Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1258433
small motorboats, as well as anti-ship missiles or small UAVs. The radar would also be tasked with controlling the air ops carried out by the embarked helicopter or ship's own UAV. It would also be used to direct artillery fire. Both radars will be able, thanks to simultaneous electronic shaping of multiple beams, to carry out numerous tasks at once, ranging from the scanning of the airspace, through tracking of specific targets, to finish with communica- tions between the vessel and the anti-aircraft missiles. The vessels will have two AN/SPG-62 radars for the semi-active seeker missiles such as SM-2 MR Standard or Raytheon ESSM Block I and II. These radars would cover the bow and stern sectors. One would be installed within the integrated mast structure, while the second is to be placed on top of the hangar, in the rear. The final piece of the radar puzzle would come in the form of two S and X-band navigation ra- dar, including one "silent" LPI sensor. The mast is also going to accommodate the IFF system with active antennas. The system would be capable of working, simultaneously, in military and civil modes. ADS-B system receiver will act as an extra means of support here. ELECTRONIC WARFARE The electronic warfare suite includes the RIGEL i110 device that is responsible for classifying and localizing the radar emitters (R-ESM) with integrated mast with phased antenna arrays, along with the COMINT subsystem and active R-ECM jammer. The electronic warfare suite, as a whole, is expected to be capable of jamming 16 sensors at once. It is also going to make it possible to jam the enemy radio communi- cations within the low-frequency range. Its antennas would offer active scanning and the T-R modules would utilize the GaN technology. Link 16 datalink is going to be the final element of the whole set of hardware, along with heli- copter communication systems and TACAN re- ceivers. The vessels are also going to be fitted with a full set of radio communication systems, including a satellite communications suite. SENSOR The F-110 frigates will be fitted with two types of optoelectronic sensors. The first system is going to consist of four i110 IRST modules. Each is going to feature a daytime camera and thermal imagers (medium and long IR wavelengths). The solution is to be capable of carrying out constant, 360-deg monitoring of the surface and air. It would be tasked with en- hancing the situational awareness, especially when a necessity would emerge to limit the EM spectrum emissions. The sensors would also serve as a navigation aid, especially in tough weather conditions and in busy waterways. The IRST sensors would be coupled with daytime/ thermal imaging optoelectronics with variable focal lengths, laser designators, and laser rangefinder. All of the sensors and radio-electronic systems listed here (apart from the AN/SPG-62 radar and the comms suite) are going to be fitted onto the integrated MASTIN mast, with a shape of an octagonal pyramid. The mast is also go- ing to accommodate communication antennas and helicopter navigation support antennas. The mast design takes into account the con- temporary requirements related to the effort aimed at diminishing the vessel's RCS. ARMAMENT The artillery armament set includes the 127 mm Leonardo (OTO Melara) 127/64 LW (Light- weight) naval gun that can also fire the VOL- CANO extended range ammunition. Navantia FABA Dorna 2 system placed on top of the bridge, at the base of the mast, would be used for fire control purposes. It features a K-band radar, thermal imaging camera, a daytime cam- era, and a laser rangefinder. The artillery is to be complemented by 6 Sentinel 30 stations featuring the 30 mm Bushmaster II guns and .50-cal. M2HB machine guns, mounted as needed. Two Lockheed Martin Mark 41 VLS modules (16 individual "canisters" in total) have been in- stalled behind the medium caliber gun. Inside, ESSM Block 2 and SM-2MR missiles would be stored. The quantity of canisters within the VLS is a matter that evokes most of the doubts NAVY