NationStates Jolt Archive

New ship class announced by the Ministry of Defense

COTLANDSTAD (ICN): Earlier today, the Ministry of Defense announced its intentions to build a new class of coastal patrol vessels. The new class, which is 122 meters long and can reach a top speed of 39 knots has been dubbed the 'Special' class.

For its size, it has an impressive arsenal which consists of a single 3-inch cannon, sixteen VLS cells and two triple torpedo tubes, as well as two CWIS systems and a single twentyone-cell launcher for the close defense missile system known as RAM.

The 'Special' class are to be a cheap and expendable vessel with exceptional capabilities. A total of 456 vessels will be constructed for the Coast Guard. The Ministry of Defense also announced that the 'Special' class will be open for export to foreign nations, for the price tag of $370 million.


-----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------

Special class
COASTAL PATROL CORVETTE

http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/karel/images/karel8s.jpg


Length: 122 meters
Width: 14,4 meters
Beam: 6,2 meters
Displacement: 3 600 metric tons

Power Plant: 2x CTD-490 diesel engines (30 000 shp), 2 Shafts, 2 CRP Propellers

Max Speed: 36 knots

Aviation: 1x SH-60R Seahawk

Armament: 1x Mk-54 3” cannon; 16x Mk-51 VLS tubes; 2x triple Mk-35 torpedo tubes; 2x 30 mm CIWS; 1x 21-cell RAM launcher

Endurance: 3 400 nautical miles @ 25 knots

Combat Systems: AN/SPY-2F AEGIS; SQQ-73 sonar; LAMPS III, SLQ-25 Nixie (countermeasure), SLQ-32 EW system

Crew: 6 officers, 74 enlisted (80 crewmembers)

Unit Cost: $300 million (domestic and allies); $370 million (everyone else)

If you're doing a coastal craft, why not look into hydrofoils?

OOC: Don't really know much about them. Maybe next time. You want some corvettes?

Hussariot would be interested in entering into production with you. If this is not possible, then rights or an alliance may be requested.

To: Hussariot
From: Ministry of Defense
Subject: Special class corvette production rights

We're sorry, but we cannot offer joint production for our indiginous designs due to government policy, but we are willing to offer production rights for $75 billion. If this is acceptable, we will transfer the blueprints and permission for the construction of a finite amount of units. You may not sell the design on to third parties, nor may you retro-engineer the vessels or any of the technology fitted in them. If news of violation of the contract reaches us, it will be replied with economic, diplomatic and/or military punishment. Is this acceptable?

- J. Smith
Ministry of Defense

OOC: I'm not a huge fan of hydrofoil ships as anything other than a small patrol vessel. Granted, their speed is usually head and shoulders over anything else afloat, but I don't think putting it in a larger ship is practical.

My major concern with this is that I think you're putting in way too much weaponry into a design of this size. You've got to have space to carry all your weapons, not to mention fuel, ship's stores, crew and other items that people generally seem to forget about. And I haven't even touched the kind of engine size or capacity needed to get that ship up to 39 knots without it being a hydrofoil.

The thing that strikes me as being the most problematic is the 16 VLS tubes. If they're Mark 41 (standard NATO size), I'm not sure you're going to be able to fit them all into a ship of this size. If they're Mark 48 (relatively limited types of missiles can go in those), you might stand a better chance.

Of lesser concern, but some things I still think need to be brought to your attention, the crew complement is a little on the large size for a corvette, though I'd think of this as really being a frigate. Also, the SLQ-25 Nixie is really more of a countermeasures system than a weapons system.

Also, if you're going to use this for coastal patrol as opposed to fleet escort, you will probably be better suited building it for greater survivability if it's going to be engaging piratical threats or low level smugglers. You can get away with creating an expendable ship if you intend it for escort work for a fleet. And, if this is designed for coastal patrol, you most likely will not want it to be used to escort an oceangoing fleet unless you decide to create variants that can do different things.

The VLS are Mk-51, a indigenous VLS system. It can house a wide array of missiles, but are still smaller than the Mk-41. It's about the size of the Mk-48. The Special that are in Cottish service are designed to say out for perhaps a week at the time, and therefore don't need too many supplies.

As far as speed and crew goes, I edited it. Do notice that it has powerful engines and low weight.

It is meant for coastal defense and not ocean-going escort service. Hence it does not need such a high survivability. However, it does have a thin armor surrounding the hull, and that increase survivability. As for the threath from pirates and such, it has guns and missiles for combating that.

OOC: I don't know how much can be ascribed to doctrinal matters, but I don't like the sound of sending ships on one week patrols. I don't think it's cost effective to ready a ship for deployment and then bring it back home after one week. If I were in the market for a coastal patrol vessel, I'd like something that has much longer endurance than one week or a small range of nautical miles.

Yeah, well that will probably be improved in Block II....