Updating the escorts.

As noted when this subject was addressed last year, corvettes and frigates (generally referred to as escorts) are essentially the same type of warship. These small-to-medium-sized vessels--even those built as recently as a decade ago--need to be capable of matching today's perceived threat, which focuses on littoral as well as 'blue' waters. Such modernisation can be applied to the many escorts sold on or 'cascaded down' from larger navies to smaller ones in recent years, as well as to the in-service ships.

To begin, it might be opportune to bring one of the two examples quoted in last year's article up to date (see Armada International 2/2003): the first-phase upgrade and transfer to Romania of two ex-Royal Navy Type 22 Batch 2 frigates. The first vessel--formerly the HMS Coventry and now renamed Regele Ferdinand--was handed over at Portsmouth on 9 September 2004. The second frigate, the Regina Maria (previously HMS London) will be delivered in early 2005.

The two frigates are being modernised under a 116 [pounds sterling] million Defence Logistics Organisation contract awarded to BAE Systems. The work involves returning the ships to operational condition and installing new systems specified by Romania. Fleet Support Limited is carrying out the refurbishment work, with Roils-Royce reconditioning the engines.

Equipment fitted as part of the upgrade includes an Oto Melara 76 mm rapid fire gun with an Ultra Electronics/ Radamec 2500 electro optical tracking system, the AMS Nautis fire control system, BAE Systems MPS2000 communications system, Inmarsat B global maritime distress and safety system, Terma SKWS decoy suite and a Sperry Marine gyro compass and GPS.

The second phase upgrade, planned to take place in Romania around 2008/2009, will focus on improving the ships' capabilities with enhanced command, control and communications facilities, the addition of new air-defence and anti-ship weapons and improved electronic warfare systems.

Moving across the globe to Australia, in July 2004 the defence ministers of Australia and New Zealand discussed a programme to upgrade Anzac class frigates. The Royal Australian Navy's Anzac frigate fleet will receive a range of improvements to the ships' offensive and defensive capabilities under a A$ 500 million ($ 373 million) upgrade programme.

Phase 1 of Project Sea 1448 Anti Ship Missile Defence will provide the eight ships with additional and improved sensors and weapon systems to allow them to operate effectively in high risk environments where there is a threat from advanced anti ship missiles.

At present, the type of very short range air defence (Vsrad) systems being sought is unclear. Contenders could include the MBDA Tetral (a derivative of the Mistral) and Raytheon's Sea Ram. All but the first two Anzac class frigates will be equipped at building with the short range Rim-162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM), which achieved its first Australian test firing last year. The first two vessels are currently fitted with the Rim 7P Nato SeaSparrow short range missile system and are not scheduled to be retrofitted with the ESSM.

In addition to a pair of Vsrad systems, to provide 360[degrees] close in protection from anti-ship missiles, each ship will receive:

* an infrared search and track system to increase missile detection and engagement range, particularly in littoral environments

* improvements to the command and control system to shorten detection and engagement times

* a second channel of fire for the Saab 9LV453 Combat Management System.

Meanwhile, during the same month the Australian government announced that four of the Adelaide class (FFG 7 in US Navy nomenclature) guided missile frigates will receive a A$ 550 million upgrade (as part of a further phase of Project Sea 1390) to enable them to fire the Raytheon Standard SM 2 Block III area defence missile by early 2009.

The SM-2 will replace the SM1 medium range air defence missile (out of production since 1985) that has equipped the class since it entered service in 1980. In addition to the missiles, a Mk 41 vertical launch system will be installed forward of the existing deck mounted Mk 13 rail launcher for Rim-162 ESSMs. With a range of around 50 nm, the SM 2 missile will effectively double the distance at which the frigates can engage targets.

To support SM 2 and ESSM missile engagements in high clutter maritime environments, each ship will be fitted with new solid state continuous wave illuminator transmitters from Canberra-based CEA Technologies.

Continuing on weapons improvements, the mid life modernisation and re-engineering programme for the Royal Navy's Seawolf point defence missile system completed its Critical Design Review in September 2004, and the programme now moves forward.

The 260 million [pounds sterling] Seawolf Mid Life Update (SWMLU) contract was awarded to AMS in November 2000. Under contract terms, the existing GWS 25 Mod 3 Conventional Launch Seawolf and GWS 26 Mod 1 Vertical Launch Seawolf point defence systems fitted to Type 22 Batch 3 and Type 23 frigates (respectively) will be significantly enhanced, while delivering improved reliability and maintainability with a more user friendly computer interface. The SWMLU is due to enter service in 2007, with all ship fits due for completion by the end of 2012.

In addition to upgrading the existing Type 911 fire control radar subsystems, the SWMLU programme also introduces an electro optical subsystem based on a BAE Systems' Sigma eight to twelve-micron thermal imaging module. The system will complement the improved I band and K band radars through a target tracking Kalman filter, which will fuse data from the three sensors to offer a superior tracking and guidance capability.

With the introduction of the electro optical subsystem, the SWMLU system will function in a command off-line of sight guidance mode to ensure a clear field-of-view for the thermal imager. The system now functions as a command to line of sight system.

Across the English Channel, while France and Italy work to make the first European Multi Mission Frigate a reality (see preceding article), Italy plans a limited upgrade of its Maestrale class frigates to fill the gap in the interim. The Maestrale's command and control capabilities and sensors will benefit from the experience now acquired from the Horizon and aircraft carrier programmes that are mostly based on commercial off the shelf equipment.

The first two Maestrale frigates to be upgraded will be the Scirocco and Zeffiro, beginning in 2005, with the Libeccio and Espero following in 2006. The remaining four vessels will be decommissioned by 2010.

Italy also plans to give its two De la Penne destroyers a Maestrale-style mid-life upgrade: the Mimbelli by the end of 2005 and the De la Penne in 2007.

The cascading of ships from one navy to another is an opportune time for modernisation. In November 2000, Turkey acquired six ex-French Navy d'Estienne d'Orves class (Type A69) avisos (corvettes) to provide an interim coastal patrol capability pending the much delayed introduction of the planned MilGem project corvettes. Of the six ships, only one was operational at the point of handover, the other five were reactivated and overhauled by DCN Brest before transfer but, on this occasion, no significant upgrades were installed.

Potential candidates for upgrade are the four Royal Netherlands Navy frigates to be sold to Chile. The ships involved are two prematurely retired M type frigates (HrMs Abraham van der Hulst and Tjerk Hiddes) built in the 1990s and two 1980s built L type frigates (HrMs Jacob van Heemskerck and Witte de With). Sold for a combined sum of 290 million [euro], the first (Abraham van der Hulst) will be handed over in November 2005, Jacob van Heemskerck in December 2005, Witte de With in July 2006 and Tjerk Hiddes in April 2007.

The exact scope of such a project is, as yet unspecified, but it is believed that Chile's Asamar organisation will be fully involved, following its experience with the former Royal Navy Leander class frigate upgrades.