Frag Out! Magazine
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when these frigates are assessed. The vessels would only have two Mk 41 modules at their disposal, the bulk, if not all of which would be taken by the ESSM missiles, with the maximum number of these effectors going up to 64 examples. In the case of SM-2MR, a single missile can be placed in a single canister. This will limit the already modest ca- pacity to carry other armaments. The small number of vertical missile canisters is placed somewhat in opposition to six Mk 41 VLS modules (48 canisters) that have been put on the F-100 frigates, with similar displacement. In this context, three types of missile assets are men- tioned, that could complement the F-110's arsenal in the future. The first asset that is an option here comes in a form of missiles capable of striking land targets (e.g. US-made Tomahawk or European MdCN mis- siles), the second one is the anti-submarine missiles that would make it possible to act against submarines at a greater distance. The third and most important asset comes in a form of long-range anti-aircraft missiles. Raytheon SM-6 is the only missile as such. Apart from acting against targets that remain in the Earth's atmosphere, the SM-6 can also act against ballistic missiles in the terminal phase of their flight, and land and naval targets as well. F-110 frigates will also carry 8 anti-ship missiles placed on two racks behind the mast. Spain will most probably choose the US-made AGM- 84 Harpoon Block II+ ER missile here. Mk 54 torpedoes will be used, on the other hand, against the submerged targets, being placed in two triple Mk 32 Mod 9 launchers, on both sides of the superstructure. BAE Systems Mk 36 SRBOC chaff and decoy launching systems would act as the last element of the arsenal, coupled with the Rigel i110. The vessels also have a hangar on board, capable of accommodating two medium embarked helicopters or UAV sets. All of the armament systems, and specialist systems, would be coor- dinated by the SCOMBA F110 combat system. The solution created at Navantia constitutes a derivative of a combat system that had been implemented on the F-100 vessels in the past. Lockheed Martin's Aegis Fire Control loop will be one of the elements of the aforesaid environ- ment. The Aegis system is to be tasked with the management of the air picture. MISSION BAY Following the global trends, the warships will feature 160 square meters mission bay in the rear portion of the superstructure, on the starboard side, parallel to the helicopter hangar on the port side. The mission bay can be accessed thanks to a large gate between the bay and the helipad. Another gate has been arranged on the side, and it is to be used to deploy underwater and surface unmanned vehicles and manned rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIB). These operations, as well as loading and unloading of the equipment when in port, are to be supported by an autonomous loading system. The space within the mission bay is to be rearrangeable, depending on the current mission requirements. The Spanish Navy has identified 17 possible variants of using this space, including accommodation of surface, underwater and aerial unmanned systems, SOF RHIBs, containerized C2 station, or a hospital. The bay could also be used simply as an extra storage space. The space in the bay can also be used, should a need as such emerge, to accommodate the second helicopter. The vessels are expected to have great potential for upgrades. One of the armament systems that are listed as possible future enhancements is the high-energy weap- ons system. FUTURE JSpain spent EUR 41 million to initi- ate the build of those vessels in 2019. During the upcom- ing years, the follow- ing amounts have been allocated to the project: EUR 62 million in 2020, EUR 66 million in 2021, and EUR 115 million in 2023. The expenditure is to grow in the future. On average, over the 8 upcoming years, the spending is to reach the level exceeding EUR 400 million. The current estimate is that Spain would spend EUR 4.3 billion on development and on building the vessels in question, with more than 80% of that amount to be received by the Spanish businesses. Navantia Shipyard in Ferrol would be respon- sible for the works associated with this project. The work focused www.fragoutmag.com