수상전투함 프랑스 해군, 라파예트급의 중간수명연장 실시

[위종민]

https://bityl.co/88go (NAVAL NEWS)

프랑스해군이 2021년 10월 5일 시작한 라파예트급 코르벳 FS 쿠르베함의 중간수명연장 공사를 마치고 6월 14일부터 해상시험을 실시중입니다. 연말에 복귀한다고 하네요. 

라파예트급 3척에 대해 중간수명연장을 실시할 예정이며, 업체는 12개월을 요구하고 정부는 6개월을 불렀는데 결국 공기는 9개월로 낙착됐다고. 

크로탈 대공미사일을 퇴역한 조르주 레이그급 대잠프리깃에서 떼어온 6연장 사드랄 대공미사일 발사기 2기로 교체했다고 합니다. 신형 미스트랄3 미사일을 발사 가능한데, 크로탈보다 사정거리와 대공미사일 탑재량은 줄었지만 시스키밍 미사일같은 비대칭 위협에 대한 대처능력을 더 좋아졌고, 고속정같은 소형함정에 대한 공격능력도 갖추고 있다고 합니다. 

또한 킹클립 Mk2 헐마운티드 중주파 소나를 장착해 대잠탐지 능력을 갖췄는데, 대잠전 헬기 운용능력을 못 갖췄고 (NH-90 NFH의 임시 운용만 가능. 어뢰를 안전하게 보관할 수가 없어서 장기간 작전은 불가능하다고 합니다.) 칸토 어뢰대항장비도 아직 미설치됐다고 합니다. 2번째로 개량될 예정인 라파예트함에는 칸토 어뢰대항장비가 개량시부터 설치될 예정입니다. 

CIC 룸이 좁아 리모델링을 거쳐 대잠전 소나 콘솔 및 MM40 블록3C 엑조세 대함미사일 콘솔을 늘렸고, 탈레스 TAVITAC CMS 전투체계를 샤를르 드골급 항공모함의 SENIT 8 CMS의 업그레이드 버전인 SENIT FLF로 바꿨다고 합니다. 듀얼스크린 오퍼레이터 콘솔 및 대형 터치스크린 전술테이블이 설치됐다고. 

Video: French Navy’s La Fayette-class Frigate Mid-Life Update

FS Courbet is the first of three French Navy La Fayette-class frigates (known as FLF for Frégate Légère Furtive – Light Stealth Frigate) to receive a mid-life update. The Commanding Officer of the ship and the program director at Naval Group gave Naval News a tour of the ship, focusing on the new upgrades.

Story by Martin Manaranche with contribution by Xavier Vavasseur

For record, in 2017, the DGA (French Defense Procurement Agency) awarded the contract to upgrade three of the five La Fayette-class stealth frigates (FLF) operated by the French Navy. The FLF renovation program is not only due to increase the life-time of the frigates while waiting for the new FDI, this modernization aims to improve the combat capabilities of the class, particularly toward new threats.

The frigate ‘Courbet’ started its refit on October 5. 2021 and taken out of the drydock in mid-april. Her first sea trials began on June 14. and should be back in operational service at the end of 2021.

“The sea trials that will allow to check the good functioning of all the installations will end on July 23, then the crew will enter in its operational cycle with a training course to get back in operational condition after the summer and once that passed, the ship will be able to fulfill the missions which will be entrusted to her.

Commanding Officer of the Frigate ‘Courbet’, Florian El-Ahdab.

This ship is the first out of three to receive her mid-life upgrade. The timelapse dedicated to the refit has been negotiated at length between the company in charge of the modernization – Naval Group – and the armament procurement agency (DGA). Indeed, Naval Group wanted 12 months to conduct the refit and the DGA wanted 6 in order to get the ship back in operational service as soon as possible. Both parties finally agreed on 9 months per ship.

The specificity of the work done aboard the ship is that the “mid life refit” was conducted in parallel to the regularly scheduled general overhaul which included restorative work on the ship’s structure, propulsion machinery, and auxiliary systems.

Chantiers de l’Atlantique was in charge of this maintenance alongside Naval Group but it is this latter that coordinates both of the maintenance and refit programs.

Naval News asked about the role of each parties in the modernization of the frigate.

“The role of Naval Group is to insure the mid-life upgrade in modernizing some systems such as the combat and the platform system and some others. We are also general contractor. Indeed, in parallel to the refit program, there were also maintenace works conducted by our partner Chantier de l’Atlantique but also by us and we had to coordinate all of those to be on time.”

Jean-Michel Coquelle, Naval Group Program’s director for the modernization of La Fayette-class frigates

DGA has been involved in this project from start to finish, since the Navy expressed its need in 2015, and will be present until the ship is delivered to the French Navy at the end of 2021. Most of DGA’s technical expertise centers have been called upon for this program to provide their studies and expertise along the industrials on the structure of the ship as well as the combat, navigation and data systems.

DGA Program Director of the FLF modernization program

The crew took part in the work to bring its knowledge of the ship to the industrial participants to help the control of risks on the construction site. It also takes part in the trials and finally, its role will be to eval‎uate the new operational capacities of this ship to know what we can do with it in the future.

Commanding Officer of the Frigate ‘Courbet’, Florian El-Ahdab

Among the main modernizations added to the ship, there are new anti-submarine warfare capabilities with a new hull sonar and the upgrade of the combat system. The frigate received also new optronic systems, new data link for networked operations, as well as new anti-missiles system, SADRAL.

About SADRAL system:

MBDA Sadral system

The obsolete CROTALE anti-air warfare system was replaced by two reconditioned MBDA Sadral sextuple launchers taken from decommissioned Georges Leygues-class ASW frigates. They are refurbished in order to operate the new MISTRAL 3 missile. If the Mistral 3 missile doesn’t have the range and payload of the Crotale, it is adapted to counter new asymmetrical threats as well as sea skimming anti-ship missiles. Alongside its anti-aircraft and anti-missile ability, the Mistral 3 can destroy fast surface vessel, including USVs and fast attack boats.

“The system SADRAL will bring an update to the anti-missile capability because the CROTALE was hard to maintain in a high standard of performance due to its age. The two SADRALs systems placed on each flank of the ship will allow to counter simultaneously two different threats.”

Commanding Officer of the Frigate ‘Courbet’, Florian El-Ahdab

The end of combat systems sea trials including SADRAL firing missiles are scheduled to be over by July 23.

The ‘Courbet’ has also now two Sea Eagle FCRO (Fire Control Radar Optical) sensors supplied by Chess Dynamics.

About new ASW capability

Thales hull mounted sonar Kingklip. Thales picture.

For the first time in the French Navy, the Lafayette frigates will have some underwater combat capacities.The ‘Courbet’ received a KingKlip Mk2 hull-mounted medium-frequency sonar from Thales. It is the same model selected for the FDI frigates.

The sonar was added but there are not yet anti-submarine effectors. The ‘Courbet’ won’t have them for now, but Naval Group’s Canto torpedo countermeasures system is expected to be fitted in due course.

For effectors, the Commanding Officer said the FLF has the capability to tamporarily host an NH90 NFH with MU90 torpedoes but not for a long duration because there is nowhere to safely store the torpedoes aboard.

This ASW capability will require six additionnal sailors specialized who will reinforce the crew of each FLF.

About the upgraded CIC

FLF Courbet CIC remodeled.

“The CIC was entirely dismantled and remodeled to replace the old combat system by a new one derivated those found aboard FREMMs and the aircraft carrier “Charles de Gaulle” and to add new consoles dedicated to the new sonar.”

Commanding Officer of the Frigate ‘Courbet’, Florian El-Ahdab.

In order to increase the size of the cramped CIC, they changed its layout. They got rid of a “corridor” and pushed back on the wall. This was done to accomodate the new combat mangement system (CMS) and to add new consoles dedicated to anti-submarine warfare (ASW) sonar and to MBDA MM40 Block 3C Exocet anti-ship missile.

The original Thales TAVITAC CMS has been replaced by a new SENIT FLF system (a scaled version of the upgraded SENIT 8 CMS fitted to the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle).

SENIT FLF features new dual-screen operator consoles, and introduces a large touchscreen tactical table for situation assessment and mission planning.

Touchscreen tactical table for situation assessment and mission planning.

The next frigate to be upgraded like her sistership is the ‘La Fayette’. Her modernization will start in October 2021 for the same duration as the ‘Courbet’. It will be the first ship to receive the Canto acoustic countermeasures.

Naval News understands that Aconit will be the third and final La Fayette-class frigate to receive the FLF upgrade.

The FLF upgrade program is intended to provide a transition before the commissioning of the new FDI frigates.The three modernised units will stay in service until around 2030, when the last of the five FDI ships is due to be accepted in active duty.

[백선호]

이 배는 1990년대에 나왔을 때부터 센서와 무장이 빈약해서 인도양이나 태평양의 프랑스 식민지 경비에는 쓰는 것이 아닌가 싶었습니다. 사우디 아라비아에 판 배는 센서와 무장이 비교적 충실한데...

[위종민]

대공미사일을 재활용한 것도 그렇고 소나도 동남아까지 신형잠수함이 퍼져나가니 적당한 거 달아 준 느낌입니다.

[위종민]

사우디에 판 라파예트급은 대공미사일도 아스터를 달아주고 중어뢰발사관도 달려있네요.

[백선호]

넵 저기서 좀 더 변형된 것이 싱가포르의 포미더블이지요.