25 January 2012 by Dr Gareth Evans
The rise of the multirole vessel (MRV) has
mirrored the evolving nature of maritime power in the 21st century. Dr
Gareth Evans reports on how high-tech craft, capable of undertaking
various roles, are becoming the mainstay of modern navies as they
address the evolving nature of naval warfare, smuggling and piracy.
Modern navies are becoming more and more accustomed to
dealing with military operations other than war (MOOTW) and
increasingly, the need to deal with humanitarian relief in the aftermath
of natural disasters, provide emergency medical care, or establish a
helicopter platform for replenishment or evacuation, places new demands
on vessels and their crews.
At the other extreme of the MOOTW
spectrum, the call for naval involvement in border protection, piracy
interdiction and long-range counter-terrorist actions has never been
greater in recent history - that is quite aside of any involvement in
actual offshore or littoral war fighting.
The ability to offer a
total force package which encompasses strategic sea-lift and amphibious /
air / sea operations capability from a largely self-reliant mother
ship, able to operate for sustained periods at sea and across a range of
mission profiles, has a clear appeal and for smaller navies - and
larger ones with their budgets under squeeze - the logic is proving
compelling.
The idea is not new, there are MRVs already at sea -
the likes of the Royal Danish Navy's (RDN) Flyvefisken Class (also known
as 'Standard Flex'), New Zealand's HMNZS Canterbury and others - but
now, the design concept is being taken even further.
Multirole helicopter dock ship (Blohm + Voss)
ThyssenKrupp
Marine Systems subsidiary Blohm + Voss played a significant part in
establishing the kind of flexibility that underpins the modern MRV,
bringing enhanced modularity and standardised interfacing to weapons and
electronics systems with their MEKO approach back in the 1970s.
This
technology went on to spawn a range of successful vessels, including
multipurpose frigates - most notably the MEKO 200 - which have
demonstrated the value of their inherent multimission capabilities,
reduced signature and high survivability over a quarter of a century.
Based
on proven super-fast ferry and fast monohull cruise liner designs, the
latest generations - their 4,000 ton small / medium MRVs and 20,000 ton
multirole helicopter dock ships (MRHDs) - are intended to offer wide
adaptability across a spectrum of mission scenarios.
The MRHD in
particular offers exceptional scope, with floodable well-docking for
amphibious craft, 1,000 lane metres for vehicles and / or containers, up
to 4,000 square metres of main flight deck, six landing pads and
extensive helicopter hangar space adding up to impressive sea-lift and
sea-base capabilities - all independent of shore facilities.
Configurable
for command and control operations, offering accommodation of up to 920
berths for embarked naval / military personnel, or to provide
large-capacity hospital or temporary refugee housing, with a range of
8,000 nautical miles at 16 knots, the 192-metre MRHD is a serious
contender in the multimission stakes.
Global combat ship (BAE Systems)
BAE
is also developing a high-end, multirole craft in the form of its
global combat ship (GCS), which will be supplied in a range of main
variants, including the UK Type 26 - the first of two classes of vessels
to emerge from the Royal Navy's future surface combatant (FSC)
programme.
Expected
to enter service in the next decade, Type 26s together with the second
FSC version are tipped to account for half of the front-line RN
personnel by the mid-2030s.
While versatile, multimission
adaptability is central to the design, other factors have also been
taken into account, including inherent flexibility for anticipated
future demands and affordability in terms of construction and
service-life support costs.
The potential exportability of the
finished ships has not been overlooked either, with selected
international partners being invited to play a part in helping influence
GCS development
.
According to the November 2011 reference design,
the 148m long vessel has an endurance of 7,000 nautical miles at 15
knots and affords a total of 130 crew berths and additional
accommodation for a further 36 embarked military or civilian personnel.
The
GCS's large flight deck can land a Chinook or similar heavy-lift
helicopter and the vessel's main hangar will take a light or medium-lift
helicopter with provision for UAV operation, while flexible mission
space can accommodate four 12 metre sea boats, a range of manned /
unmanned air, submarine and surface vehicles together with up to 11
'capability modules' in 20ft containers.
A range of appropriate
weapons, sensor and radar systems can be fitted to suit the required
role and user requirements, rounding off BAE's deliberately modular
approach to design and integration to maximise flexibility and
facilitate upgrades as threats continue to develop.
MRV (Austal)
Austal's MRV is another notable instance of adaptable, high-tech, multirole craft design.
Considerably
smaller than the preceding examples, it is based on the company's
unique and proven trimaran seaframe, blending impressive speed and
performance with unparalleled deck-space for a platform of its size.
At
80 metres long, it is less than half the length of the MRHD and around
two-thirds that of the Austal-designed US Navy's Independence-Class
littoral combat ship (LCS), which shares the same three-hull form. This
has led some to describe it as an LCS 'on the cheap', but despite the
design similarities, operationally a fairer comparison might be drawn
with the earlier, and larger, RDN's Absalon-Class vessels.
Onboard
accommodation comprises 87 berths and the vessel has a range of 4,500nm
at 12 knots. Coupled with 500 square metres of mission deck, 290 square
metres of flight deck and hangar space for one NH-90 type helicopter,
the extensive mission configurability of the MRV offers significant
offshore and littoral capacity in a relatively small package, with all
the inherent sea-keeping and efficiency advantages of the trimaran
hull-form.
While no single multirole vessel is ever likely to be
able to out-perform a specialist one for the given task - or replace a
naval task force, for that matter - the key advantage of the MRV lies in
its inherent flexibility and its ability to meet a wide range of needs,
adequately and in a timely manner.
Beyond its implications for
the traditional role of naval force, and aside from the ever-present
need to be able to respond to disaster, this in-built adaptability may
also prove a significant benefit when it comes to countering new threat
scenarios as they evolve.
The allure of the MRV to the world's navies would seem assured for some time to come.
* Article publicat a Naval Technology. La proliferació de les MOOTW, i la seva influència en matèria naval, és quelcom que cal seguir amb atenció.
* Article publicat a Naval Technology. La proliferació de les MOOTW, i la seva influència en matèria naval, és quelcom que cal seguir amb atenció.
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