Project 15470 frigate
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 Yanaho, c.2010
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Project 15470 frigate |
| Operators: | Itayana Navy |
| Preceded by: | Project 10705 frigate |
| Succeeded by: | Project 15580 frigate |
| In service: | 2001-present |
| Completed: | 40 |
| Active: | 40 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Frigate |
| Displacement: | 4,900 tonnes |
| Length: | 138.1m |
| Beam: | 14.6m |
| Draught: | 8.6m |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | +32kn |
| Range: | 4,000 nautical miles at cruise turbines |
| Boats & landing craft carried: | 2 Type 440 cutters or 4-6 RIB boats |
| Complement: | 193 |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
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| Armament: |
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| Aircraft carried: | 2 helicopters |
The Project 15470 also known as the Rainfall-class frigate is a class of frigates in service with the Unifying Navy. Conceived as the primary unit of the Navy in 1990s, the ship was designed with extensive assistance of Redisan and Elatian shipbuilders. The first two batches were constructed on the foreign shipyards or with foreign supervision, while further batches were entirely domestic. The lead ship was commissioned in 2000 and the initial plans to build sixteen vessels eventually expanded, making the family the mainstay of the Unifying Navy and its most numerous surface combatant.
General characteristics
The layout of the Project 15470 vessels is characterized by relatively low and extensive superstructure, several antenna masts, two funnels and a wide helicopter hangar. The hull is 138.1 m long overall, with a beam of 14.6 meters and the draught of 8.6 meters, including a 4-meter bulb housing the bow sonar array. The hull shape was reportedly modeled using computer simulations to optimize hydrodynamic performance.
Ships of the class are powered by the COGAG propulsion system, with two cruise gas turbines and two boost gas turbines powering two reversible screws. It is known that starting from Project 15472 a set of new, more powerful turbines was installed. The top speed is estimated to be in excess of 32 knots, with reports indicating as high as 36 knots on trials. The operational range of 4,000 nautical miles at economical speed is typical for contemporary frigates. Electrical power is provided by a set of steam generators using heat from cruise turbines, as well as backup diesel generators. The ships carry two 12-meter boats, standard minimum for the blue-water vessels of the Autocracy Navy; later vessels and those after the mid-life upgrade have been known to use 7-meter RIB boats on several occasions. Each ship has a crew of 193, with 11 officers and 37 warrant officers.
The primary offensive weapon of the class is comprised of the two missile mounts amidships that allow variety of missile container launchers to be fitted. Initial ships used exclusively the imported Moskit anti-ship missiles, but at some point around 2008 further launchers were developed for other types of missiles, apparently including the modified Moskit derivative and the Kalibr cruise missile family. For anti-air defence, the ships carry 36 vertical-launch cells in three groups of 12 for various medium and short-range surface-to-air missiles. The exact types of SAMs in service of the Solar Autocracy are unknown, but are likely derived from Rezese, Redisan and Elatian systems.
Contrary to the contemporary naval design trends, ships of the Project 15470 carry an extensive artillery suite. A single dual-purpose 130mm gun is installed fore of the VLS cells, coupled with its own fire control radar and optical targeting module. It is known that the gun itself is licensed from Elatia, and is capable of firing 60 rounds a minute, but not much information is available on its targeting equipment. For close-range air defence, four 76mm guns of the Rezese origin are installed in pairs midships, fore of the missile launchers; those are capable of 120 rounds per minute.
As build, ships were equipped with eight 25mm guns in twin manned powered mounts, two at the fore superstructure behind the fire control radar, and two on top of the hangar. On Project 15472 those were replaced by 3-barrel rotary 25mm guns in remote weapon stations. For the anti-submarine warfare, ships of the class carry two sets of torpedo tubes below the main deck fore of the hangar, and two RBU bomb throwers. When first commissioned, ships of the Project 15471 carried two twin 533mm torpedo tubes with several reloads. Project 15472 replaced those with with quad 324mm torpedo tubes; over the mid-life upgrade program those were replaced as well. New tubes can fire all standard Navy torpedoes, eliminating the odd 533mm calibre from the arsenal. Additionally, both RBU bomb throwers were replaced with 24-barrel launchers of an unknown type.
Two helicopters are housed in the hangar at the stern of the ship, complementing search capabilities and offensive power of the vessel. Those are assumed to be licensed Elatian helicopters, likely modified for compatibility with shipborne systems and datalinks.
The electronic equipment of the class consists of a 3D air search radar, a missile control radar, a gunnery radar, a navigational radar, and an electronic warfare suite mounted below the air search radar. Conceived in 1990s, the ships relied primarily on foreign electronic equipment. Additionally, four optronics stations are mounted at the fore mast. The sonar suite consists of the bow array and the towed array; the exact specifications or the place of origin of those are unknown. The communication tower on the hangar carries the signals complex, including several types of datalinks. The capabilities of the combat integration suite are unknown but are assumed to have evolved over time.
Project 15472 replaced the sensor suite to that of presumably domestic origins. The change is known to have allowed ships to fire long-range surface-to-air missiles, as was repeatedly observed since 2014. Additionally, a surface targeting radar and two passive arrays were added to complement naval strike capabilities.
Notable deployments
As the main surface combatant of the Autocracy Navy, Project 15470 frigates have been used to represent the Solar Autocracy whenever and wherever needed, either by themselves or escorting the few capital ships of the Navy. Their first deployments were happened in August 2001, shortly after the first four units were commissioned from Redisan yards. The ships were frequently seen on joint exercises with Zacapine, Redisan, Rezese and Elatian navies, as well as representing the Autocracy as far as Velikoslavia, M'Biruna and Elatia.
The success of the design prompted the Solar Temple of Yanbango to massively expand their Star-2 Naval Program, contributing to the expansion of the shipbuilding plants No.75 and No.87. By the time of the Central Karana War, 16 frigates of the Project 15471 were commissioned and 16 more of the Project 15472 were on varying stages of construction. Their role in the land war was limited to screening territorial waters of the Autocracy, although Yanaho was forced to stay behind behind docked due to the engine trouble. The ship was towed to Karana River where it scored two confirmed aircraft kills.
The 2009-2011 economic downturn impacted the shipbuilding programs of the Autocracy negatively; nevertheless, it appears that all effort was made to finish the frigates already laid down, regardless of the stage of construction. Additionally, it is known that the Star-3 Naval Program included provisions for more Project 15472 frigates, believed to be caused by delays in development of the successive Project 15580 frigate. The first 15472s were commissioned in 2013 and first officially sighted on manoeuvres with the Redisan Navy in 2014.
Starting 2020, the Navy initiated a mid-life refit program for 15471s to match its combat capabilities with 15472s. The program includes complete overhaul of electronics, sensors and support systems, as well as reducing the radar cross section by unifying the superstructure with that of 15472s. It is expected that frigates of the class will remain the mainstay of the Navy until 2030s, by which point they will be supplemented by sufficient number of newer and more advanced designs.
Ships in class
| Name | Translation | Shipyard | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <name> | Rainfall | some Redisan yard | 07.05.1998 | 25.10.1999 | 27.12.2000 | Active |
| <name> | <Translation> Rain | some Redisan yard | 09.05.1998 | 27.10.1999 | 27.12.2000 | Active |
| <name> | <Translation> Rain | some Redisan yard | 11.05.1998 | 29.10.1999 | 27.12.2000 | Active |
| <name> | <Translation> Rain | some Redisan yard | 13.05.1998 | 31.10.1999 | 27.12.2000 | Active |
| <name> | <Translation> Rain | some Redisan yard | 28.10.1999 | 15.03.2000 | 15.05.2001 | Active |
| <name> | <Translation> Rain | some Redisan yard | 30.10.1999 | 17.03.2000 | 15.05.2001 | Active |
| <name> | <Translation> Rain | some Redisan yard | 01.11.1999 | 19.03.2000 | 15.05.2001 | Active |
| <name> | <Translation> Rain | some Redisan yard | 03.11.1999 | 21.03.2000 | 15.05.2001 | Active |
| Name | Translation | Shipyard | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <name> | White Cloud | Shipbuilding Plant No.87 | 05.04.2002 | 15.09.2004 | 25.03.2007 | Active |
| Yanaho | Red Cloud | Shipbuilding Plant No.87 | 06.04.2002 | 17.09.2004 | 27.04.2007 | Active |
| <name> | Blue Cloud | Shipbuilding Plant No.87 | 19.01.2002 | 25.12.2004 | 03.07.2007 | Active |
| <name> | Evening Cloud | Shipbuilding Plant No.87 | 18.02.2002 | 11.06.2005 | 21.09.2008 | Active |
| <name> | Cirrus Cloud | Shipbuilding Plant No.75 | 23.02.2002 | 03.08.2004 | 13.05.2007 | Active |
| <name> | Cumulus Cloud | Shipbuilding Plant No.75 | 26.03.2002 | 26.11.2005 | 04.06.2007 | Active |
| <name> | Wind-stirred Cloud | Shipbuilding Plant No.75 | 22.04.2002 | 30.01.2006 | 10.08.2009 | Active |
| <name> | Celestial Cloud | Shipbuilding Plant No.75 | 12.05.2002 | 30.01.2006 | 12.10.2009 | Active |
| Name | Translation | Shipyard | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <name> | <translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.87 | 23.03.2007 | 30.03.2012 | 22.09.2015 | Active |
| <name> | <translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.87 | 24.04.2007 | 30.04.2012 | 16.10.2015 | Active |
| <name> | <translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.87 | 10.02.2008 | 14.03.2014 | 01.02.2016 | Active |
| <name> | <translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.87 | 12.02.2008 | 02.03.2014 | 14.05.2016 | Active |
| <name> | <translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.87 | 03.03.2008 | 01.04.2014 | 10.07.2016 | Active |
| <name> | <translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.87 | 15.03.2008 | 16.04.2014 | 29.03.2017 | Active |
| <name> | <translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.87 | 27.12.2008 | 23.01.2015 | 13.06.2017 | Active |
| <name> | <translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.87 | 05.01.2009 | 27.01.2015 | 17.12.2017 | Active |
| <name> | <translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.75 | 04.07.2007 | 23.10.2012 | 23.07.2015 | Active |
| <name> | <translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.75 | 26.12.2007 | 18.12.2012 | 18.10.2015 | Active |
| <name> | <translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.75 | 10.08.2008 | 25.01.2013 | 11.12.2015 | Active |
| <name> | <Translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.75 | 16.08.2008 | 30.04.2013 | 01.08.2016 | Active |
| <name> | <Translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.75 | 18.11.2008 | 25.07.2013 | 11.09.2016 | Active |
| <name> | <Translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.75 | 23.11.2008 | 16.12.2013 | 24.10.2016 | Active |
| <name> | <Translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.75 | 25.12.2008 | 15.01.2014 | 31.11.2016 | Active |
| <name> | <Translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.75 | 30.12.2008 | 17.01.2014 | 12.01.2017 | Active |
| Name | Translation | Shipyard | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <name> | <translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.87 | 23.03.2007 | 30.03.2012 | 22.09.2015 | Active |
| <name> | <translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.87 | 24.04.2007 | 30.04.2012 | 16.10.2015 | Active |
| <name> | <translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.87 | 10.02.2008 | 14.03.2014 | 01.02.2016 | Active |
| <name> | <translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.87 | 12.02.2008 | 02.03.2014 | 14.05.2016 | Active |
| <name> | <translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.87 | 03.03.2008 | 01.04.2014 | 10.07.2016 | Active |
| <name> | <translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.87 | 15.03.2008 | 16.04.2014 | 29.03.2017 | Active |
| <name> | <translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.87 | 27.12.2008 | 23.01.2015 | 13.06.2017 | Active |
| <name> | <translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.87 | 05.01.2009 | 27.01.2015 | 17.12.2017 | Active |
| <name> | <translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.75 | 04.07.2007 | 23.10.2012 | 23.07.2015 | Active |
| <name> | <translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.75 | 26.12.2007 | 18.12.2012 | 18.10.2015 | Active |
| <name> | <translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.75 | 10.08.2008 | 25.01.2013 | 11.12.2015 | Active |
| <name> | <Translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.75 | 16.08.2008 | 30.04.2013 | 01.08.2016 | Active |
| <name> | <Translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.75 | 18.11.2008 | 25.07.2013 | 11.09.2016 | Active |
| <name> | <Translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.75 | 23.11.2008 | 16.12.2013 | 24.10.2016 | Active |
| <name> | <Translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.75 | 25.12.2008 | 15.01.2014 | 31.11.2016 | Active |
| <name> | <Translation> | Shipbuilding Plant No.75 | 30.12.2008 | 17.01.2014 | 12.01.2017 | Active |