Frigates — ‘working horses’ of fleets

The frigates, the "working horses" of the fleets, have been a major class of multi-tasking combat ships of the world for decades. Currently, at various stages, there are programs of building such units for several major naval forces. This concerns both our allies and the Russian Federation, whose aggressive behaviour drives a new military confrontation.

The frigates remain the core of the fleets, providing the ability to defend against all threats in the marine theatre of action – including the most difficult to eliminate – from the air and from under water. However, modern ships of this class are also a link of combined forces, i.e. they are adapted to interact with other ship unions, as well as with land and air forces in a joint defense operation.

Together with them, they are able to detect and eliminate threats from the sea direction and in the air, providing defence to military and civilian facilities in the coast, as well as important forces such as the Marine Rocket Unit in our case. In such cases, ‘tipped’ into the aviation and frigate system may provide each other with information on the location of the targets and fight them with adequate means, as appropriate.

But modern frigates are not just for defense in symmetrical conflict. There is increasingly talk of threats to so-called maritime critical infrastructure. Following the destruction of both strands of the Nord Stream pipeline, another victim was the Balticconnector pipeline, running across the Baltic and connecting the Republic of Finland to the Republic of Estonia. The Republic of Poland is also dependent on the supply of energy raw materials with underwater tubes and specialized ships, methane ships. The continuity of their transport is a key issue for the national economy. This means ensuring safety in waters linked to the transfer of gas and oil.

The surveillance of these zones, often remote, requires the use of vessels of sufficient size to ensure the long-term service and comfort of the crew in difficult sea conditions. You can't use trawlers or even Kormoran II mine destroyers. The frigates of the European states also carry out important expeditionary missions, related to participation in NATO-wish, EU or UN anti-piracy or humanitarian operations.

The development of a new generation of such technically complicated ships takes at least a decade, and the subsequent construction of the series, counting from the moment of signing the contract. It is not surprising, therefore, that the most important fleets continue to care about this aspect of development, planning subsequent generations of frigates as soon as the state finances allow it.

Our review will cover some examples of current "Western" and - for comparison - Russian frigates.

_{Photo. Visualization of Australian Hunter-type frigate. The ship uses the GCS platform, based on British 26/City frigates. An important distinction is the mast integrated into the CEAFAR2 system. The units are optimised for the activities of the ZOP.}

Australian Hunters

On December 14, 2018, the Australian government signed with ASC Shipbuilding, now known as BAE Systems Maritime Australia, for the construction of a Hunter-type frigate under Project SEA 5000 Phase 1. It includes nine vessels optimised to combat submarines (ZOPs), which in the 1930s will replace eight currently operating in the Royal Australian Navy, upgraded frigate MEKO 200 ANZAC.

The Hunters' design is based on the British Global Combat Ship (GCS), an export version of a 26/City frigate, formed for the Royal Navy. The series is built at the BAE Systems Maritime Australia shipyard in Osborne near Adelaide. The cutting of sheets for the production of prototype hull sections began in December 2022. The initial budget is AUD 6 billion, but it is certainly not the end of spending.

Australian frigates will be able to carry out various missions independently or as part of a task force, with sufficient scope and autonomy to operate effectively throughout the Canberry area of interest. The use of new construction solutions will also make them flexible to fulfil non-military roles such as humanitarian aid and disaster relief.

Ships will have a full displacement of about 8800 t and dimensions of 145.9×20.8 m. Drive in the CODLOG system, consisting of a Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine, four MTU internal-electric generators and two electric motors, working on two fixed-stroke screws, will allow to reach a speed of 27 knots, and the range is 7000 Mm. The crew will create 180 men, but 208 seats are provided. Additional may be used by special forces operators or staff officers in the case of use of the unit as command ship.

A frigate whose important task will be to combat submarines, was designed for this role from scratch. This gym can operate in silent mode using electric motors. The underwater part of the hull in the gym area will be covered with anechoic cover cubes (similar to those used on some submarines) additionally suppressing machine noise.

This solution was first applied on a submarine. For the search for the underwater enemy, the unit will receive a hydrolocation system consisting of an ultra S2150 hull sonar and towed low frequency Thales S2087 (CAPTAS 4), using a passive linear and active antenna with variable towing depth. Battle of submarines will provide light electric torpedoes EuroTorp MU90 Impact launched from launcher on ship and carried by Lockheed helicopter Martin Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk. The latter has at its disposal a hangar and landing site with landing aid and horizontal transport facilities.

Air defenses will be created by RTX Standard SM-2 Block IIIC and ESSM (probably BLock 2), launched from the Lockheed vertical launcher Martin Mk 41 VLS (32 chambers up to 32 SM-2 or 128 ESSM). For combating naval and land purposes, the units will receive the Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace NSM and 127 mm BAE Systems Mk 45 Mod 4. In addition, the frigates will be armed with: two 20 mm RTX Mk 15 Block 1A Phalanx sets, two 30 mm DS30M Mk 2 cannon, Ultra S2170 Surface Ship Torpedo Defence (SSTD) antitorped traps, and launchers of active means of disrupting missile guidance heads in the BAE Systems Australia Nulka radio-location band.

The basic technical observation system, much more advanced than in British City, will be the CEA Technologies CEAFAR2 (CEA Phased-Array) radio-location system with wall antennas integrated into the structure of the integrated mast. It includes the long-range CEAFAR-L subsystem, CEAFAR-S multi-function radar and CEAMOUNT missile fire control system (target illumination). The mast will also have integrated sensors for optoelectronic systems and electronic combat. The combat management system will provide Lockheed Martin and it will be the famous Aegis integrated into the 9LV fire management subsystem interface developed locally by Saab Australia.

An important novelty will be the mission deck that was located on the midship. This space will accommodate large motorized hybrid boats, unmanned na- and underwater, and air containers with special and additional equipment. It will be equipped with lifting and launching equipment. The cargo hold has easy access to the helicopter hangar on the stern, so that the equipment stored there can be converted to a rotor and vice versa.

The initial operational capacity of the first HMAS Flinders series is expected to be reached by 2031.

_{Photo. Model of Canadian frigate type Canadian Surface Combatant. It's another GCS incarnation. Attention is drawn to the mission deck on the midship which holds alternatively task equipment. Importantly, he will do so not at the expense of a permanent combat system, but in addition to it, if necessary.}

"Canadian irrigated warriors"

Canada is another country that in search of its successors frigate reached for the British GCS project. Ottawa plans to build as many as 15 frigates under the Canadian Surface Combatant program to replace the 12 Halifax units used today. Ships for the Royal Canadian Navy will differ from British and Australian, but the essential systems and construction of the platform will remain largely unified. As you can imagine, the main differences come down to the fighting system.

The Canadian version will be armed by a multichannel air defense system MBDA UK Sea Ceptor with guided short-range missile CAMM (Common Anti-air Modular Missile). This weapon will be fired from the Lockheed Martin Extensible Launcher System (ExLS), related to the Mk 41 family (same design solutions, electronic instrumentation etc.). ExLS have three chambers each of which houses four CAMMs.

Sea Ceptor provides effectiveness in self-defense, thanks to a short reaction time and the ability to launch further rockets rapidly, allowing to fight several threats simultaneously. The so-called cold start technology – Soft Vertical Launch (SVL) – provides a circular firing zone (360°) and flexibility in short-distance combat. An important feature of CAMMs is an active radio-location missile guidance system that makes it unnecessary to highlight the target from the ship. The CAMM head itself seeks the target in the final flight phase. The system also has a radio connection to update the location data of the attack object.

Apart from them, the frigates will receive a 32-chamber Mk 41 launcher for mid-range SM-2 Block IIIC anti-aircraft missiles. Another difference is the cannon. Canada chose Leonardo OTO Melara 127/64 LW Vulcano. She also decided to purchase NSMs, which means that all three countries building frigates based on type 26 will have the same universal missiles. In addition, the frigates will receive two 30 mm Leonardo MARLIN-WS cannons, two triple light torpedo launchers RTX Mk 54, also carried by a helicopter. The latter will be heavy Lockheed Martin Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone, for which an extensive landing and hangar is provided.

Electronic equipment is intended to cover the Lockheed Martin AN/SPY-7 multi-function radio-location station with AESA wall active antennas with phased array, working in X and S bands, as well as optoelectronic observation and fire control systems. The ZOP system will use the same sonars as for the Australian Hunters. Lockheed Martin Canada will provide CMS 330 combat management system, and OSI Maritime Systems will equip an integrated navigation bridge.

The technical project is currently under development and the construction of the prototype should begin next year. The production will be handled by Irving Shipbuilding shipyard in Halifax. The estimated cost is up to CAD 56-60 billion!

^{Photo: Belgian-Dutch program will result in frigates to combat submarines.}

Benelux ZOP frigates

On the way to the acquisition of new frigates, interestingly enough, also optimised for the activities of the ZOP, are the Kingdom of Belgium and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. At the beginning of 2018, defence ministers of these countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding whereby both navys decided on an identical weapon system, in the choice of which one country leads the tender. Belgium is responsible for exchanging currently operating Tripartite mine destroyers and the Netherlands for replacing Karel Doorman multitask frigates.

Fregaty will provide a consortium of Damen Naval companies, responsible for the design and construction of ships, and Thales Nederland, which will develop an integrated radio-location and fire management system. Each fleet will receive a pair of frigates. The first for Koninklijke Marine is to be handed over in 2028 and raise the flag in 2029. The second ship will reach Belgium in the second half of 2030, and another pair – respectively – for the Netherlands and Belgium, by 2031. The construction of the four frigates of the ZOP involves an investment worth approximately EUR 3.8 billion.

Belgian-Netherlands frigates of the ZOP will displace 6400 t, with a length of 145 m and a width of 17 m. The primary ZOP system will be LFAPS (Low Frequency Active Passive Sonar). This system, developed by TNO (Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Dutch Science Application Organization), Koninklijke Marine and Canadian company Ultra, uses low frequency sonar.

In addition, frigates will have hull sonar, but this one has not yet been selected. The RTX Mk 54 steam-gas torpedoes launched from ship launchers and dropped from NHindustries NH90 will be used to combat submarines. ZOP sensors and effects will be integrated into the UnderWater Warfare Suite (UWS). The development phase of the national defence system, using the antitorpedo, is also ongoing in TNO.

Although the combat system puts emphasis on the activities of the ZOP, the frigates will also be armed with anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles. Two Mk 41 VLS vertical launcher modules after eight chambers will accommodate ESSM Block 2 missiles, while on the upper deck there will be NSM universal launchers.

The barrel arming will include the latest 76 mm Leonardo Sovraponte cannon with a possible DART guided ammunition (Driven Ammunition Reduced Time of Flight). Data to guide missiles will come from the Thales Nederland Pharos system. In addition to it, frigates will receive two 40 mm cannon Leonardo OTO Marlin 40. A RAM-System Mk 31 RAM missile set (probably Block 2) with an Mk 49 missile launcher for RIM-116 will also be provided.

Ships will be equipped with AWS (Above Water Warfare Suite, a surface combat system), which responds to ever faster approaching anti-ship missiles, unmanned and circular ammunition. AWS create radiolocation systems and information analysis software. This unit is to be integrated into the weaponry – ESSM Block 2 missiles and Sovraponte cannon along with the Pharos fire control system. The detection and detection of threats will be addressed by Thales' radar systems: APAR Block 2 (X band) and Sea Master 400 Block 2 (S band). The new frigate combat management system will also come from Thales and will be a TACTICOS variety.

Despite the size of the ships, the ships will be operated by a small crew of 117 people. In addition, accommodation is provided for an additional 35 people, boated for a specific mission. The latest ministerial publications do not give details of the gym, speed and range of the frigates. It is known that the drive will be electric and diesel engines, gas turbines were abandoned to save money.

^{Photo. Russian project frigates 22350 (here prototype Gorszkow) have strong rocket weapons, especially to combat naval and land targets.}

Russian Admirals

In contrast, it is worth looking at how the question of frigate design was approached by a potential adversary, or Russian Federation.

The frigates of Project 22350 are the first large, militant submarines of the Russian Federation, designed after the dissolution of the USSR. The project was developed by the Northern Design and Construction Office from Petersburg. Their construction at the St. Petersburg North Shipyard has not been as planned since the beginning. It is slow, originally for technical reasons (new weaponry and equipment systems were not ready), breaking off cooperation with companies from Ukraine, which delayed the delivery of components of the gym first ships as well as financial.

The prototypic Admiral of Sowietsko Sojuza Gorszkow entered service 12 years after the position of the keel, and the second in the series Admiral of the Kasatonov flot – 11 (the banner was raised on July 21, 2020). Currently, six more units of this type are being equipped and constructed, of which two – Admiral Golovko (completes sea trials) and Admiral Flot Soviet Sojuza Isakov represent the base variant, while the other four (Admiral Amielko, Admiral Chiczagov, Admiral Jumashev, Admiral Spiridonov) represent a more heavily armed development version capable of carrying 24 instead of 16 universal missiles.

The ships were designed quite conservatively, as during the Cold War, without taking into account the features of modularity and the ability to reconfigure the equipment for the mission. Even as obvious tasks as inspection of ships or anti-piracy activities are limited, due to the equipping of a frigate into a single, small motor boat (there is also a composite working boat, unfit for such work). They are heavily armed, including systems not yet used in the West.

Russian frigates displace 5400 t and measure 135×16×4.5 m. Two diesel engines and two gas turbines drive two fixed-stroke screws and provide a speed of 29 knots and a range of 4000 mm. The crew is about 200 people.

The main offensive weapon of the Gorszkow frigate is the Kalibr-NK missile system, which consists of guided 3M54 anti-ship missiles, maneuvering to combat remote land targets 3M14 and rocket torpedoes 91R1 and 91RT2 Otwiet. They are fired from two vertical eight-chamber universal launchers 3S14-22350 UKSK (Univieral Coral strielbowyj complex).

They will also allow the launch of supersonic anti-shipper missiles of the 3M55 system P-800 Onix and even more difficult to combat hypersonic 3M22 system 3K22 Circus. The missile is expected to reach 3M22 speed Ma=8 (about 9800 km/h), as confirmed by tests that Gorszkow also participated in. Its range is estimated at over 500 km (some studies suggest up to 1000 km). Both Oniksy and Cyrkons do not have equivalents on the frigates of NATO states.

Anti-aircraft defense is provided by the 3K96-2 Polimient-Riedut system, unified with a land set S-350 Witiaz. The system consists of mid-range 9M96 missiles and short-range 9M100 launched from four eight-chamber vertical launchers. The latter – like ESSMs or CAMMs – can be installed in the launcher chamber of four. It is a multichannel system that can fight several targets simultaneously, thanks to a multi-purpose 5P20K Polimient radio station. Her wall antennas were integrated into the integrated mast. It is complemented by two rocket-artillery defense sets direct 3M89 Palash. The frigates also have 130 mm A-192M Armat automatic cannon.

A lot of attention was given by the Russians to the ZOP. Project frigates 22350, in addition to the mentioned rockettorped, were armed with the Package-NK system. Two four-tube SM-588 launchers can launch light-duty MTT-powered ZOP torpedoes as well as M-15-powered torpedoes (hard-kill-class torpedo system). It's another system we're not going to meet on Western ships yet, although these are slowly becoming available.

The ZOP also operates with the Kamow Ka-27PŁ helicopter, also armed with torpedoes (APR-3), using hangar and landing ground. For the detection of submarines, a hydrolocation system is designed, consisting of a mid-frequency fuselage sonar Zaria-3.3 and a towed hydrolocation station of variable dive depth Minotawr-ISPN.

Russian frigates have also been equipped with a 5P27 Furke-4 air and water detection radar, an active-passive radio-location targeting system for anti-shipper rockets 34K1 Monolit, a 5P10 Puma artillery fire control system, four observant-target optoelectronic warheads. The total complements the TK-28 electronic combat system and the associated passive disruptors PU-SK and KT-308. The combat management system is Sigma-22350.

^{Photo. Essential parameters of the platform frigate Swordfish. In addition to the elements of the combat system, typical of ships of this class, it is worth paying attention to the possibility of taking four boats and/or submarines and configurable mission space.}

Good for everything?

The frigates as highly multitasking ships, especially those recently designed, are characterized by real multifunctionality. These units can carry out a number of missions in themselves or in ship teams (especially during periods of tension and conflict) related to the important interests of the state. They can long-term, regardless of weather conditions, supervise the exclusive economic zone, protect and defend critical maritime and coastal infrastructure installations, ensure the security and continuity of supply of raw materials, as well as the "normal" trade in maritime roads (which accounts for nearly 90% of the international volume), and, of course, eliminate the threats of strictly military.

In this case, they are equipped and armed to combat aerial assault measures, providing "parasol" to themselves, escorted ships with insufficient capabilities in this area, as well as ships and installations in the coast. In many cases they are optimised to search for submarines, the second after air, threats at sea. All frigates also have artillery and missile weapons to destroy the water targets.

Against the background of the above examples of the newest frigates, Polish Swords come out absolutely modern. They use a proven platform of high autonomy, with a reserve of buoyancy and space for future modifications, as well as an economic gym consisting of diesel engines, guaranteeing one of the largest ranges in this class of ships (8000 Mm). The systems of electronic equipment and weapons designated by the contracting authority, which form an integrated mission system, include modern solutions, and the names of which were often cited above (TACTICOS, CAPTAS, CAMM, Mk 41, Sea Master, MU90 etc.).

This means that the first frigates of Polish construction will be similarly versatile units, which was ordered by large fleets of Western analogues. Air defense systems – not only CAMM missiles, but also CAMM-ER with increased range, and prospectively also far-reaching CAMM-MR – will make the Swords "floating umbrellas" defending our fleet, ships and coastal industrial centres against missile attacks. It is also worth noting that the declared hydrolocation system, including the latest sonars, hull and towed Thales, combined with MU90 torpedoes and the – yet unelected – on-board helicopter, will prevent the enemy from operating in the depths of the Baltic, including from penetrating offshore transmission installations.

In the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine, everything indicates that rhetoric about useless frigates, as "easy targets for rockets", and also as "large for the Baltic", went to lame. The mass production of multitasking ships of this size in NATO and friendly countries, including Baltic states, indicates that the road chosen by Poland is absolutely right. If we continue with it and use the option of producing more Swords in accordance with the agreement, our country will be more able to engage maritime forces in foreign policy and global flag presentation, not only within our sea. That's what our neighbors have been doing for a long time.

Written by: Tomasz Grotnik