Independence-class frigate
_arriving_at_Pearl_Harbor_to_participate_in_RIMPAC_2022.jpg) An Independence-class frigate of the Daoan Navy
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| Class overview | |
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| Builders: | Bao Marine |
| Operators: | |
| Preceded by: | Reform-class frigate |
| Subclasses: | Kanzler-class long-range patrol vessel |
| Cost: | $255 million per ship |
| Built: | 2013 - Present |
| In commission: | 2016 - Present |
| Planned: | 18 |
| On order: | 3 |
| Building: | 5 |
| Completed: | 10 |
| Active: |
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| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Guided Missile Frigate |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 105 m (344 ft 6 in) |
| Beam: | 14 m (45 ft 11 in) |
| Draught: | 3.05 m (10 ft 0 in) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | In excess of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) |
| Range: | 7,210 nmi (13,000 km; 8,000 mi) |
| Endurance: | 20 days at sea |
| Boats & landing craft carried: | 2 x RHIB |
| Complement: | 90 Personnel |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
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| Electronic warfare & decoys: |
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| Armament: |
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| Aircraft carried: | 1 x V-11 Pelikan / D-20 Albatross |
| Aviation facilities: | Helicopter deck & hangar. |
The Independence-class frigate (Daoan: Sự độc lập) is a class of guided-missile frigates built for the Daoan Congressional Republic Navy and designed by the Daoan shipbuilder Bao Marine. The Independence-class frigates were designed as multi-mission vessels as its capabilities include anti-aircraft, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare roles and low radar observability. Its armaments include a 75mm rapid fire gun, four remotely operated 30mm machine gun platforms, a single 35mm close-in weapon system, surface-to-air missiles, anti-submarine rockets & torpedoes as well as supersonic cruise missiles launched via a 16-cell vertical launching system. The ship's design was based around the principle of modular naval vessels which was meant to reduce cost and increase efficiency in construction & assembly. Ships of the class are poised to gradually replace the ageing Freedom-class destroyers that has been in service with the Daoan navy since 1991. The Independence-class is expected to fully replace the Freedom-class and become the mainstay of Daobac's active naval fleet by 2027. The Daoan Navy ordered a total of ten ships with the first ship of the Independence-class, the TCQ ''Trần Việt Thắng'', completed and commissioned in 13 April 2016. A total of six ships have been delivered by Bao Marine with a further four both on order and under construction. The Indepedence-class's modular design meant that it can be modified to fulfill other roles aside as a Frigate, with the Royal Navy of Brumen ordering both the standard Frigate and commissioning the creation of a patrol version of the Independence-class. The standard and variants of the Independence-class is also in service in the navies of XXX, XXX and XXX.
Development
The success of the Unity-class corvettes prompted leadership elements within the Daoan Navy to rethink the type of hardware they should prioritize to procure. Prior to the acquisition of corvettes the Daoan Navy relied solely on the Freedom-class destroyers as the mainstay of its surface combatant force which had been in service since 1991 and required twice the amount of crew to operate it compared to the small but versatile corvettes. Priority shifted from large warships with raw firepower to smaller, lighter, mobile & versatile vessels. Although the Unity-class fulfilled this role the Navy is unable to use the Unity-class to replace the older and more heavily armed destroyers. Therefore in 2010 the Navy commissioned a study to design a multimission vessel that was lighter than a destroyer but more capable than a corvette. The study proposed various types of ships ranging from medium-sized littoral combat ships (LCS) which were essentially oversized corvettes, guided missile frigates and a new but lighter type of guided missile destroyers. The procurement of a new destroyer was deemed to be not in alignment with the Navy's goal of a surface force that is more mobile and versatile. Furthermore it does not address the requirement of having fewer crew members to operate the ship. This left the LCS and frigates as the two primary design contenders with the frigate option ultimately prevailing over the LCS. A tender process was initiated in 2012 where Bao Marine, Khuat Shipyards alongside XXX from XXX proposed various frigate designs to the Daoan Navy to assess. Ultimately the design from Bao Marine was deemed to fulfill the Navy's requirements of a light, modular & multipurpose vessel. The Daoan Ministry of National Security signed a procurement contract with Bao Marine in 2013 for the construction of six initial frigates with an option to increase the number of vessels in the future. Construction of the first vessel, the TCQ ''Trần Việt Thắng'' began in September 2013 and eventually completed and commissioned on 13 April 2016. Further vessels were commissioned on 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2020 respectively. On March 2021 the Daoan government, through the Ministry of National Security, ordered the procurement of a further four vessels. The Independence-class while initially meant to only augment the Freedom-class destroyers, proved itself to be a more reliable, cost-efficient and versatile vessel compared to the older destroyers. This has resulted in the Freedoms's fate being changed from partial to a full decomissioning of the Freedom-class destroyers.
Design
General Characteristics
Armament
Sensors
Aviation Facilities
Operational History
Variants
- Guided Missile Frigate
- Long-range Patrol Vessel