Project 17100
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Project 17100 destroyer |
| Operators: | Itayana Navy |
| Preceded by: | Project 14460 destroyer |
| In service: | 2002-present |
| Completed: | 7 |
| Active: | 7 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Guided-missile destroyer |
| Displacement: | 16,800 tonnes |
| Length: | 203.5m |
| Beam: | 21.3m |
| Draught: | 7.8m |
| Installed power: |
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| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | +32kn |
| Range: | +11,000 nautical miles at 18 knots |
| Boats & landing craft carried: | 4 Type 601 cutters |
| Complement: | 363 (17101) |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
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| Armament: |
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| Armour: | Various local protection |
| Aircraft carried: |
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The Project 17100 destroyer, sometimes known as Aribango-class destroyer is a family of guided-missile destroyers (DDGs) in service of the Unifying Navy. The class was conceived in late 1980s as a primary capital ship of the resurgent Navy, capable of conducting anti-aircraft warfare, anti-submarine operations, anti-surface combat in sustained actions, ground-strike missions, and long-range surface raiding operations. Design effort included study of Zacapine, Rezese, Redisan, and Elatian capital ships and their surface actions, and involved technical assistance from the Oxidentali nations.
All ships of the class are named after the cities in the Two Basins, including both the Autocracy and Amayana Makgato Federation cities. The lead ship, Aribango, was built in Gallentica Naval Works shipyard in Orun Redisus, while all other ships were built on the Shipbuilding Plant No.113 in the Imo Basin. Seven have been completed by 2024, replacing the older Project 14460 destroyers in service.
Development
The Unifying Revival, spearheaded in the lower Karana by the Solar Temple of Yanbango was characterized, among other things, by intense, lengthy, and often heated discussions in the internal periodic papers of the Temple Missions in various countries. The recurring theme was the composition of the future navy of the Temple State, with discussions involving priests, apprentices, a few students training in various military academies, and occasional invited experts from the navy of the country the particular mission was situated. Most vocal proponents in the Elatian and Zacapine missions eventually took the upper hand, while debating between themselves about the composition of their desired fleet. By the time the Itayana Navy was re-established in 1988, the priesthood and the Captains' Council of the Navy were unified in that the blue-water navy would need three types of combat ships: an aircraft carrier as a C3I, air defence, and strike ship; a frigate as the main multi-role ship of the fleet; and a capital ship.
The desired frigate formalized as the Project 15470 program, and its design process, based entirely around proven and tested systems, met the least difficulties between the three. The carrier program, while initially considered economically impractical, unexpectedly materialized with the help of the Burning Sun initiative in 1996 as the Project 11431, a reconstruction of an unfinished Elatian aircraft cruiser. Clauses of the Burning Sun funding included provisions to test certain systems to be employed in the Zacapine Navy, a decision that led to numerous problems in ship's sea trials. The capital ship program materialized as the Project 17100.
Requirements for a future capital ship of the Navy were debated and discussed through late '60s, '70s, and '80s. Said debates involved extensive analysis of the Belfro-Mutulese War of 1928, Second Belfro-Elatian War, and Third Uhlangan Civil War, as well as the state and development of capital ships around the world from the various sources the priests could have found. Proponents of the surface raiding doctrine, centered around the Elatian mission, argued that Itayana would never be able to establish a fleet that could oppose numerically superior fleets in open combat, meaning the possibility of raiding hit-and-run tactics was the way to deter possible naval aggression, carefully studying the Second Belfro-Elatian War and surface actions of the Elatian Navy. Their opponents, centered around the Zacapican mission, argued that Elatian raiding doctrine based around submarines and surface raiders, ultimately failed through a series of engagements where outgunned solitary raiders were destroyed piecemeal, and that a few surface raiders complemented with submarines would ultimately prove more expensive than a balanced, if weaker, surface fleet. The discussion fluctuated between doctrinal matters, naval operations studies, and technical studies for over 15 years, and became a notorious point of contention within the Temple ranks.
The final design requirements represented a consensus between the opposing factions. They were made possible by advancements in the propulsion systems, radar and helicopter technology, and introduction of vertical launch systems on the Zacapine destroyers in 1980s. In 1988, with the re-establishment of the Itayana Navy, a set of requirements was made demanding a capital ship that could conduct both the surface raiding operations and the sustained missile combat in the fashion of the evolved battle line tactics, fusing the two points of view. Details on the design process are sparse; it is known that several heavy cruiser and battlecruiser designs from 1920s to 1950s were used as technical templates, as well as more modern guided-missile vessels in size of the capital ships. The final design resembled Elatian heavy raiders mixed with Zacapine guided missile air defence nuclear-powered destroyers.
The first ship was ordered to the Gallentica Naval Works, the same yard that constructed the first batch of Project 15470 frigates, and under the same 1995 contract. Further ships were built in an expanded Shipbuilding Plant No.113, where three slipways were constructed in late 1990s to accommodate the localized orders.
General characteristics
Built over several decades and to several design iterations, Project 17100 ships vary slightly in dimensions. The lead ship, Aribango, is 197.5 meters long at the waterline and 203.5 meters overall, with the beam of 21.3 m. The first batch (Shenmesu, Airashe and Laodan) are 199.5 meters long at the waterline and 206 meters long overall, with the beam of 22 m. Kanokari and Yanomi are both 201.2 meters long at the waterline and 210 meters overall, with the beam of 21.7 meters. Finally, Asima is 201.4 meters long at the waterline and 211 meters overall, with the beam of 22.2 meters. Measurements for the third batch in construction are yet to be estimated. It is known that all ships displace at around 16,800 metric tons designed, while the full load is estimated to be around 18,900 tons.
The ships layout is characterized by high freeboard and extensive superstructure flanked by anti-air artillery emplacements, resembling older heavier cruiser and battleship designs. The superstructure includes three tower masts with radar equipment, a bridge inspired by Elatian designs, and a large helicopter hangar to the rear. Kanokari and Yanomi had their bridge structure redesigned, while Asima has the entire stern reserved for hangar facilities. It is known that the ships complement is 363 for the lead ship, same figure is assumed for the first batch. It was claimed that Kanokari and Yanomi had their complement reduced down to 180 through extensive automation, which seems unlikely, while the complement of Asima is assumed to be around 250 due to the extended air group.
All ships are powered by eight gas turbines working through turbo-electric propulsion. The turbines are of the Zacapine origins; the first four ships have 27,500 kW output turbines, while the latter three have a stronger, 32,000 kW output turbines. Four sets of turbo-electric transmission generate the majority of the power for the ships' equipment while eliminating combination gearboxes, a notable roadblock for the industry of the Autocracy. Each set drives a controlled-pitch screw about 4.2 meters in diameter. The top speed varies between the members and exact figures are unknown, only that they exceed 32 knots. The range is estimated to exceed 8,000 nautical miles. Steering is controlled by two rudders on all ships of the class; for low-speed manoeuvring, all ships have an auxiliary drive.
The ships primary armament is formed from a combination of vertical launch cells, heavy artillery, and light dual-purpose artillery. All ships carry 160 VLS cells in two blocks of 80, for both the surface strike and anti-air missiles. The missile types used appear to be common for the Autocracy, derived from various designs in the Western Hemisphere. For the main artillery battery, Aribango has two twin turrets with 135mm guns, licensed from Sante Reze, a standard weapon capable of engaging air and surface targets. From Shenmesu onward, those were replaced with twin 155mm mounts, more capable against surface and land targets. Although it is known that there is an anti-air round, the rate of fire for 155mm is insufficient to make it useful as a dual-purpose gun.
The secondary battery is formed from 76mm guns, also of the Rezese origin. Aribango has eight single-gun mounts, while the subsequent ships use twin mounts. All ships also have 25mm rotary gun mounts to engage small slow-moving targets like drones, boats or USVs, but their amount and positioning vary from ship to ship. The ships also have four quad 324mm torpedo launchers with two reloads per each tube. Four helicopters can be carried in a rear hangar, with a possible disassembled spare one.
Asima was completed as a test bed for various technologies, and thus differs in layout and armament. For the main artillery, she mounts a single 240mm gun in place of the forward twin turret. The mount is known to be automated, firing specialized guided shells; its overall characteristics and performance are unknown. In addition to the standard secondary battery of the second batch (8x1 100mm DP guns), she also mounts a prototype high-energy CIWS, unofficially code-named Skyreach by the analysts. The weapon represents an effort by the Burning Sun and the Solar Temple to develop a naval laser system, but its efficiency is also unknown. Her hangar was extended deep into the hull structure, allowing her to carry up to eight helicopters. Finally, the ship also has a small docking bay at the rear, useful for launching boats and unmanned surface vehicles. The bay is known to be connected to the hangar, allowing somewhat simpler underway replenishment as well.
Electronic equipment varies extensively between ships of the class. Generally, all ships have a long-range air scan radar, a set of 3D air scan radars, a set of missile targeting radars, a set of artillery fire control radars, an ELINT/EW suite of various antennas and arrays, various auxiliary radars, and an extensive set of communication systems. The first four ships mounted largely the same equipment as Project 15470 frigates, with two 3D air scan radars and four missile guidance radars, derived from the O6Y Tletechiuh radar, common for the Zacapine Navy. The latter three mount a 3D S-band air scan AESA phased array radar identical to the system on the Project 11431 aircraft carrier. Pairs of arrays are distributed in over the fore and the aft radar masts to ensure the ship would remain operational in case of a breakdown or combat damage. Missile control was redistributed into several X-band targeting arrays, while new multi-purpose launchers were installed instead of the standard decoy launchers. Those launchers, apparently tested on Shenmesu in 2012, serve to fire rocket bombs, decoys, and small anti-air and anti-surface missiles, allowing them to engage multiple targets.
For the anti-submarine warfare, all ships mount a standard sonar suite, with a bow sonar, a retractable under-keel sonar, and a towed array. Those systems are understood to be the standard across the Navy.
Role and notable deployments
Project 17100 ships are usually employed as flagships of frigate formations or on solitary foreign visits, representing the height of the Solar Autocracy naval engineering and industrial capacity. They are usually seen on numerous exercises with the major powers of Oxidentale or Elatia, the latter of which they can reach with minimal logistical support. All ships fo the class were at one moment of their career present on foreign visits, with Aribango sighted on 11 of them as of 2024. Despite that, no more than two or three are usually seen operational at sea per year, due to the logistical cost of their deployment, and the commissioned ships are yet to be seen together in one event.
Ships in class
| Name | Namesake | Subclass | Shipyard | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aribango | City of Aribango, lower Karana basin | 17101 | Gallentica Naval Works | 10.01.1996 | 10.02.2000 | 22.04.2004 | Active |
| Shenmesu | City of Shenmesu, lower Karana basin | 17102 | Shipbuilding Plant No.113 | 05.04.2001 | 07.03.2009 | 18.08.2013 | Active |
| Airashe | City of Airashe, Makgato plateau | 17102 | Shipbuilding Plant No.113 | 05.04.2001 | 08.03.2009 | 25.08.2013 | Active |
| Laodan | City of Laodan, lower Imo basin | 17102 | Shipbuilding Plant No.113 | 05.04.2001 | 09.03.2009 | 31.08.2013 | Active |
| Kanokari | City of Kanokari, Karana-Imo Mesopotamia | 17103 | Shipbuilding Plant No.113 | 11.03.2009 | 10.07.2017 | 30.04.2020 | Active |
| Asima | City of Asima, Karana-Imo Mesopotamia | 17104 | Shipbuilding Plant No.113 | 11.03.2009 | 11.07.2017 | 16.05.2020 | Active |
| Yanomi | City of Yanomi, Makgato plateau | 17103 | Shipbuilding Plant No.113 | 11.03.2009 | 12.07.2017 | 09.05.2020 | Active |