-air warfare ( AAW ) and electronic warfare ( EW ), encompassing the domains of  maritime surveillance / interdiction and confined / shallow waters operations.

First commissioned 30 years ago in 1990, the missile corvettes are fast approaching the end of their service life. The RSN plans to retire them by 2025 and replace them with a new class of warships known as multi-role combat vessels ( MRCV ). That timeline has since been revised and postponed for another 5 years to 2030.

We look at the history and evolution of the Victory-class missile corvette through some quirky facts that you may not have known.





Missile Corvette RSS Vengeance at Ex Kakadu 2008
Source : Royal Australian Navy

It All Started With The MGB

The RSN ordered its first generation missile equipped vessels, the Sea Wolf-class missile gunboat ( MGB ) in 1968 and had integrated and commissioned them between 1975 and 1976. They were armed with the Gabriel anti-ship missile ( AShM ) of Israeli origin. The Gabriel was the world's first operational sea-skimming AShM and had already proven its worth during the Yom Kippur War of 1973 in the Battle of Latakia. The use of semi-active radar homing meant that the MGB would have to track the target with its fire control radar and issue guidance command to the missile in flight. The Gabriel consequently has a maximum range of only 20km, limited by the radar horizon.

Operating these warships with then rather complex weapon systems allowed the RSN to acquire the technological expertise and nurture a core group of combat officers and technical personnel who were able to effectively operate and maintain sophisticated weapons system and platforms. The experience and knowledge gained from the MGB acquisition and integration also gave the RSN confidence to define and design its next generation surface combatant, the missile corvette, based on its unique littoral operational requirements.

Maintaining The Technological Edge

Although the RSN was the first among the South East Asian navies to operate missile boats and the first to have successfully test fired an AShM in 1974, it quickly found itself operationally disadvantaged barely a few years later when a regional near-peer entity acquired a longer range AShM with active radar homing and advanced fire control radar. It was felt that the shorter range of the Gabriel represented a significant handicap and the RSN conducted a study in 1979 to build three 57m boats armed with longer range active radar homing missiles. Another option was to upgrade the existing MGB by removing two to three of the Gabriel missiles and replacing them with more advanced active homing missiles.

The decision to upgrade the MGB came in early 1983, but the RSN ditched the proposed 57m craft and instead decided in December 1983 on acquiring six larger 62m missile corvettes. The anti-ship missile system selected for both the MGB upgrade and the MCV was the McDonnell Douglas ( now Boeing ) RGM-84 Harpoon.

RSN's New Found Mission

Apart from being inadvertently caught up in a regional AShM arms race, justification for procuring the missile corvettes also came in the early eighties when the RSN, having lost its sense of purpose and direction after a long period of preoccupation with policing and patrolling the coastal waters of Singapore especially during the Vietnamese boat people refugee crisis, suddenly discovered it had a critical role to play in keeping Singapore's sea lines of communication ( SLOC ) open as the island nation's trade dependent economy, its energy needs and food imports were entirely reliant on the premise of free and open navigation on the high seas. This realization of the RSN's strategic role was accredited to Mr Peter Ho, then Head of Naval Plans Department, who examined Singapore's trade statistics and discovered the importance of the shipping lanes to the survival and security of Singapore.

In line with this new found vision and responsibility, the RSN could no longer remain a coastal navy contented with near shore operations. Bigger warships with better seakeeping characteristics would be required in order to operate effectively up to a thousand kilometers or more away from the home base. With a length of 45m and displacing just 270 tonnes the MGBs were really more suitable for littoral operations.

At the same time the threat that submarines posed to the trade routes became ever more real as regional navies modernize and either acquired, expanded or upgraded their submarine fleets. This meant that the corvettes would have to have anti-submarine capabilities as well, a first for the RSN.

The V-class MCV

The first corvette was built and launched in Germany in 1988 while the remaining five were constructed domestically by Singapore Shipbuilding and Engineering ( now known as Singapore Technology Marine ). The first three corvettes were commissioned in 1990 while the rest were commissioned a year later.

They all had names starting with the letter V - Victory, Valour, Vigilance, Valiant, Vigour and Vengeance. Apart from the first-in-class RSS Victory, the other 5 ships had their names chosen by the public through a name-the-ship competition in Jan 1988. The series of names that were pre-selected included RSS Vampire, RSS Vulcan and RSS Vendetta but the participants were free to submit other names as long as it began with the letter V. In those pre-internet days, the entry forms had to be distributed nationwide at major shopping malls, libraries and community centres. They also appeared in newspapers and even the Ministry of Defense's own publication the Pioneer magazine. By April, the RSN had received more than 24000 entries. The prizes were sponsored by the builder of the corvettes, SSE.

The six missile corvettes form the 188 Squadron / 8th Flotilla of the RSN based at Tuas Naval Base in the south-western part of Singapore. This year marks the 30th anniversary for the MCV as well as the 188th Squadron.

Name Our Ships competition entry slip circa 1988
Photo : RSN

The Tall Mast

During the age of sail, the mast was an essential part of the ship whose purpose was to carry the sail and by virtue of its height the best position to display navigation lights, signal flags and the best position to place lookouts and snipers. The biggest sailing vessels frequently have multiple masts and they are usually constructed of solid timber.

Modern vessels in contrast have masts not to carry sails but to house electronic equipment necessary for navigation and warfighting in the case of naval vessels. Height still matters as many of these devices operate by line of sight principles and the higher up you position them the greater their effectiveness or the better the range. Navigation radar, fire control radar, surface and air search radar, electro-optic sensors, communications antennae, electronic counter-measure and electronic support measure devices are among the myriad of equipment found on or within the hollow structure of the mast proper. Naval vessels have the tallest masts. If you spot a ship from afar and it has a tall mast, chances are it would be a man-of-war.

The most striking thing a person would notice when looking at the profile view or the silhouette of the Victory-class corvette is the disproportionately tall mast in relation to the length of the hull. While the MCV has a length of 62m, the combined height of the main mast and auxiliary mast could reach about 36m above the waterline. It never failed to remind me of the World War II Japanese battleships with their pagoda superstructures.

It was as if the marine architects had taken the blue prints of a 1200-tonne corvette, kept all the weapons and sensors as it were, left the mast intact but had shrunken the hull. So you end up with a warship that packed the firepower of a corvette but housed in the body of a gunboat. After all, the MCV was based on Lurssen Werft's MGB 62 design with the MGB presumably meaning missile gunboat and 62 indicating the length of the design in meters.

The mast of the Victory-class MCV is so tall and is crammed with so many electronic devices that it has a tendency to make the corvette seem top heavy and perhaps contribute to a higher tendency to roll in adverse weather conditions. Having said that, the MCV has been known to roll more than 40 degrees both ways during a tropical storm, causing pots and pans to tumble in the galley and lookouts on the bridge to have to grip the railings tight. Yet, miraculously the corvette would right itself after each swell to see another day. After all the MCV hull is constructed of light gauge steel built around a special longitudinal framing system for ruggedness and good sea keeping characteristics, with the superstructure being constructed using marine grade aluminium alloy. Accordingly, the MCV is able to withstand conditions up to sea state 5. Kudos to the naval architects who designed the ship.





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RSS Valiant, KD Jebat and HMAS Ballarat at Ex Kakadu 2005.
 Note the VDS at the stern and the tall mast.
Photo : Royal Australian Navy

The Crooked Auxiliary Mast

In its original configuration before the Ship Life Extension Program ( SLEP ) upgrades, the MCV had a rather signature angled auxiliary mast which towered above the main mast. This slanting was necessary to minimize electromagnetic interference ( EMI ) among the various radars, ESM and ECM installations within or atop the main mast.

The MCV's mast can be broadly divided into two parts - the main mast and the auxiliary mast. The main mast is part of the ship structure and supports the heaviest electronic devices. Its top platform bears the rotating Ericsson Sea Giraffe 150HC air and surface search radar while the front and back facing tracking / fire-control radars are installed on lower pedestals in front of and behind the mast proper. To create even higher points for the placement of ESM and tactical communications intelligence ( TACOMINT ) antennae, the auxiliary mast is installed above the main mast from a position posterior to the search radar.    

In order to minimise EMI between the various installations, the electronic experts at DSO National Laboratories determined that there was a necessity for the ESM and TACOMINT antennae to be placed concentric with the search radar's centre of rotation. Hence the naval architects engineered a customised slanted auxiliary mast with carefully calculated lengths and slant angles to place the antennae directly above the rotating radar. The auxiliary mast was constructed using materials with the desirable mechanical strength, rigidity and fatigue lifespan to hold not only these antennae and their connecting cables but also the navigation radar.

With the SLEP, much of the original mast mounted equipment have been upgraded or replaced and the legacy EMI considerations no longer existed. The auxiliary mast was therefore straightened, leading to a more normal appearance. Thus looking at the numerous MCV photos, the alignment of the auxiliary mast gives immediate information whether it was a pre or post SLEP ship. 

Pre-SLEP RSS Vigour with slanted auxiliary mast

C Band Surveillance Radar

Larger warships such as destroyers and frigates tend to have their primary surveillance radars operating at the lower frequencies of S Band or L Band for superior detection range. However these lower frequency radars require large ( and therefore heavy ) antennae in order to achieve better angular resolution. As physical size and weight are major limiting factors for many naval applications on small vessels, the C Band surveillance radar system selected for the MCV is a calculated compromise between range and resolution within the loading constrains imposed on the main mast. 

The MCVs were originally equipped with the Ericsson ( now SAAB ) Sea Giraffe 150HC operating in C Band ( NATO G/H Band ) as their main air and surface search radar. It was a small, medium ranged 2D naval radar that is suitable for installation on small surface combatants. It is said to have a maximum instrumented detection range of 130km against fighter aircraft and 7km against very small, stealthy airborne targets.

With the SLEP, the corvettes had their radar system upgraded to the SAAB Sea Giraffe AMB ( Agile Multi-Beam ) which is an advanced 3D active phase array radar operating in the same G/H Band ( old IEEE nomenclature C Band ) between 5.4GHz to 5.9GHz. This multi-role, medium range surveillance radar has a high update rate and is optimised for detecting small air and surface targets, including sea-skimming missiles, in all kinds of environment including the littorals. The instrumented rage of the Sea Giraffe AMB is 180km. 

Post-SLEP RSS Valiant with Sea Giraffe AMB atop main mast.
Note straight auxiliary mast. Photo : Mindef

The Fish

Another unique feature of the Victory-class MCV was the presence of a white ovoid structure with fins at the stern. This was the Thomson Sintra TSM 2064 variable depth sonar ( VDS ) used to detect submarines a.k.a. the Fish. It can be deployed in either active or passive listening modes and was designed to be effective for shallow littoral waters. As the name implies, the VDS can be deployed at different depths beneath the ocean to penetrate different thermal and salinity layers, something which a hull-mounted sonar cannot do.

The naval architects had already done simulations and determined that hull-mounted sonars were not compatible with the hull form and operational profile of the MCV. Fortunately the TSM 2064 is small and light enough to be installed onboard small vessels like the MCV. The Victory-class corvettes are probably among the smallest ships equipped with VDS.

Together with its triple barrel torpedo launchers, the VDS was central to the anti-submarine capability of the MCV. 

Note that the Fish and the torpedo launchers were removed during the SLEP of the MCV between 2011 - 2013, taking away the ASW capabilities of the corvettes. Instead, the MCV gain a new capability in the form of the ScanEagle UAV.

RSS Vengeance with VDS at the stern during Ex Kakadu 2008.
Image : Royal Australian Navy

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

It might surprise you but the naval architects had made design provisions for the MCV to operate unmanned rotary aircrafts. However, those provisions were not activated as the UAV technology was not mature enough then to produce viable candidates for deployment on a small naval platform like the MCV. One hurdle was the very low reliability of the unmanned rotary system, with very short mean time between failure. Another issue was the prohibitive cost involved in implementing a then immature technology. So it wasn't until early 2009 that ship-based trials with the ScanEagle UAV were successfully conducted on the flight decks of RSN's LST and frigate. Only upon completion of the MCV's life extension program between 2011 and 2013 did we see the addition of the UAV capability to the corvettes.

The ScanEagle is a small, long endurance, low altitude UAV derived from the SeaScan UAV originally used by commercial fishermen to track schools of tuna. It has a wing-span of 3.1m, a length of 1.6m and weighs about 20kg. Its cruising speed is around 55 knots. It has a maximum range of more than 100km and an endurance of about 20 hours. Its service ceiling is about 16000ft. The UAV requires no flight deck or runway and is instead launched by a catapult and recovered by a proprietary SkyHook retrieval system.





The ScanEagle on its launcher on the aft deck of the MCV
flanked on both sides by 8 cell Barak VLS. Photo : RSN
 

Initially a land-based commercial off-the-shelf UAV system, even when adapted for naval use, the ScanEagle is usually deployed on the wide flight deck of large vessels such as frigates and never on smaller vessels the size of the MCV. The MCV never had a flight deck to start off with and its confined aft deck area had to support different activities including missile firing, sea boat launch and recovery, and mooring operations. Installing the ScanEagle launcher in its original configuration would have taken up too much space and would have prevented the undertaking of other deck activities. Instead, the naval engineers of the DSO National Laboratories came up with the idea of a modified launcher mounted on a customized turntable. Controlled rotation of the launcher would create an optimized UAV launch envelop while stowing it when not in use would create the necessary clearances for the firing of the Barak missiles and other deck operations. UAV operations can be conducted even under high sea state conditions as the turntable launcher is always firmly secured to the ship deck even when rotating. This innovative launch system also reduces the launch preparation time by 90% and can be operated by just a single ship crew instead of the usual three man team.





ScanEagle recovery with the SkyHook onboard RSS Valour.
RSN Photo.

Similarly, the SkyHook arrestor system for the recovery of the UAV had also been specially modified for the MCV. It would normally occupy an area of 25m² but was re-engineered to be extendable for recovery operations and retractable for stowage with a reduced footprint of just 10m². Despite this, the lack of open space on the aft deck still required the modification of the ScanEagle's flight path to be at an angle to the ship during retrieval in order to minimise safety risks. The SkyHook is mounted on the starboard side of the corvette close to when the torpedo launchers once stood.

The significance of the ScanEagle UAV is that it gives the MCV a surveillance capability that is organic to the ship, thus drastically increasing the situation awareness level of the ship crew. Flying ahead of the ship, the UAV provides, among other things, live video feeds of its surroundings. The ship therefore no longer needs to solely rely on the maritime patrol aircraft or third party inputs for information on its immediate threat environment and target coordinates. The ScanEagle can instead be deployed as long as weather conditions permit. It will allow the MCV to maintain its over-the-horizon surveillance and targeting capabilities even when operating far away from its home base, out of range of any supporting MPA.

Maritime Patrol Aircraft

The Republic of Singapore Air Force acquired six Short SH-7 Skyvan in 1973 ( three 3M-400-15 and three 3M-400-16 variants ) and conducted the first airborne maritime surveillance operation in 1975. Although the Harpoon AShM of the MCV is said to give it a beyond the horizon strike capability, the shipboard radar does not have that over-the-horizon detection range. In order to fully harness the long range strike capability of the Harpoon, the MCV needs help from maritime patrol aircraft to provide it with target coordinates. The MCV is therefore designed to work with the RSAF's Skyvan MPA and later its replacement, the Fokker F-50 Enforcer MPA, by means of secure digital communication and data link. 

Short SH-7 Skyvan Maritime Patrol Aircaft.
Photo : RSAF

RSAF 121 Squadron Fokker F-50 Enforcer MPA
Photo : Jun You via Jetphoto

Airborne Early Warning Aircraft

The MCVs were also upgraded to link up with the now retired E-2C Hawkeye AEW. The APS-138 surveillance radar of the E-2C provides automatic detection and tracking of targets over water and over land up to 200 nautical miles ( 360km ) which is much further than the detection range of the mast-mounted Sea Giraffe 150HC or even the Sea Giraffe AMB air and surface search radar of the MCV. The E-2C has now been replaced by the Gulfstream G550 CAEW.   

Harpoon Missiles

The MCV's 2 deck-mounted MK-141 quad Harpoon canister launchers pack a total of 8 RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles which are capable of hitting ships beyond the horizon, up to 70 nautical miles away. The Harpoon AShM was selected for the RSN's MGB upgrade as well as the MCV project. They are probably the RGM-84D ( Block 1C ) version which was state-of-the-art during the late eighties. It uses inertial guidance mid-course and active radar homing for terminal guidance. A direct hit by a single missile could cripple a medium sized surface combatant such as a frigate and 2 or 3 hits would probably sink it. After three decades in service, the Harpoon launchers still adorns the decks of the MCV with no plans to replace them. 

MCV Harpoon missile firing. Photo : Mindef

Barak Missiles

The Barak missile of Israeli origin can be used against low flying aircraft and also as point defense against incoming missiles and projectiles. They are launched from 2 banks of 8-cell vertical launch unit located at the aft deck. The missile has a minimum effective range of 500m and maximum effective range of 10 - 12km. The Barak is a low cost, low maintenance air defense system and comes with its own set of fire control radar and optronic directors which can be seen mounted on the roof above the bridge of the MCV. It provides the ship with an automated, all-weather, 360 degree azimuth anti-missile capability.

The Barak system was still in development when the MCVs were commissioned in 1990 but provisions had been made by the naval architects for the installation of a hard-kill point defense system. Singapore was said to have actively participated in the joint development of the Barak system with IAI and Rafael. It was specially tailored for small ships and the RSN's unique operating environment. The Barak system was eventually acquired by the RSN in 1996 and retrofitted on all six corvettes. The first successful firing of the Barak missile by the RSN took place on 10th Sep 1997 in the South China Sea. Launched from RSS Valour, a Barak missile successfully intercepted an airborne target simulating a modern sea-skimming missile in both size and speed at a range of 6km.

Barak missile launch by RSS Vigour during Ex Simbex 2018
Photo : RSN

Oto Melara Main Gun

The Oto Melara Super Rapid 76mm 62 caliber naval gun is probably the biggest caliber a small ship can accommodate. It is compact enough not to require too much space below deck for installation. Not surprisingly, many navies have adopted the Oto Melara 76mm in its various forms on their small vessels. The Super Rapid has a firing rate of 120 rounds per minute and is effective against air and surface targets up to 16km away. Depending on the ammunition used, it may even be effective for short range point defense against missiles. Although it has a very high rate of fire, in practice the Super Rapid is frequently fired in short burst of three rounds. On the MCV the Oto Melara is mounted on the foredeck immediately in front of the bridge and any live firing is guaranteed to be a smoky and noisy affair.

Oto Melara 76mm Super Rapid on RSS Valour
Photo : Wikipedia

The muzzle cover of the 76mm Oto Melara Main Gun
Photo : Mindef

Rotating magazine of the Oto Melara 76mm seen below deck 
of a Formidable-class frigate. Photo : RSN

Torpedoes

Before the SLEP the corvettes had the Whitehead Alenia A244-S Mod 1 torpedo for use against submarines. These 324mm light weight torpedoes are stored and launched from two EuroTorp B515 triple tube launchers mounted on the deck of the MCV aft of the Harpoon missile canisters. They have a maximum range of 6000m and can reach a max depth of 600m, which is a lot deeper than the regional waters around Singapore. It has a maximum speed of 30 knots and has both active and passive acoustic homing capabilities. Their removal during the SLEP signaled the end of ASW operations for the MCV. This role was transferred to the Formidable-class stealth frigates, RSN next generation surface combatant.

Whitehead Alenia A244S torpedo.
Photo : Leonardo

Heavy Machine Guns

Four CIS 12.7mm ( 0.5inch ) heavy machine guns are mounted along the bridge wing to guard against small crafts, swimmers and anything that is close enough but not worth expanding a shell or missile on. 

CIS 12.7mm HMG on the bridge wing of RSS Valiant.
Photo : RSN

Complement

The MCV's complement of 46 includes 7 to 8 officers - commanding officer, executive officer, operations officer, navigation officer, communications officer, weapon electronics officer, marine engineer officer and occasionally an auxiliary officer. The medical officer is not part of the ship's peacetime complement. 

Since 2015 the RSN has began the deployment of reservist naval officers and ratings to fill every post on some of the MCVs. At least two teams had been created and both had achieved operational readiness status. They are held to the same high standards expected of their regular counterparts.

The bridge of RSS Valour during an encounter exercise with
 the Australian Navy, Ex Singaroo 2020. Photo : RSN

The multi-function ward room where visitors can be received
and officers can have their meals and discussions. Photo : RSN 

Longest Serving Ship Class In The RSN

Commissioned 30 years ago, the MCVs currently reign as the longest serving class of ships in the RSN. They are not the oldest vessels still in active service though. That honour probably goes to the Challenger-class submarines which were originally commissioned by the Swedish Navy in 1968 and 1969. 

The Fastest Ship In The RSN

Powered by 4 MTU 16V 538 TB93 Diesels the MCV has a top speed " in excess of 30 knots " in the usually vague and non-committal MINDEF speak. It currently holds the crown for the fastest class of ship within the RSN. Only the Sea Wolf-class missile gunboat was faster but they have all been decommissioned in 2008. 

When the corvette is at speed these German diesels produce a high pitch whine that is almost soothing to the ears, like a lullaby, so long as you are not in the engine room. The capability of performing high speed dashes is central to the " sprint and drift " tactic used in ASW operations but is probably most appreciated by all onboard during the return leg of an extended sea deployment. Frequently the MCV will be the first vessel type to reach home waters after the conclusion of a large scale naval exercise that involves multiple ship classes, like Exercise Starfish under the Five Power Defense Arrangement.

The cramped engine room with MTU diesels. Photo : Mindef

Best Ship Award

In the past 30 years since their commissioning, the MCVs clinched a total of 16 awards in the annual Singapore Armed Forces Best Unit Competition. RSS Vigour, the winner of this year's Best Fleet Unit Award, accounted for a quarter of these with a total of four awards so far.

RSS Vigour proudly wears the Battle Effectiveness big E logo.
Photo : Mindef

Ship Life Extension Program

The SLEP extends the operational lifespan of the corvettes and through the introduction of advanced surveillance, communications, as well as command and control systems, also allows them to be incorporated into the Integrated Knowledge-based Command and Control ( IKC2 ) capabilities of the third generation Singapore Armed Forces. First made public in 2009, the MCV SLEP was completed by September 2013 with RSS Valour being the final ship that was upgraded. 

Though the corvettes lost their anti-submarine role with the removal of the torpedo launchers and the variable depth sonar, they gained a new capability in the form of the ScanEagle UAV. The search radar was upgraded from the Sea Giraffe 150HC to the Sea Giraffe AMB. These changes enhanced the corvette's surveillance capabilities and allowed them to " see further ".

The combat management system ( CMS ) was also revamped with a customised solution that helps the Combat Information Centre ( CIC ) team to make faster and more effective decisions. Indigenously developed by the Defense Science Technology Agency ( DSTA ) and DSO National Laboratories, the CMS has a decision support engine for data fusion, identification and threat evaluation to allow the ship crew to quickly and accurately grasp the tactical situation around the corvette. The upgraded CMS utilizes ethernet LAN instead of serial links of the legacy CMS and this broader bandwidth allows it to handle significantly more tracks and transfer data at higher speeds. It enhances the depth and the timeliness of the information presented to the ship's command team. The capabilities of this enhanced MCV CMS is said to be on par with those installed on RSN's Formidable-class stealth frigates, not at all surprising since the CMS of both ship classes are designed by the same people!

RSS Vengeance high and dry at Changi Naval Base during IMDEX 2019. 
Seldom does one get to see the keel. Photo : MDC

RSS Vengeance, RSS Victory and the stern of RSS Stalwart
during IMDEX 2019. Photo : MDC

Changi Naval Base day before IMDEX 2019
The crooked ships and wharf are artifacts

An enlarged image of the above.

The Last Leg

If anything this article should have illustrated how much thought and detailed planning had gone into the missile corvette project from the initial conceptualization to acquisition, construction and henceforth just so that these tiny warships can achieve their greatest efficiency and always remain relevant to the Singapore Navy. 

However, after 30 years of service with the RSN, the MCVs are beginning to face obsolescence even with the SLEP. Parts and components become harder to procure as time progresses and the cost of maintenance increases exponentially as the ship ages. There is also only so much that a non-stealthy old hull can be upgraded given physical and electrical limitations. Originally planned to be phased out in 2025, the COVID-19 pandemic probably brought the MCVs some reprieve as their retirement has now been postponed to 2030. This new deadline will probably represent the final extension of service as the SLEP upgrades were projected to last for a maximum of 20 years, at most. The corvettes will eventually be replaced by the multi-role combat vessel ( MRCV ), a yet-to-be-revealed design featuring stealth technology and the capability to be a mothership of sorts to airborne, surface and sub-surface unmanned platforms. Until then, the MCVs will continue to protect the vital SLOC which connects Singapore to the rest of the globe. Bravo Zulu to all from the 188 Squadron, past and present, for a job well done!

 

 

From Jet Ski to Missile Frigate : Philippine Navy Modernizes

 

 

South Korean Navy Incheon-class guided missile frigate underway.
A variant will soon be equipping the Philippine Navy. Photo Korean DoD.




No To Jet Ski Yes To Frigates

The Philippine Navy ( PN ) has finally woken up from its delusion that a charging Duterte on a Jet Ski could help reclaim the Scarborough Shoal, or the Mischief Reef, or any of the numerous disputed low tide elevations, rocks and islands in the Spratly Island Group. For the first time in many decades, it is actually coughing out serious dough to acquire new build GUIDED MISSILE frigates, a.k.a. FFG, proper modern surface combatants that can at least stand a chance of surviving a hostile encounter with the ultra-advanced frigates and destroyers of the South Seas Fleet of the People's Liberation Army Navy ( PLAN ). More importantly, the possibility of afflicting real damage to any belligerent enemy naval unit means that the new frigates will bring some deterrent value to the PN.

Two frigates will never be sufficient to counter an entire fleet but it is a step in the right direction. Admitting that Jet Skis would not work is an important and brave move on the part of the PN. Look at it this way, any soldier who dares to stand up against the words of his presidente and tell the truth while risking his own rice bowl or maybe even his life is commendable. We have a glimpse of what the future holds for the courageous men and women of the PN, who unfortunately are lead by a NSB ( Not So Bright ), d***headed and foul-mouthed commander-in-chief.

The State of the Philippine Navy

As mentioned before, the Philippine Navy operates a mishmash of obsolete warships donated by friendly nations or bought second-hand on the cheap, some of which have histories going back to World War II! Up to now, their most impressive man-of-war is a trio ( PF-17 BRP Andres Bonifacio was transferred to the PN on 21st Jul 2016 ) of the ex-US Coast Guard Hamilton-class cutters bought from the Unite States under the Foreign Military Sale program through the Foreign Assistance Act. These so called high endurance cutters have already seen more than 40 years of service with the USCG before being retired and have all been promoted to frigates in the PN! This despite the fact that they are only armed with a 76mm Oto Melara gun, a 25mm autocannon and half a dozen Ma Deuce type machine guns ... limited anti-submarine warfare ( ASW ) capabilities, no missiles, no close-in weapons system ( CIWS ).

Seal of the Philippine Navy. Wikipedia

Without the proper equipment and support, a tall order for any admiral or sailor.

The two ex-USCG Hamilton-class high endurance cutters reincarnated as PF-15 and PF-16
 with the USN's guided missile destroyer DDG-56 USS John S. McCain during
CARAT 2014. PF-17 had only been commissioned on 21 Jul 2016
and of course would not have been in the photo. USN Photo

A ragtag flotilla of small boats belonging to the PN and PCG during CARAT 2012.
From front to back coastal patrol craft BRP Salvador Abcede (PG 114),
the corvette BRP Miguel Malvar (PS 19), the Philippine coast guard patrol boat
PCG Pampanga (SARV 003) and BRP IloIlo (PS 32).
The biggest ship in the back ground is the USS Vandegrift ( FFG-48 ),
an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate of the USN. Photo USN

It has been considered the weakest among the South East Asian navies for years, partly a victim of successions of corrupt and/or ineffective leadership that had emptied the coffers of the nation. It didn't help when at one time the Philippines decided to focus its military resources on internal security and fighting Islamic insurgents at the expense of countering external threats to its exclusive economic zone ( EEZ ) and sovereignty.

It was only after losing Mischief Reef and Scarborough Shoal to China that the Filipinos finally realized the dire state of their military and resolved to embark on a renewed Armed Forces of the Philippines ( AFP ) modernization program, the previous effort having failed during the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997. In Dec 2012, under the administration of Benigno Aquino III, Congress passed the Republic Act No. 10349, a.k.a. the revised AFP modernization act which extends the modernization program for another 15 years with a budget of PHP 75 billion for the first 5 years. All 3 services of the armed forces would benefit from this upgrading effort. Now, almost 4 years on, we are beginning to see the results of some of these early efforts. The Philippines Air Force had began receiving some of their brand new FA-50 fighters from Korea ( 12 ordered, more considered ) and also their AugustaWestland AW-109 helicopters ( 8 ordered ). The Philippines Army meanwhile gets 114 M-113A2 armoured personnel carriers from ex-US stocks and tens of thousands of new M-4 carbines, RPGs and howitzers.





The PN's newest and biggest vessel the Landing Platform Dock LD-601 BRP Tarlac
 17th May 2016. The A-gun looks missing. Fitted for but not with?  Photo : PN 

SSV number 2 has been launched and christened the BRP Davao Del Sur
( LD-602 ) at the dockyard of PT PAL (Persero) in Surabaya, Indonesia
on 29th Sep 2016. Source PN

 

BRP Davao Del Sur ( LD-602 ) at the dockyard of PT PAL (Persero)
 in Surabaya, Indonesia on 29th Sep 2016. Source PN

For the PN, modernization came in the form of a brand new Landing Platform Dock, the BRP Tarlac, built by Indonesia based on their successful Makassar-class LPD which in turn has Korean origins. It is relatively huge at 11583 tons full load but is only armed with guns and does not have any CIWS installed. The first-in-class LD-601 BRP Tarlac was delivered to the PN only in May this year and was commissioned on 1st Jun 2016 while the second-in-class BRP Davao Del Sur ( LD-602 ) had just been launched on 29th Sep and will be due in 2017. Each ship is said to cost $46 million sans weapons and sensors. They are also known as Strategic Sealift Vessels ( SSV ) in the Philippines.

Also, just last month the Philippine Department of National Defense ( DND ) revealed that the frigate acquisition program launched in Oct 2013 was being finalized. The PN will be getting two modern guided missile frigates or FFGs based on Hyundai Heavy Industries' HDF-3000 multi-purpose frigate design which has been used as the basis for the Republic of Korea Navy's ( RoKN ) Incheon-class frigate. The Incheon-class is also collectively known as the FFX-I frigate.




ROKS Gyeonggi ( FFG-812 ), an Incheon-class frigate of the Republic of Korea Navy,
 fires its main gun while leading a pack of smaller vessels 15th Jan 2016.
 Photo Korean DoD.

It is also worth mentioning that the PN is due to receive a decommissioned Pohang-class patrol combat corvette the ex-ROKS Mokpo ( PCC-759 ) as a recognition of the contribution of Filipino troops during the Korean War. This anti-surface warfare ( ASuW ) version of the Pohang-class corvette is armed with the Aerospatiale ( now MBDA ) MM-38 anti-ship missile ( AShM ), an obsolete version of the Exocet AShM made famous during the Falklands War. Depending on how soon it can be refurbished and handed over, supposedly with all the weapons and sensors intact, this can become the PN's first missile armed combatant. In any case, the PN will soon be entering the missile era, close to fifty years after the rest of the world realized the potential of AShMs with the sinking of the Israeli destroyer INS Eilat by Egyptian fast attack missile boats. Like they always say, better late than never.

ROKS Jinju ( PCC-763 ), a Pohang-class corvette in a photo dated 19th Oct 2015.
Photo : Korean DoD.

HDF-3000 Multi-purpose Frigate

The HDF-3000 multi-purpose frigate is Hyundai Heavy Industries' winning design for the Republic of Korea Navy's ( ROKN a.k.a. South Korean Navy ) Future Frigate eXperimental ( FFX ) Program. The ROKN has a requirement to replace its fleet of ageing Ulsan-class light frigate, Pohang-class general purpose corvettes and Donghae-class coastal corvettes, a total of 37 vessels all commissioned in the early eighties and rapidly approaching the end of their service life.

The original plan was to build a smaller number of more capable ships to replace the older vessels, namely 24 guided missile frigates ( FFG ) in the 3000 ton class. And just like their earlier destroyer acquisition project the Korean Destroyer eXperimental ( KDX ) Program, the ROKN decided to split the procurement of their future frigates into 3 batches, with each successive generation incorporating the lessons learnt during the construction of the previous batch.

The FFX Program was initiated in the early 2000s and by the time the Batch I ( FFX-I ) design was finalized, the frigate had its tonnage reduced to 2300 tons. A total of 6 ships will be produced and the construction of the first frigate was awarded to Hyundai Heavy Industries ( HHI ) in 2010. Today the FFX Batch I frigates are of course known as the Incheon-class FFG following the naming of the first-in-class the ROKS Incheon. It was launched on 29th Apr 2011 and commissioned on 17th Jan 2013. HHI would also go on to build the second and third frigate but the construction of the last three ships was awarded to STX Offshore And Shipbuilding. The first 5 frigates are already in active service with the ROKN while the last frigate will be commissioned by the end of the year. Each FFX Batch I frigate is said to cost USD 232 million.

Meanwhile, construction of the first FFX Batch II frigate ROKS Daegu had already commenced at Daewoo Shipbuilding And Marine Engineering in 2015. The eventual number of FFX frigates procured will be between 18 to 24 vessels, all by the year 2020.

The Incheon-class FFX-I has the following specifications :

Displacement :                       2300 Tons ( Empty )
                                               3251 Tons ( Full Load )

Length :                                 114m
Beam :                                   14m
Draft                                      4m

Propulsion :                           Combined Diesel or Gas ( CODOG ), 2 Shafts
                                              2 x MTU 12V 1163 TB83 Diesel Engines
                                              2 x GE LM2500 Gas Turbine

Speed :                                  30 knots ( Maximum )
                                              18 knots ( Cruising )
Range :                                  4500 nautical miles
Complement :                       145 to 170

Sensors :                               SPS-550K Search Radar
                                              SPG-540K Fire Control Radar
                                              SQS-240K Hull-mounted sonar
                                              Electro-Optical Targeting System
                                              Infra-Red Search and Tract System

Processing Systems :            Samsung Thales Naval Shield Integrated Combat Management System

Electronic Warfare :             LIG Nex1 SLQ-200(V)K SONATA EW Suite

Decoys :                               KDAGAIE Mk2 decoys

Armament :                          1 x Mk45 Mod 4 127mm/L62 Naval Gun
                                             1 x 20mm Phalanx Block 1B CIWS
                                             1 x RIM-116B Rolling Airframe Missile Launcher with 21 rounds
                                             2 x 4 SSM-700K Hae Sung ( C-Star ) Anti-Ship Missiles
                                             2 x 3 K745 Chung Sang Eo ( Blue Shark ) Torpedoes

Aircraft :                              Super Lynx or AW-159 Wildcat
Aviation Facilities :             Flight Deck and Hangar for 1 x Medium Lift Helicopter

  



ROKS Incheon ( FFG-811 ), the first of Korea's FFX-I guided missile frigate class.
Photo : Korean DoD.

FFX-I Capabilities

The HDF-3000 frigate has only a somewhat stealthy hull and superstructure design with reduced acoustic and infrared signatures due to cost constrains. Compared to the older corvettes and frigates that it is supposed to replace, these next generation frigates are definitely much more capable, especially in the area of self-protection. In Mar 2010, the sinking of the ROKS Cheonan by a torpedo from a North Korean submarine is a stark reminder of the importance of ship defense systems. The Cheonan is a Pohang-class corvette which the FFX was meant to replace.

The new frigates will have both gun and missile based close-in weapon systems against precision munitions, AShMs, hostile aircrafts, UAVs and small boats. Batch I vessels will however not be installed with any torpedo and acoustics countermeasures ( TACM ) system. That will have to wait till Batch II and beyond.

The relatively large 5 inch ( 127mm ) main gun with its greater range is good for providing naval gunfire support during amphibious landings by the Marines.

A hull-mounted sonar and two triple torpedo launchers plus the naval helicopter gives these frigate credible ASW capabilities. The addition of a towed array sonar system ( TASS ) in Batch II will further enhance the submarine hunting capabilities of these frigates.

The two quadruple launcher for the LIG Nex1 C-Star ( Hae Sung ) AShM gives the frigates a long range strike capability against surface vessels up to 150km away, a slight increase in range compared to the Harpoon missile. Batch II frigates will be installed with the Hae Sung II which features GPS/INS guidance and land attack capability. The ROKN has now also decided to retrofit the Batch I frigates with the Hae Sung II.

In essence, just by looking at the technical specifications, the Incheon-class FFX Batch I frigates can be considered low-end inshore general purpose frigates, built specifically for the ROKN to counter the North Korean threat which is largely littoral in nature. Apart from the lack of a TASS and a TACM system, the other glaring shortfall is their lack of medium or long range surface-to-air missiles to provide a broader air defense capabilities beyond self-protection. Then again, these frigates are supposed to operate in coastal waters close to home where they can enjoy the protection of the Republic of Korean Air Force ( ROKAF ) and ground based air defense units. They can also rely on the air defense umbrella provided by the ROKN's better equipped KDX destroyers and the FFX Batch II frigates which will have the longer ranged K-SAAM missiles in vertical launchers.

The C Star AShM being fired from a corvette. Photo : LIG Nex1

The C Star emerging from its canister launcher. Photo LIG Nex1

The C Star missile. Photo : LIG Nex1

The Philippine Navy's Frigate Acquisition Project 

Having considered and eventually dropping the idea of buying two refurbished Italian Navy Maestrale-class frigates due largely to the perceived increase in maintenance costs for older ships, the Philippine Department of National Defense launched this two-ship Frigate Acquisition Project in October 2013 to fulfill the PN's long-range maritime surveillance, patrol, and interdiction requirements. It had been allocated PHP 18 billion in total for the project, PHP 16 billion for the construction of the frigates and PHP 2 billion for the munitions. Credit has to go to the previous Aquino Administration for initiating this long overdue revamp of the navy.

There were several contenders for the project initially and they include Navantia of Spain with its Avante 2200 Combatant , STX France with its modified Floreal-class offering, Garden Reach Shipbuilds and Engineers of Kolkata with its modified Kamorta-class ASW corvette, Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering with ? FFX-II and of course Hyundai Heavy Industries with the modified HDF-3000 Incheon-class FFX design.


 

 

Indian Navy ASW corvette INS Kamorta during sea trials. Wikipedia

 

All had to modify their designs one way or other to suit the operational requirements and the budget of the PN. Needless to say, each have their own strengths and weaknesses and it was up to the PN to evaluate and decide which would be of most value.

 

The program had already gone through the first round of bidding in Dec 2013 but suffered the usual delays commonly encountered in the defense procurement processes in the Philippines, namely administrative and financial hurdles. After two years of waiting, it somehow got kick-started again in December 2015 when then President Aquino gave the final approval for the DND to initiate a new tender process with a revised technical specifications list that filled 71 pages. Here's a summary of what the DND wanted.

 

Two new construction multi-mission frigates for Anti-Air Warfare ( AAW ), Anti-Surface Warfare ( ASuW ), Anti-Submarine Warfare ( ASW ) and Electronic Warfare ( EW ) operations. They must be at least 95m in length and not less than 2000 tons. They must have an endurance of 4500 nautical miles at 15 knots and able to sustain 30 days of operations at sea.

 

For engines, the DND asked for Combined Diesel and Diesel Configuration ( CADAD ). The frigates will have to incorporate stealth characteristics to reduce their radar, infra-red and acoustic signatures. The vessels will also have additional space and power to cater for the future installation of an 8-cell vertical launch system ( VLS ) for surface-to-air missiles ( SAM ), close-in weapons system ( CIWS ) and a Towed Array Sonar ( TAS ) system. They will have a hangar to accommodate a 10 ton and the ability to embark a 12 ton helicopter.

 

They will be armed with the following :

 

76mm main gun capable of engaging air and surface targets at a burst rate of 120 rounds per min.

30 to 40mm secondary gun with Electro-optical fire director that can be remotely operated

4 or more 0.5 inch machine guns

Surface-to surface missiles with a range of 150km in two twin launchers

Surface-to-air missiles with a range of 6km in two trainable twin launchers

Light weight torpedoes in two triple launchers

 

Of course there were the usual combat system and sensors and counter measures specifications, like a 3D search radar with a range of 100 nautical miles for air and 40 nm for surface targets ...

 

There were only four bidders for the second and final round. The outcome of the bidding was such that Daewoo and Navantia were eliminated early due to their failure to submit all necessary documents. GRSE submitted the lowest bid, at PHP 15.047 billion ( then USD 324 million ), but was disqualified for failure to comply with the Net Financial Contracting Capacity requirement, an indicator used by the government to gauge a contractor's ability to fulfill a contract. HHI was the second lowest bidder at PHP 15.744 billion ( USD 341 million ) and survived the post qualification scrutiny and thus was declared the winner.

 

 

FFX Minus

 

There is a saying, when you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. The Incheon-class frigates cost USD 232 million each. The DND is paying USD 341 million for two frigates, so some features had to be given up for sure. 

 

What the final configuration of the frigates will be only the PN and Duterte knows for now. The specifications list contained all the signs of penny pinching, like having all-diesel engines instead of the more common and versatile gas turbine-diesel combination. Gas turbines may be more expensive to operate compared with diesel engines but they are essential for the rapid acceleration and the high speed dashes during combat. Some of these cost cutting measures may even have a direct impact on the ability of the frigates to fulfill their intended roles, like asking for very short range air defense missiles ( 6km ?! ) when the frigates were supposed to conduct Anti-Air Warfare? The 8 cell VLS is a distant proposition that may or may not happen, depending on you guessed it, available funds. All it takes is another monster typhoon to crush that future upgrade. And with global warming these once in a century super storms are occurring two or three times annually. Also, with the frigates fitted for but not with a CIWS, they are just sitting ducks for the YJ-8 ( C-802 ) and YJ-18 AShM from the Chinese fleet at the outbreak of hostilities. It could be a case of being penny wise but pound foolish, or shall we say, sentimo wise but piso foolish, where failure to install a USD 8 million Phalanx CIWS ( or other missile-based CIWS ) might have resulted in the loss of a USD 170 million frigate.

 

 

The Phalanx CIWS in action onboard USS Stout ( DDG-55 ).
It is unwise to omit the installation of a CIWS just to save a few pennies. USN Photo

 

 

 

That said, even a watered down FFX-I frigate is a vast improvement on the current line up of the guns-only vessels of the Philippine Navy fleet. When they are delivered, hopefully by the year 2020, the PN will have to rapidly integrate the new frigates into the fleet and attain proficiency in operating the new weapon systems that come with the frigates. The admiralty will have to develop new tactics and joint operations doctrines and put the newly acquired frigates to good use. A stronger PN is not only good for the Philippines but also good for the stability of the region, and will be a useful deterrence against further Chinese expansion in the South China Sea.

 

Lastly, it's just as well the PN frigates won't be equipped with land attack cruise missiles. The constant worry is that Madman Duterte, having lost his beloved Jet Ski, might decide to appropriate the frigates and use them against the estimated 3 million drug peddlers and petty criminals of his own country. Death by 76mm HE. That for sure will escalate the War against Drugs of the Philippines to a whole new level.