FMM multipurpose frigate

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Aventurier X650 Aventurier 1996.png
The X650 Aventurier as it was commissioned in 1996
Class overview
Builders:
  • Sieuxerr Arsenal de Neons
  • Sieuxerr Arsenal de Vaudouan
  • Sieuxerr Chantiers Navals Courtillers
  • Sylva Fincantieri
Operators:
Preceded by:
Subclasses: ASW, GP, various national subclasses
Cost: 450,000,000
Built: 1993–present
In commission: 1996–present
Planned:
  • 24 (Sieuxerr)
  • 10 (Sylva)
  • 8 (Maracaibo)
  • 6 (Khalistan)
  • 4 (Batavaie)
  • 68+ (Total)
Completed: 52
General characteristics
Type: Frigate
Displacement: 5,200 tonnes
Length:
  • 155.1 m (509 ft) LOA
  • 144.4 m (474 ft) LPP
Beam: 16.4 m (54 ft)
Draft: 5.4 m (18 ft)
Propulsion: 50,000 kW
Speed: 31 knots
Range: 5,000 nm @ 19 knots
Complement: 230
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • Optronics:
  • 1 × Sagem Vampir MB infra-red search and track system
  • Radars:
  • 1 × DRBV 15C search radar (Batch I & II)
  • 1 × Kronos Grand Naval (Batch III)
  • 1 × DRBV-26C wide air search radar (Early)
  • 1 × DRBV-27L wide air search radar (Late)
  • 1 × DRBC 33F Castor IIJ fire control radar (Early)
  • 1 × RTN-25X fire control radar (Late)
  • 2 × Navigation and helicopter radars
  • Sonars:
  • 1 × DUBV-24C hull sonar
  • 1 × UMS 4249 CAPTAS4 towed sonar
  • Communications:
  • Satellite links: Inmarsat, SYRACUSE
Electronic warfare
& decoys:
  • Jammers:
  • 2 × ARBB-33 jammers
  • 2 × BSM jammers
  • Noisemakers:
  • 1 × BAR-25A noisemaker
  • Decoy Launchers
  • 2 × ODLS-H launchers
  • 2 × DAGAIE launchers (Batch I & II)
  • 2 × SLAT anti torpedo systems (Batch III & Late)
Armament:
Aircraft carried: 2 × AS.332

The FMM ("Frigate Multi-Mission"; Merovingian: Frégate Multi-Mission; Sylvan: Fregata multi-missione) is a class of multi-mission frigates designed in the late-1980s and built throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s. The ships were designed to give EC states a common platform to replace "medium range" air-defense warships like the Durand de la Penne-class used by the Sylvan Navy and the Vercingétorix-class used by the Sieuxerrian Navy and also primarily ASW warships like the Maestrale-class and Charlemagne-class.

The FMM would spearhead a number of new sensors and weapon systems while also retaining legacy systems to help reduce costs and increase interoperability between allied nations. In the Sieuxerrian Navy it is known as the Aventurier-class and in the Sylvan Navy as the Mártir-Santo Mercurio-class.


Design

Armament

Guns

Sieuxerrian ships were initally constructed with the Model 1968 CADAM 100 mm naval gun, cued by the DRBC 33F Castor IIJ fire control radar, the gun fires a 13.5 kg shell at a rate of 78-80 rounds per minute. The 100 mm gun has an effective range of 18 kilometers. New guided ammunition design for ship self-defense can achieve a range of upwards of 25 kilometers, and specially designed shells for long-range artillery bombardment can reach a range of 50 kilometers. Starting with newer ships, the older Model 1968 gun was replaced in favor of a Model 100 TR, which gave the gun a radar signature reducing casing, removing manual controls in the mount itself, and also improving the rate of fire from 78 to 90 rounds per minute. Batch II ships were armed with the Model 1974 127mm naval gun.

Sylvan warships are all equipped with the Cannone da 75/62 modello 1964 gun. The gun has a range of 16 kilometers with normal ammunition, with extended range ammunition the range of the gun goes from 20 kilometers to 40 kilometers. They fire at a rate of 120 rounds per minute. New ships were fitted with a gun-direction radar on the 75mm mount, this allows the use of guided ammunition for close-in-defense against anti-ship missiles. The range on this system is about 8 kilometers. Like with the Sieuxerrian vessels, the early subclass of their FMMs were built with the 30mm cannons, which were deleted on the later hulls.

Tyrannian ships getting a 113mm naval gun. Other ships built for other clients receive a mixture of 75mm or 100mm naval guns.

Small boat defense is done by two Canon Automatique de 30 mm Modèle 1974 30mm autocannons and four AA-MAS M.82 13.2mm machine guns on Sieuxerrian ships. Other nations use a mixture of 13.2mm and 12.7mm machine guns and 20mm or 30mm autocannons of various models. On the Batch III ships, the 30mm guns were removed as the need for small-boat defense was seen as less important in the early 2000s following the Ummayan Civil War.

Missiles

The ships were built to utilize the new SYLVER vertical launch system, and were equipped with space for 6 8-cell blocks on the bow and 2 8-cell blocks between the hangers on the aft of the ship. The two aft blocks on all ships are A-43, which fires the Aster-15 missile with a range of 30 kilometers. These provide basic self and local area defense. Bow VLS cells were originally just A-50, firing both Aster-15 and Aster-30 along with the MASM-LV missile for anti-submarine duties. In production, Sieuxerrian ships did no reciever the full 6 blocks, only getting 4 of them. Batch II ships were built with a focus on ground strike, and had two of the A-50 blocks changed out for two A-70 blocks, able to fire SCALP EG and MM.90 missiles for anti-surface and anti-ship missions. Later Block III ships would have the same VLS arrangement.

On Batch I ships, self-defense was done by launchers firing the Mistral missile, these launchers were mounted onto the ODLS-H decoy dischargers. Experiences against Menghean KSR-5 and P-270 Moskit anti-shipping missiles in the Ummayan Civil War showed that the Mistral missile, a MANPAD, was ineffective at stopping said missiles. Batch II ships did not receive the Mistral launchers even before the civil war in 2004. Following the civil war, Batch I and II ships would be refitted with a Goalkeeper launcher. Batch III ships received two launchers. The Goalkeeper itself is a 17-round close-in-weapon system, firing the VT-2 missile, a modification of the VT-1 missile.

All ships were equipped with two four-missile launchers for anti-shipping missiles. The first ships were fitted with MM.40 Block 2 Exocet missiles with a range of 72 kilometers. Later some ships would get the new MM.90 anti-shipping missile, a supersonic anti-ship missile with a range of 200 kilometers. Budgetary restraints would mean not all ships would get the MM.90. As an interim measure, a number of ships would get the MM.40 Block 3 Exocet instead. The Block 3 has additional guidance abilities allowing it to be used as a land-attack missile. As well, it has improved maneuverability as well as a new air-breathing engine giving it a much greater distance of 180 kilometers. Many Block 3 missiles are instead conversions of existing Block 2 stocks.

Sylvan and Maracaibean ships are equipped with the Otomat anti-ship missile. This missile family is multipurpose, with variants able to conduct land attack, anti-submachine, and conventional anti-shipping duties. The basic missile of choice is the Otomat Mk 2 Block IV with a range of 180 kilometers. Depending on the mission, the Otomat Mk 2 E with a range of 360 kilometers and new types of guidance for long-range land to sea strike missions, or the MILAS anti-submarine missile can be fitted. The MILAS is a converted Otomat missile that has been modified to take an MU90 lightweight torpedo for anti-submachine duties. The MILAS has a range of under 35 kilometers.

Starting in the late 2000s, the Aster-15 was retired by numerous nations in favor of adoption of the Vipera 3/4VL missile. The Vipera 3VL has an effective range of 25 kilometers, with the 4VL having an extended range of over 40 kilometers. Along with the increased range, the missile can be quad-packed in the SYLVER VLS cells. Aster-15 missiles as they were removed from service were fitted with the Aster-30 and returned to service.

Torpedoes

The ships are all equipped with 2 533mm torpedo tubes on both sides of the ship. They are designed to use the L5 and L17 series and later MU90 series of anti-submarine torpedoes.

Sensors

Radars

On Batch I and II ships wide-area aerial search was done by the D-band DRBV-26 series of radar, originally these were DRBV-26C with a range of 300km, but quickly replaced by DRBV-26D radars with an instrumental range of some 400km. Both series of radars could track up to 64 targets. Following upgrades to the Batch I and II ships and standard on the new Batch III ships these radars are then replaced by the DRBV-27L, a variant of the larger DRBV-27A which is used by the Chacal-class of air defense frigates but with a shorter search range as its radar array is smaller. It shares much of the below-deck components to the DRBV-26C/D radars with a passive phased array antenna replacing the older antenna. The DRBV-27L also, like with the 27A, has the capacity to track up to 200 targets at once. The DRBV-26 series was used by previous classes of warships and was an effective, low-cost wide-area search radar.

Sylvan ships at first used the DRBV-26 series for their wide-area search, however in the early 2010s new ships were equipped with the Selex RAN-40L radar. The radar boasts the ability to track 500 targets and has an effective range upto 400 kilometers. Only the GP subclass is equipped with them, the older ships retaining the DRBV-26C radar sets.

Batch I and II ships use S-band multi-function radar 2D Sea Tiger Mk2, known in the Sieuxerrian Navy as DRBV 15C. The DRBV 15C radar has an instrumental range of 130km. Batch III ships had the Sea Tiger radar removed in favor of the C-band Kronos Grand Naval radar. The Kronos Grand Naval features greatly improved capabilities over the Sea Tiger, including detection of various threats including high-speed sea-skimming anti-ship missiles, or small fast-attack craft. The range of the Kronos radar is 250 kilometers.

There are also two helicopter and navigation search radars and also fire control radars.

Ships in class

Name Hull no. Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Home port Status
Sieuxerr Sieuxerrian Navy
Batch I
Aventurier X650 Arsenal de Neons, Neons 1993 1994 1996 Vaudouan Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Le Fantasque X651 Arsenal de Neons, Neons 1993 1994 1996 AVA Joint Base Portcullia, Portcullia Active
Joueur X652 Arsenal de Vaudouan, Vaudouan 1994 1995 1997 Neons Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Mercenaire X653 Arsenal de Neons, Neons 1994 1995 1997 Briquemont Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Le Malin X654 Arsenal de Vaudouan, Vaudouan 1994 1995 1997 AVA Joint Base Portcullia, Portcullia Active
Le Terrible X655 Arsenal de Neons, Neons 1994 1995 1997 Vaudouan Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Fanfaron X656 Arsenal de Vaudouan, Vaudouan 1995 1996 1998 Vaudouan Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active,
Voyageur X657 Arsenal de Neons, Neons 1995 1996 1998 Vaudouan Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
L'Indomptable X658 Arsenal de Vaudouan, Vaudouan 1995 1996 1998 Briquemont Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
L'Audacieux X659 Arsenal de Neons, Neons 1995 1996 1998 Vaudouan Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Explorateur X660 Arsenal de Vaudouan, Vaudouan 1996 1997 1999 Vaudouan Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Le Triomphant X661 Arsenal de Vaudouan, Vaudouan 1996 1997 1999 Briquemont Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Batch II
Bourrasque X662 Arsenal de Neons, Neons 1999 2002 2004 AVA Joint Base Portcullia, Portcullia Active
Cyclone X663 Arsenal de Vaudouan, Vaudouan 2000 2002 2004 Neons Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Orage X664 Arsenal de Vaudouan, Vaudouan 2001 2003 2005 Briquemont Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Simoun X665 Arsenal de Vaudouan, Vaudouan 2002 2004 2006 Vaudouan Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Batch III
Mogador X667 Chantiers Navals Courtillers, Courtillers 2007 2009 2010 AVA Joint Base Portcullia, Portcullia Active
Sirocco X668 Arsenal de Vaudouan, Vaudouan 2008 2010 2011 Vaudouan Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Volta X669 Chantiers Navals Courtillers, Courtillers 2009 2011 2012 Vaudouan Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Tempête X670 Arsenal de Vaudouan, Vaudouan 2010 2012 2013 Vaudouan Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Kléber X671 Chantiers Navals Courtillers, Courtillers 2011 2013 2014 Neons Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Desaix X672 Chantiers Navals Courtillers, Courtillers 2012 2014 2015 Vaudouan Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Tornade X673 Arsenal de Vaudouan, Vaudouan 2014 2016 2017 Vaudouan Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Tramontane X674 Arsenal de Vaudouan, Vaudouan 2016 2018 2019 Neons Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Sylva Royal Sylvan Navy
ASW
Mártir-Santo Mercurio MSM Fincanteiri 1993 1994 1996 , Sylva Active
Mártir-Santo Expedito MSE Fincanteiri 1994 1995 1997 , Sylva Active
Mártir-Santo Beso MSB Fincanteiri 1996 1997 1999 , Sylva Active
Santo Agostino Roscelli SAR Fincanteiri 1998 1999 2001 , Sylva Active
Santo Amabilis de Auvernia SAA Fincanteiri 2000 2001 2002 , Sylva Active
GP
Santo Albino de Angers SAN Fincanteiri 2002 2003 2005 , Sylva Active
Santo Fileto SFI Fincanteiri 2004 2005 2006 , Sylva Active
Santo Margarita Burguesa SMB Fincanteiri 2006 2007 2008 , Sylva Active
Santo Ulrico de Augsburgo SUA Fincanteiri 2008 2009 2010 , Sylva Active
Santo José SAJ Fincanteiri 2010 2012 2013 , Sylva Active
Royal Navy (NT)
Maracaibean Navy
Khalistani Navy
Batavaian Navy
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