Future Surface Combatant

The Future Surface Combatant is a Royal Navy programme to replace Britain's Type 23 frigates and a variety of smaller escort/patrol ships. The FSC concept has proceeded in fits and starts since the late 1990s, but it has been brought forward in the 2008 budget, at the expense of two Type 45 destroyers being cancelled. [cite web|url=http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/31D096E9-3F41-4633-BEA2-AE62CF97C3AE/0/annrptvol1_200708.pdf|title=Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts Volume I including the Annual Performance Report and Consolidated Departmental Resource Accounts|publisher=Ministry of Defence|format=PDF|date=2008-07-21]

The original FSC was intended as a replacement for the Type 23s, but it has now become an umbrella programme for three new vessels :

*C1 - Force Anti-Submarine Warfare Combatant (formerly Versatile Surface Combatant)- around ten large vessels for high-threat environments
*C2 - Stabilisation Combatant (formerly Medium Sized Vessel Derivative) - around eight cheaper vessels
*C3 - Ocean-Capable Patrol Vessel - around eight smaller ships to replace minesweepers and possibly current patrol ships.

C1 and C2 may share a common hull of around 6000 tonnes - the Type 45 hull and a new trimaran design have both been mooted as possibilities. The C3's will be smaller, 2000-3000 tonnes.

Background

At the end of the Cold War the Royal Navy was principally an anti-submarine force designed to keep the North Atlantic clear of Russian submarines. The first of a new class of frigates, the Type 23 "Duke" class had come into service in November 1987. These were advanced anti-submarine warfare (ASW) designs but were less suitable as general purpose escorts, having limited anti-surface capabilities and short-range anti-air missiles. Since they were intended to spend their working lives towing sonar arrays through the North Atlantic, it was expected that their service lives would be just 18 years and a replacement would be needed by around 2005.

History

Planning for a replacement escort vessel started in 1998 with the ordering of a research vessel, the RV "Triton", to study whether a trimaran design was practical for such a large and complex vessel.

By 2001 it was becoming clear that a more general purpose design was required, with better anti-surface and shore bombardment capabilities. A variety of advanced designs were proposed by industry, including several multihulls of 6000-9000 tonnes, and even a "mothership" carrying four smaller ships of 1500 tonnes. However budget pressures escalated as the cost of the new carriers and Type 45s became apparent in the early 2000s. In 2004 plans switched to a two-class solution, one a surface combat version of the Type 45 and the other a smaller "Global Corvette", but the programme was cancelled on 25 November 2004.

Meanwhile it had become apparent that the Type 23s were having a much easier life than originally planned, and would last into the 2020s if given appropriate mid-life upgrades. For instance, in August 2008 it was announced that they will receive the new Insyte Artisan 3D search radar. However the four remaining Type 22s would still need replacing between 2015-2020. So work on replacements continued, but at a low intensity. In March 2005, the plan was still for a two-class solution, a cheaper Medium Sized Vessel Derivative entering service in 2016-9 and a more capable Versatile Surface Combatant entering service around 2023. [cite web|url=http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200405/cmhansrd/vo050316/text/50316w05.htm|title=House of Commons Hansard - Written Answers for 16 Mar 2005: Column 265W|date=2005-03-16|publisher=House of Commons] In early 2006 the MoD started a Sustained Surface Combatant Capability (S2C2) programme which explored synergies between the FSC and other needs, for minesweepers, patrol ships and survey ships.

By early 2007 this had crystallised into the three requirements - C1, C2 and C3 - mentioned above, and this is the form that the FSC programme is expected to take with the green light given by Planning Requirement 2008 (PR08). The FSC has yet to become a formal project within the MoD, at present it is the responsibility of a section within the MoD's Frigates Integrated Project Team. [cite web|url=http://www.mod.uk/defenceinternet/microsite/des/ourteams/sea/frigatesintegratedprojectteam.htm|title=Frigates Integrated Project Team|publisher=Ministry of Defence|date=2007-06-14|accessdate=2008-10-07]

Proposals

The most pressing need is the replacement of the four Batch 3 Type 22 frigates from 2015. This C2 requirement (formerly the MSVD) could be met by an "off the shelf" purchase of the Franco-Italian FREMM multi-role frigate, or a version of the Type 45 destroyer optimised for ASW and surface warfare. Other vessels that have been proposed for the FSC requirement in the past include :

DML Frigate Concept (FC65)

At DSEi 2005 in September, DML Group unveiled a new frigate design concept known as FC65. The FC65 is a high speed, long range, surface combatant, intended to offer good capability in both offensive and defensive roles. Approaching 150 metres in length and with a displacement of 6,600 tonnes loaded, the vessel is powered by twin MT30 gas turbines, with four large waterjets that allow it to reach its speed capability of 35 knots while being sufficiently efficient to provide over 7,000 nautical miles endurance. Two Merlin helicopters can be hangared, and the flight deck can accommodate large rotorcraft.

The FC65 features a versatile vertical launch system for both offensive and defensive stores, and has a Mk45 5-inch gun to provide shore bombardment support. Special Forces are catered for in the flexible internal cargo deck aft. This can be re-configured for military or non-military tasks. At 40 metres long and 12 metres wide, the space is large enough to allow transportation of a wide range of vehicles, stores, boats, personnel or other cargo.

The design deliberately focuses on rapid adaptability, and can be rapidly reconfigured for military and non-military roles and duties ranging from benign and constabulary to Task Group command and Land Attack/ASW functions. The platform has been optimised to allow sustained global operations with high endurance, and has the ability both to undertake a wide range of tasks unsupported, and to command task group operations.

Global Corvette

In an attempt to save the original FSC programme, the MoD issued a Request for Information (RFI) in early 2004 for a smaller class of ship known as the Global Corvette. Low running costs and the ability to operate forward in shallow, coastal areas where larger ships cannot, were both important. BAE Systems, VT Group, Thales and Rolls-Royce responded in Autumn 2004 with concepts ranging from a well equipped Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) of 1500 tonnes to an advanced and very capable "corvette" of 3000 tonnes, along the lines of the USN's Littoral Combat Ship programme (LCS).

With the inclusion of minesweepers and patrol ships in the FSC C3 requirement, it now looks like the "junior" member of the FSC family will be a low cost vessel that emphasises flexibility. VT have proposed a 3000 tonne version of their Project Khareef OPV, [cite web|url=http://www.janes.com/events/exhibitions/dsei2007/sections/daily/day1/vt-unveils-new-fsc-concep.shtml|title=VT unveils new FSC concept|publisher=Janes|date=2007-09-10] with room for two 20' ISO containers that would host a variety of "mission packs" for minesweeping, special forces, disaster relief and so on.

ee also

The Royal Navy in the 21st Century

External links

* [http://www.btinternet.com/~warship/Today/fsc.htm Future Surface Combatant] - The Royal Navy Postwar
* [http://navy-matters.beedall.com/fsc.htm Navy Matters] Future Surface Combatant after 2004 - good overview
* [http://navy-matters.beedall.com/fsc-pre2005.htm Navy Matters] FSC until 2004 - lots of pictures of the trimaran concepts

Notes and references