In Germany, laid the third frigate project F125
The contract for the development and construction of four frigates of the project F125 was signed in June 2007. The development and construction of ships was to take up the consortium ARGE, which consisted of several German shipbuilding enterprises. The main contractor, who was entrusted with the main responsibilities for the design and construction, was the company ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. In addition, Fr. plays an important role in the construction program. Lürssen Werft (Bremen). The latter is engaged in the construction of the bow sections of ship hulls. The construction of the feed sections, the docking of the hulls and the installation of all the necessary equipment is carried out at the plant in Hamburg.
Project work under the F125 program lasted about three years, after which enterprises began to prepare for the construction of the lead ship. The lead ship of the project, Baden-Württemberg (Baden-Württemberg), was laid in November 2011. 31 March 2014, this frigate was launched and is now being completed at the wall. In accordance with current plans, Baden-Württemberg is to be transferred to the naval forces in November 2016. October 24 2012 was the year the Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Westphalia) was laid. It is supposed to be floated before the end of the 2014 year. This frigate is to be entered into the naval squadron by October 2017.
According to reports, the third frigate of the project F125 Sachsen-Anhalt should be launched next spring. The handover is scheduled for early fall 2018. In the summer of the 2019 of the German Navy, they are planning to receive the fourth frigate Rheinland-Pfalz ("Rhineland-Palatinate"), whose construction will begin this autumn. The total cost of the construction of the four ships should exceed 2 billion euros, and the cost of each frigate is estimated at 550-650 million euros. It should be noted that estimates of the total cost of the program have already been the subject of criticism.
The project of perspective frigates F125 was developed taking into account the tasks faced by modern ships of this class, including participation in peacekeeping and humanitarian operations. The hull of the ship is designed using stealth technology, and the weapon system allows you to attack not only surface or underwater, but also ground targets. An interesting feature of the new frigates will be the approach to the formation of crews. The German Navy intends to form for each new frigate two crews of 120 people, which can replace each other. Due to this, the ship will be able to work in a given area for a long time. It is alleged that this will bring the amount of combat work of the ship to 5000 hours per year (about 7 months). Maximum crew size is 190 people. The ships will be able to transport up to 50 marines with weapons and equipment.
Ships of the new project have a full displacement of 7200 tons. The total length of the ships is 149,52 m, the maximum hull width is 18,8 m. Draft is 5 m. The hulls and superstructures of the F125 perspective frigates have a characteristic shape formed by several panels connected at different angles. It is argued that this design reduces the visibility of ships for radar detection equipment. The F125 frigates themselves must receive a Cassidian TRS-4D active phased-array radar. In addition, the ships will be equipped with navigation radars, sonar systems, laser irradiation detection systems, etc.
The F125 project ships are equipped with a CODLAG (Combined diesel-electric and gas) class power plant, incorporating diesel-electric and gas turbine systems. According to available data, one General Electric LM 2500 gas turbine engine with 20 MW capacity, four diesel MTU 20V 4000 M53B generators with 2,9 MW capacity and two electric motors with 4,7 MW capacity is installed in the engine compartment of each of the frigates. The power plant of the frigates is built on a two-shaft scheme with two propellers. In this case, it consists of three gearboxes. Two are designed to transmit the torque of electric motors to the screw shafts, and the third connects the gas turbine engine with two main gearboxes. To improve maneuverability, ships are equipped with one thruster with an 1 MW engine.
Combined power plant should provide the new ships with medium handling characteristics. When using diesel generators and electric motors, F125 frigates will be able to move at speeds up to 20 nodes. When connecting a gas turbine engine, the maximum speed should reach 26 nodes. When using only the diesel-electric part of the power plant and driving at an economic speed, the cruising range will be 4000 nautical miles.
F125 type ships will be able to carry additional equipment or necessary cargo. On the sides of the superstructure, there are compartments for accommodating four rigid-hull inflatable boats of a length not exceeding 11 meters. In the aft part of the superstructure there is a hangar for two helicopters of the type NH-90 or similar, and the stern deck is set aside for a take-off and landing area of 490 sq. M. There is a place for transporting one 20-foot container with cargo.
In the forward deck, in front of the superstructure, promising German frigates will carry an Italian-made Otobreda 127 / 64 artillery. Easy installation is equipped with an 127 caliber mm gun and is designed to attack surface or ground targets at ranges up to 33 km. With the use of advanced guided ammunition, the development of which is currently underway, the firing range of the gun can be increased to 120 km. In accordance with the existing contract, Germany will receive five Otobreda 127 / 64 installations. Four will be installed on ships, the fifth will be a trainer for personnel.
To attack small targets (boats and enemy boats) at short distances, ships are equipped with two remotely controlled MLG 27 turrets with Mauser BK 27 automatic guns of 27 mm caliber, as well as five Otobreda Hitrole HK five combat modules with large-caliber machine guns. If necessary, the crew will be able to use several water cannons.
The tasks of the air defense of the new ships are assigned to the short-range anti-aircraft missile system RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile Block II. In the fore and aft parts of the frigates, Mk49 launchers are installed, each of which can accommodate RIM-21 116 missiles. These munitions are designed to protect frigates from enemy anti-ship missiles and are capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 9-10 km.
The main strike weapons of promising frigates will be anti-ship missiles RGM-84 Harpoon. In the middle of the ships of the project F125 there are two quad launchers for such missiles. The use of Harpoon missiles will allow frigates to attack surface and ground targets at ranges up to 130 km. Subsonic-speed ammunition is capable of delivering warheads weighing 227 kg to the target.
The project of frigates F125 used a large number of new ideas and technical solutions, because of which its implementation will continue until the end of this decade. Thus, according to the existing plans, it will take about five years from the bookmark to the delivery of the lead ship Baden-Württemberg. Similarly, plans for the remaining ships of the project, with the exception of the newly laid frigate Saxony-Anhalt, look at construction and testing for a little more than four years.
The frigates of the project F125 will replenish the combat strength of the German Navy in 2016-19. It is assumed that four ships of this type will be able to replace the eight obsolete frigates of the project F122, built since the late seventies. It should be noted that so far only four F122 frigates have remained in the German Navy. From 2012 to 2014, half of these ships were written off due to moral and physical obsolescence. Apparently, when the newest F125 frigates begin their service, the Navy will abandon the four remaining ships of the outdated project.
On the materials of the sites:
http://armstrade.org/
http://marketwatch.com/
http://naval-technology.com/
http://defenseindustrydaily.com/
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