Agni-class frigate
 Agni-class frigate
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Agni-class frigate |
| Builders: | Arthuristan Dynamics |
| Operators: | Commonwealth Navy |
| Preceded by: | Type-44 destroyer |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Frigate |
| Displacement: | 6,900 tonnes |
| Length: | 148.5m |
| Beam: | 20m |
| Draught: | 4.65m |
| Propulsion: | CODLOG, 1x Rollers Engineering MT30 (40,000 kW), 4 x diesel generators, 2 x electric motors |
| Speed: | 28kn+ |
| Range: | 13,000 kilometres (15 knots) |
| Boats & landing craft carried: | 4 x RHIBs or USVs |
| Troops: | 102 |
| Complement: | 118 |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
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| Armament: |
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| Armour: | steel shrapnel sheets, kevlar spall liners |
| Aircraft carried: | 2 x light or 1 x heavy helicopter or rotor-wing UAV |
The Type-27 Agni-class frigate, marketed by Arthuristan Dynamics as the "Global Combat Ship", is the newest class of first-rate medium escorts in service with the Commonwealth Navy, complementing the Type-44 destroyer. It is a multirole warship with considerable capability in anti-air, anti-submarine and surface combat capabilities
Origin
The project began in the mid-2000s, when the Type-44 destroyer program was in full swing. They were enormously capable multirole warships able to protect a carrier or convoy from many threat. They were, however, also enormously expensive. Ultimately, the Type-44 program was terminated after ten ships, out of an originally envsiaged twelve-ship production run, in order to replace the legacy Phobos-class destroyer on a one-by-one basis. This left a gap which must be filled by other means.
The Ahriman-class frigate, which was also entering service at the same time, proved to be an efficient class of small patrol frigates. However, actual operational experience of the class demonstrated the need for a larger class of frigates, which would be able to mount a large-calibre deck gun capable of firing guided shells, as well as long-range land attack cruise missiles. They would also be heavy enough to carry a large anti-submarine helicopter and complement the Pallas-class destroyer as high-end ASW escorts.
Accordingly, the Admiralty provided Arthuristan Dynamics with a seemingly mutually incompatible range of requirements for the proposed new class of surface combatants:
(1) It must possess effective area anti-air capability, although some of the cutting edge functionalities of the Type-44, such as ballistic missile defence, is not required.
(2) It must be equipped with the latest generation of variable-depth sonar, and carry the AW101 large anti-submarine helicopter.
(3) The hull must be of sufficient size to handle strike-length cells, capable of launching long range cruise missiles, as well as a gun of 127mm calibre.
(4) It must achieve all of these objectives using off-the-shelf technology, in order to control costs.
And thus, the Advanced Medium Multirole Combatant, also known in naval circles as the 'budget boat', was borne.
Technology
The 6,900 tonne vessels are designated as 'frigates' in order to mollify the more budget-conscious members of the legislature. However, its capabilities approach that of a small destroyer. It was designed from the ground-up to minimise sensors-signature, whether from radar or sonar. It is capable of general warfare missions.
At the heart of its sensors suite is the HERKALION multifunction phased array radar. It is a 'boosted' version of the HERAKLES radar mounted on the smaller Ahriman-class frigate, possessing a greater number of transmitter modules, improved beam-forming capability, as well as a new volume search mode. It is capable of tracking up to 500 targets, including incoming low-flying supersonic threats, and cue surface-to-air missiles to engage them. The combination of the HERAKLION radar and the ship's ATHENA combat system makes the Agni a potent area air defence ship, although it lacks some of the Type-44's top-end functionalities, most notably that of ballistic-missile defence.
The ship also has the Type-2050 hull-mounted and Type 2087 towed sonars for ASW scenarios. The Agni-Class is bult with 45 V90 VLS-cells (plus a lightweight folding reloading crane for calm conditions), slots for eight deck-mounted anti-ship missiles, and supplemented by a 127mm gun. For self-defence in close quarters, it is armed with one 21-shot RAM launcher. Its four twin-mounts for 12.7mm heavy machine guns provide a measure of self-defence capability against small boats in littoral environments.
Aside from defensive weaponry, the Agni also incorporates a suite of sophisticated soft-kill countermeasures. Its Electronic Support Measure system, mounted just underneath the HERAKLION radar, is capable of detecting incoming radar energy from missiles and jamming them. It is equipped with two projectors for the MASS decoy system, which can launch countermeasures effective against a significant proportion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Underwater protection consists of the SSTD torpedo defence system, while the ship's MU90 lightweight torpedoes can also be used as torpedo interceptors.
Aviation
The ship's helipad can support heavy helicopters - up to the size of Chinooks, although the the hangar can only accommodate light to medium aircrafts such as the Lynx or Merlin. Another feature, not seen in other Arthuristan surface vessels, is a modular boat bay set amidships, accessed via two gates on each side of the hull. This enables the ship to deploy a company group of around 200 Commonwealth Marines or special forces personnel in RHIBs or helicopters, or else operate unmanned-surface vessels.