수상전투함 Re: 대만 신형 경프리깃 크기를 확대

[위종민]

초도함의 크기가 너무 작아 문제가 많았던 Tuo Chiang급 고속정의 교훈을 반영해, 계획된 장비를 수용하기 어려울 수도 있었던 경프리깃의 크기를 110m 미만에서 120m로 늘리고 배수량도 2,500톤에서 3,000톤으로 늘어났다고 합니다. 크기를 늘려 무장들과 헬기 데크의 여유공간을 확보하고, 대잠형 초도함에는 견인소나 어레이만 탑재하지만 후속함에는 MLU시에 함수소나를 탑재할 수 있게 만들었다고 합니다. 

소나 외에 모든 시스템 선정은 완료됐고, 소나는 L3해리스와 탈레스(CAPTAS-2로 추정)를 포함한 3개 회사가 경쟁중이라고 합니다. 선정은 9월 예정입니다. 

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2023/07/new-details-on-taiwans-new-light-frigate/

New Details On Taiwan’s New Light Frigate  - Naval News

A relatively early internal Light Frigate concept design by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science & Technology, unveiled in the 2018 Kaohsiung International Maritime & Defence Expo.

New Details On Taiwan’s New Light Frigate 

The updated design of Taiwan’s New Light Frigate is larger and heavier in order to accommodate more weapon and sensor systems...

Curtis Lee  24 Jul 2023

In May, the Taiwanese Navy signed a contract with Jong Shyn Shipbuilding Group to build the first batch of 2 prototype ships of the 12 Light Frigates. At that time, the original specification of the Light Frigate would be around 2,500 tons and split into two versions, an anti-air warfare (AAW) version and an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) version.

This role-oriented approach avoids the need of integrating all mission systems and equipment together. Both versions would have common equipment like the ARTISAN (Advanced Radar Target Indication Situational Awareness and Navigation), 76mm STRALES naval gun with DART (Driven Ammunition Reduced Time of flight) shells, CMS-330 Combat Management System, Sea Oryx Short Range AAW Missile System…

With a detection range up to 200km, featuring back-to-back arrays, the ARTISAN is a medium range air surveillance radar with excellent situational awareness capability. BAE Systems photo.Increase size and displacement

The only two major differences between the AAW version and ASW version would be a different number of TC-2N Medium Range AAW Missiles and Anti-ship Missiles they carry (AAW version has 32 TC-2N VLS cells and 8 Anti-ship Missiles, while the ASW version only has 2 TC-2N side launchers with 8 cells and up to 16 Anti-ship Missiles) as well as the lack of ASW equipment onboard the AAW version. Although this approach can reduce overall development risk, there were concerns within the Navy about the overall size and displacement of the frigate, which may be too small to accommodate all the necessary planned equipment. 

In the past, due to over-confidence, the Tuo Chiang-class domestic corvette encountered the same size and displacement issue. The size of the prototype ship of the Tuo Chiang-class was 60 meters long and 14 meters wide; however, the design of the prototype ship was heavily criticized with a design flaw of insufficient buoyancy. She only carries about half of the anti-ship missiles originally planned under normal operational patrol missions. To overcome this problem, the Taiwanese Navy was forced to expand the size of the follow-on Tuo Chiang-class production ships to 65 meters long and 14.8 meters wide. The fully loaded displacement was also increased from 502 tons to 685 tons, far heavier than the prototype ship.

ROC Navy Tuo Chiang-class corvette “Ta Chiang” during sea trials. Lee Chung Wei (李忠衛) picture.

With this past painful lesson in mind, the Taiwanese Navy in July decided to expand the size of the Light Frigate from the original design of under 110 meters to 120 meters long. The displacement increased from 2,500 tons to around 3,000 tons. The increased size would generate more space margins between the 76mm main gun, VLS and Anti-ship Missile Launchers as well as contributing an expanded flight deck size for the S-70C ASW helicopter flight ops.

Sonar system

All the primary weapon and mission systems except for the sonar system have already been selected. Up to three manufacturers are interested in participating in this program. Known rumored contenders include L3 Harris and Thales (likely CAPTAS-2). According to the Taiwanese Navy, the revised design should be able to accommodate all contenders systems. The selection should take place around September.

As mentioned in our previous story, due to the relatively light tonnage of the Light Frigate, the thought of installing a Hull-mounted Sonar on the ship was abandoned from the start of the problem; however, as the displacement increases, the overall design becomes more flexible. Although the prototype ASW ship will only have Towed Sonar Array like the original design, the follow-on production ships might include a Hull-mounted Sonar in the future incremental capability upgrade.