Multi Role Ships

[Kirkhill]

I came across this 2008 comparison of the Absalon, LCS1, LCS2 and the F-125.  The author, an amateur like myself, asks if the US wouldn't be better off acquiring Absalons rather than catamarans and other exotics.  He has some very good and interesting graphics to bolster his case.  Although personally I would think that they would want to up-engine the ship to at least the Iver Huitfeldt standard of 32 MW vs Absalon's 16 MW.  That aside Absalon seems to cover much of what the US Navy was looking for in the LCS in the first place - cost and flexibility foremost - with the ability to handle blue water and defend herself.


Absalon
Iver Huitfeldt

The above are courtesy of www.navalhistory.dk  It also has an interesting series of photographs on docking an LCP in a Knud Rasmussen stern ramp at dockside..

Here's a photograph of the Absalon conducting the same evolution with one of her LCPs.

Do the professionals have opinions on the best way to get boats into  and out of the water?  And would that impact on whether including half a dozen Absalon type ships in the CSC mix would be a good adjunct to the fleet and if they would obviate the need for a dedicated platform like the LSDAs?

It also seems that most of the newer designed vessels are uprating their helo decks to handle 20 tonne helos like the Chinook even if their hangars can't handle them.  should that be the standard for the AOPS and the CSC?

(And speaking of increasing power isn't the AOPS, another 6000 tonne ship, designed plant of 9 MW a little on the light side? Even Svalbard is rated at 13 MW?)

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

If you start trying to replace dedicated surface combatants with combat support vessels then the Navy will lose. I say build the CSC and have a couple of Absalons as combat support

 

[Kirkhill]

Further to this discussion:

I don't know if anyone else has referenced this review

Modular Capabilities for the Canadian
Navy’s Single Class Surface Combatant
A Perspective on Flexibility
Scott C. MacKenzie and Rohit Tuteja
Consulting and Audit Canada
Defence R&D Canada – Ottawa
CONTRACT REPORT
DRDC -CR-2006-004
February 2006

As can be seen it from 2006 and so probably well known to the professionals in the field, but this amateur found it interesting nonetheless

This quote from the Background statement of the 43 page report is particularly interesting:

...The single surface combatant design will utilize a common hull form, engineering plant,
common core equipment fit and will use open-concept engineering and modularity
wherever feasible. As a result, the flexibility of the CF and the Navy will be increased
with respect to tailoring the capabilities and capacity of a naval Task Group (or single
vessel). As the ships will be designed using a modular weapons/sensors package concept,
ships may be employed in a general-purpose configuration or can be task-tailored for
specific missions.
The use of such a plug and play design concept would reduce the number of fixed, noncore
systems allowing for increased capability for mission-specific systems. Through the
use of common core systems and the ability to enhance specific capabilities, such as
Support to Forces Ashore, Command and Control or Force Anti-Air Warfare, the likely
availability of any particular capability will be increased as it will not necessarily be tied
to specialized and limited hulls as is currently the case. Furthermore, when specialized
capabilities are not required for a given mission, a reduction in personnel should be
possible since those capabilities will not be fitted.

The report discusses the pros and cons of both the MEKO and StanFlex modularity concepts.



There are also useful links to a variety of online references including this one that details the StanFlex concept in Danish naval service. Naval Team Denmark

 

[ArmyRick]

I don't know a whole lot about navy ships (I have only spent some time on USS Pensacola) and visited CF ships in dock. However from what I have been reading that Abalson seems to have alot of weapons, not a whole lot of crew but room for a Coy size unit.

How would this fit into a naval task force? I did read a quick blurb about it being used in anti-piracy ops in Somalia. Any navy types want to educate us Ground pounders (potential passengers on a CSS/JSS?)

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

Abalson is talked about in other threads.

One thing of note....while it does have pretty much a multi role frigates weapon suite the Absalon is not a frigate, its a combat support vessel with a a very nice lift capability.