벨기에는 최근 117억 유로 규모의 군사력 증강안을 통과시켰으며 그 일환으로 벨기에 해군은 STAR (Security & Service – Technology – Ambition – Resilience)라는 계획명으로 전력증강을 추진중입니다.
2018년에 대잠전 프리깃(ASWF) 2척을 주문해 2030년까지 인도받을 예정이며, 2025년까지 카렐 도어맨급 프리깃 2척엔 NH90 헬기 대잠전 임무수행 모듈 통합 개량을 시행할 예정입니다. 또한 ASWF에 무인기 운용능력도 통합할 예정입니다.
명칭은 대잠전 프리깃이나 ASWF엔 취역 직후인 2031년까지 1억 3,600만 유로를 투입해 BMD능력을 갖출 예정입니다. CG엔 APAR 블록2가 그려져 있는데, 다른 기사엔 APAR와 Sea Master 400을 통합한 AWWS가 장착될 예정이라고 합니다. ESSM 외에 아스터30같은 대공미사일을 장착한다는 뜻일까요?
NH90 헬기를 개량하는 한편 SAR 헬기 4대를 추가도입해 NH90을 수상함 탑재 대잠임무에 특화시킬 계획입니다.
rMCM 프로그램을 통해 네덜란드와 공동으로 소해함 12척을 조달할 예정이며, 소해뿐만 아니라 기뢰전 수행 능력 확보 방안을 연구중이며 특수작전연대의 상륙전 능력 획득도 고려중입니다. 2개 공수특전대대의 1개 중대씩을 상륙전에 특화시킬 것으로 보이며, FRISC 보트를 운용하는 특수작전보트부대를 제브뤼헤로 이관하는 한편 네덜란드와 공동으로 C-SOMTG(Composite Special Operations Maritime Task Group)을 만들 것으로 보입니다.
검색해보니 ASWF도 네덜란드와 공동으로 추진중이었네요. rMCM은 벨기에가, ASWF는 네덜란드가 담당하고 있다고 합니다. 카렐 도어맨급 프리깃 대체함으로 배수량 5,500톤, ESSM/RAM을 장착한다고 하네요.
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/09/the-star-plan-new-capabilities-in-sight-for-the-belgian-navy
The STAR Plan: New Capabilities in Sight for the Belgian Navy - Naval News
Nathan Gain
8-10 minutes
Belgium is about to increase its defense budget significantly. The country’s Parliament recently adopted a revised version of the military planning law (loi de programmation militaire, LPM) which includes an extra 11.7 billion Euros, among which a minority part is devoted to the Belgian Navy.
06 Sep 2022
The update of the LPM, combined with a plan called STAR (for Security & Service – Technology – Ambition – Resilience), “must allow Defense to have, in the long term, suitable capabilities to respond to new contemporary challenges, including on the national territory“.
With a 527 M€ boost between 2023 and 2030, the Belgian Navy will be able to “complement and strengthen the capabilities of its frigates and mine countermeasures vessels, as well as bolster its protection equipment in our coastal area and ports“, Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder said in late June.
Compared to the 6,55 billion Euros the Land Forces are to receive, the funding provided for the naval forces seems limited. A decision the MoD explains by the priorities made in the 2016 Strategic Vision, which mainly focused on the Air component and the Navy. Together, the two services gathered around 65% of the budget, and the STAR plan aims at returning to proportions which correspond more to international standards and to the existing personnel envelopes of the Belgian Defence.
Boosting the surface combatants
Artist impression of ASWF with APAR Block 2 radar. Thales image.
Based on two frigates, the Belgian Navy surface combatant capability “is important for the protection of supply routes. The submarine threat is increasing both on the periphery of Europe and globally and NATO is asking for an extra effort from European members“, the document says.
“In order to support our two Navy frigates, we are planning to buy more drones which will be embarked on these frigates, to consolidate the NH90 helicopters as part of the fight against underwater threats and then to equip the two future frigates of means of protection against ballistic missiles,”
Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder on July 8.
The two Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASWF) frigates ordered in 2018 for one billion Euro will only be delivered by 2030. Until then, the Belgian MoD plans to upgrade the two in-service Karel Doorman-class frigates by integrating modules that will allow the NH90 naval helicopter to perform anti-submarine warfare (ASW) missions from 2025. The planned budget for this reaches approximately 15 million Euros.
The future ASWF will receive new tactical drones that will complement the NFHs. They will serve as a support surveillance capability and will collect naval imagery and tactical intelligence. The 14,3 M€ acquisition plan is set for 2024.
BMD for ASWF
But the centerpiece of the STAR plan, in the naval domain, is the Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) capability the Belgian MoD will add to the ASWF between 2029 and 2031 for around 136 million Euros. The integration of this new capability in the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence System has been confirmed by the first feasibility studies.
Based on this initial assessment, the modification required from the baseline ASWF design have largely been mapped out:
“Belgian participation in the complementary international studies, partly already in progress, is essential in order to refine the financial estimate of the BMD program, to detail the necessary equipment adjustments and finally to be able to proceed with the implementation of the modifications,”
Once integrated, the BMD capability will allow the frigates to engage ballistic missiles and therefore, if necessary, to “also participate in a wider BMD system“. This capacity “will require the use of long-range detection radar systems, particularly on board anti-aircraft defense frigates.“
More helicopters and ASW capabilities
One of the four NH-90 NFH the Belgian MoD plans to reallocate exclusively for ASW missions (Belgian Air Force picture)
Besides new ASW missions from the frigates, the STAR plan will allow a 69 million Euros investment to upgrade the NH90 NFH choppers and for the joint purchase of a Full Mission Flight Trainer with the Netherlands. This FMFT will cost 3,65 million Euros to the Belgian side and will be located in Den Helder, The Netherlands.
In addition, the plan provides for the acquisition of four helicopters specialized in search and rescue mission in order to optimize this essential safety and support service for Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, while allowing to specialize the four in-service NH90 NFH as on-board helicopters for the frigates.
In order to develop the ASW capability, the NH90 NFH will in the future be implemented exclusively in support of the maritime capability (MAR). To ensure the search and rescue role on land and at sea, a fleet of 4 new SAR helicopters will be acquired in the very short term. These new helicopters should allow lead-in training in the MAR role, so that the potential of the NFH can be exclusively used for the maritime capability, specifically on board the ASWF frigates.
Mine WarfarerMCM program
Scale model of the first MCM vessel for the Belgian Navy.
Officially launched on May 2019, the rMCM program will see the consortium Belgian Naval & Robotics (formed by Naval Group & ECA Group) delivers 12 new mine countermeasure ships to the Belgian and Dutch Navies. Another 124,85 million Euros investment is planned to further complete the capability. More than 113 millions Euros will be dedicated to updating the rMCM toolbox. The development of this next-generation or V2 toolbox is ongoing in EU’s PESCO project Maritime (Semi-)autonomous systems for mine counter measures (MAS MCM), led by Belgium.
In addition, and in accordance with NATO’s request, provision for a deployable MCM calibration measurement bench is planned in 2025 (5.68 million Euros, 2025-2026). This system will allow the Belgian Navy to measure the signature of ships and other navigational equipment. Investments are also being made in sensors and a data center for the collection and management of mine warfare survey data.
Naval mines
The Belgian MoD is also considering the implementation of an offensive mine warfare (mine laying) capability that is considered as “an essential and decisive deterrent instrument in support of maritime operations” by the STAR plan. A study is currently being carried out to determine how this new objective can be concretely implemented in order to be operational in 2028. Initially, it will be a question of examining which laying platform and which type of sea mines are the most adapted. Further studies should clarify what additional resources will be needed, for example, for marine environment analysis, planning software and databases. As of now, only 1,13 million Euros are provided to modify the mine laying platform.
The path towards SOF Amphibious Companies
Belgian Special Operations Regiment picture
Not included in but closely linked to the Marine Component, the creation of an amphibious capability on the basis of the Special Operations Regiment (SOR) was launched through the 2016 Strategic Vision. The initiative will be continued with the STAR plan. This will be achieved in particular thanks to the specialization of one company in each of the two paracommandos bataillons, the transfer to Zeebrugge of the “Special Operations Boat Unit” which uses FRISC boats and the collaboration with the Netherlands for the development of a “Composite Special Operations Maritime Task Group” (C-SOMTG).
Regarding the amphibious companies, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Dutch Korps Mariniers in order to oversee the organization of joint training:
“This initiative would also give additional European anchorage to our Defense through the existing amphibious partnership between the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. It also strengthens our country’s position within the European Amphibious Initiative” (EAI)
Around 27 million Euros will be allowed to the SOF Maritime capability in multiple stages. As this capability is required to operate in an amphibious or maritime environment, the FRISC fleet will be renewed and extended. Moreover, some “Maritime Mobility Packages” will be acquired
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2021/01/m-frigates-replacement-to-be-known-as-aswf-anti-submarine-warfare-frigate/
M-Frigates Replacement to be Known as ASWF - Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigate - Naval News
Xavier Vavasseur
5-6 minutes
The Dutch and Belgian Ministries of Defense announced today that the M-frigate replacement will be called: Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigate (ASWF).
13 Jan 2021
The ship class will consist of two ASWF for the Belgian Navy (Marinecomponent/Composante marine) and two ASWF for the Royal Netherlands Navy (Koninklijke Marine). The future frigates’ main task will be anti-submarine warfare (ASW). The frigates will be equipped to cope with future threat environments. So-called information warfare will play a prominent role in this. It will include of cyber warfare and intelligence.
The names of the four ships are not yet known. The future frigates will be replacing HNLMS Van Amstel and HNLMS Van Speijk in the RNLN and Leopold I and the Louise-Marie in the Belgian Navy.
The new ships will benefit from the latest technologies in the field of ASW, and a robust self-defense against overwater threats. There is also extensive automation to enable operations with a limited basic crew. Discussions on the specifications of the systems that Dutch shipbuilder Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding and Defense electronics company Thales will supply are in full swing.
In 2018, the A letter with the requirements statement went to the Dutch House of Representatives. The B letter on the study phase was delivered in 2020. Meanwhile, there is formal permission to proceed with the acquisition preparation (the D phase). The Netherlands, in close consultation with Belgium, is in charge of the replacement process. The Dutch Defence Materiel Organization (DMO) is realizing the acquisition with the Royal Netherlands Navy, Belgian Navy and Belgian Direction Générale Material Resources (DGMR). By 2030, the 4 ASW frigates should be delivered to both navies.
About ASWF – Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigate
Dutch MoD image showing the early design of the future frigate.
The Future Surface Combatant is a project of the Royal Netherlands Navy and Belgian Navy to replace the ageing Multipurpose- or M-frigates (Karel Doorman-class). The future frigates will be replacing HNLMS Van Amstel and HNLMS Van Speijk in the Dutch Navy and Leopold I and the Louise-Marie in the Belgian Navy.
The Dutch MoD started design studies for the M-frigates replacement in 2013. The new frigates are set to fulfill a general purpose role with ASW as its specialty. However, given the limited number of frigates in the Royal Netherlands Navy (six) and Belgian (two) fleets, the Future Surface Combatant are required to excel in all area (air defense, anti surface warfare…). While the Belgian Navy is in charge of the MCM replacement program for both navies, likewise the Dutch Navy is in charge of the M-Frigates replacement program for both the Netherlands and Belgium.
M-Frigate Replacement Specifications
The main submarine weapon system is a new torpedo purchased through the “Replacement Mk46 Lightweight Torpedo” project. For defending against enemy torpedoes, the frigates will be fitted with a system capable of deceiving enemy torpedoes. In the future, a so-called hardkill system, an « anti-torpedo system », is yet to be developed. The frigate has room for a 110-strong crew, but 40 extra beds and various rooms are available for mission-specific personnel and their equipment.
The future frigate will be fitted with the new Above Water Warfare System (AWWS) suite by Thales. will consist of a new generation of sensors, coupled with intelligent software that continuously calculates which actions are best suited to tackle each threat detected by radar and other sensors in the right manner. This maximizes the chance of survival, while the crew stays in control.
This system uses the latest sensor technology from Thales to detect and monitor all above-water threats, including the next-generation, fully digital dual-band X/S radar suite: an integral combination of Active Phased Array Radar (APAR) and Sea Master 400 radar technologies.