Feature 1 | Corvettes, Frigates, Destroyers
say: “Our procurement programmes for from Babcock Marine, BAE Systems, BVT January 2009 to undertake a first options
the next decade will have a generation- Surface Fleet, BMT Defence Services, review for C1. It examined 35 different
changing impact on the Royal Navy, its QinetiQ, and Thales). It has been working design variables, using an equity tool to
people and those who support us. FSC to derive a high-level specification for the trade cost against capability, to produce
in all its forms will, over the longer term, C1 variant. a baseline design concept in the order of
represent 30-40% of the front-line navy BVT, as designated whole ship lead 6000tons displacement.
in steady state. Industry and the Ministry contractor and systems integrator, will
must work together to enable the vision for take over the design lead from the NDP innovative design features
a mutually beneficial, enduring military in the Assessment Phase – expected to One innovative characteristic embodied in
capability, effectively delivered.” start towards the end of 2009 – which will the initial design baseline is a stern ramp
be a precursor to a Main Gate investment and aft payload bay area. This provides an
Joint cost model decision expected in the 2013 timeframe. intrinsic agility and flexibility to embark
BVT announced in February that, in The assessment phase will be split into two different payloads such as special forces
partnership with the MoD’s Defence stages: a nine-month analysis of options boats, a towed array sonar, or unmanned
Equipment and Support (DE&S) intended to lead to a final design freeze in vehicles.
organisation’s Surface Combatants the third quarter of 2010; and a detailed Two power and propulsion options
Directorate, it would “work on the design phase lasting around two-and- are being taken forward for further
development of the costed assessment a-half years to mature the design in study: a combined diesel electric and gas
phase [for C1], prepare a joint cost model preparation for manufacture. arrangement; and an integrated electric
for the whole life of the programme and The FSC programme represents the propulsion architecture. The latter remains
analysis of the supply chain”. This activity core load for the UK’s naval construction a favoured option, but its realisation will
– designed to bridge the concept and industry in the era after the delivery of largely hinge on the development of a
assessment phases – will extend through the two Queen Elizabeth class aircraft new generation of more compact 20MW
to May 2009. An Initial Gate submission is carriers. The current planning assumption propulsion motor.
now planned for September 2009. is for a class of 18 ships (10 C1 variants One significant innovation for FSC is
The FSC programme is currently entering service from around 2020, to be the development of a joint cost model
nearing the end of a year-long concept followed by eight C2 ships from around recognised by both industry and the MoD.
phase being led by the Naval Design 2030) entering service at an approximate This aims to provide a clearer view of the
Partnership (which combines MoD rate of one per year. cost/risk areas at an earlier stage, and an
personnel with industry resource drawn An FSC programme board convened in analysis of the supply chain will identify
risks inherent in supply to ensure it can
meet the demands of the FSC programme.
the FsC is intended
BMT Defence Services Ltd last year
to replace the
completed a technology assessment
royal Navy’s type
and road-mapping study for FSC. This
22 Batch 3 and
produced a broad set of detailed technology
type 23 frigates
roadmaps, technology maturity assessments
(shown here)
and identified potential technologies for
inclusion in the FSC concept design.
Technology risk reduction is regarded
as a key thrust going forward, with a
need to focus on process/design strategy,
common design modules, and the scope
for equipment/capability cross-decking.
The assumption is that when FSC goes
through Initial Gate, proposed equipment
solutions should be at least at Technology
Readiness Level (TRL) 4, and at TRL 7 by
the time the programme transitions Main
Gate around 2013.
Another important consideration for
the FSC programme is a desire to penetrate
export markets. While the C1 design itself
is likely to be specific to the Royal Navy,
there is an intention to make the platform
sufficiently modular to enable variants to
have wider international appeal. WT
14 Warship Technology May 2009
p12-13-14_WT_May09.indd 14 16/04/2009 12:10:19
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