Chanson-class Attack Submarine
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Chanson-Class Attack Submarine |
| Builders: | BAU Submarines |
| Operators: |
 Belfrasian Navy |
| Preceded by: |
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| Built: | 1987-present |
| In service: | 1991-present |
| Completed: | 27 |
| Active: | 27 |
| Lost: | 1 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | nuclear powered attack submarine |
| Displacement: | 7,900 tonnes (7,800 long tons)* |
| Length: | 114.15 m (374.5 ft) |
| Beam: | 12 m (39 ft) |
| Draft: | 10 m (33 ft) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | +30–35 knots (35–40 mph) |
| Range: | Theoretically unlimited |
| Endurance: | Only limited by food and maintenance requirements. |
| Test depth: | 400 m (1,300 ft) |
| Complement: | 115 |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
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| Armament: |
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Missile:
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The Chanson-class is a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine (SSN) in service with the Federation Navy. Designed to fulfill a multitude of missions, they feature a wide array of multi-mission modules and can change their mission at a moments notice to fulfill requirements placed upon them. They were conceived as a successor in both time and abilities to the Lanchev-class. The class of submarine is expected to be rapidly built to replace the rapidly aging Lanchev fleet and are expected to remain in service as far as 2050.
Design
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At a length of 114.15 meters by a beam of 12 meters and a displacement of 7,900 tons on average, the class is one of the largest yet fielded by the Navy. The hull structure of the Chanson-class contains empty spaces on design, to allow for the separate design and installation in-yard of up-to-date electrical equipment to keep Submarines up to date. This allows for Submarine to be fitted with isolated deck structures, allowing for ease-of-use in repair and isolation in the event of flooding. This also allows for retrofits in-yard to be expedited by the removal of entire sections in one go, although the process would require the removal of the ship's sonar and removal of further-forward sections first, a traumatic, lengthy, and costly venture.
The Combat Information Center, of (CIC), acts as the nerve center of the ship. Diving officers, sonar technicians, and the captain are all located in one central location to expedite information in potentially time critical situations. Similar to the construction of the ship's sections, the CIC has modular consoles which can be swapped out in the event of one being damaged in battle or an updated platform becomes available. In contrast with the previous Lanchev-class, the CIC is roomy and allows for a friendlier and more ergonomic work environment, a feature that is apparent throughout the entirety of the vessel. The module that is installed into the ship is referred to as the Command, Control and Central System's Module (CCCSM) and was designed by a consortium of technology developers from a multitude of countries. This module incorporates access to all of the submarine's systems into one location with a battery back-up system allowing it to operate other systems should a power-cut occur, however unlikely. An open system architecture was kept in mind during the design, allowing all of the consoles to be interlinked and capable of operating with lightning quick responses to evolving events.
The noise level of the submarine is almost a third of that emitted by it's predecessor through the usage of new-age technologies and Anechoic coating, isolated and padded structures, and an entirely new design of propulsion system. The bow sonar array is divided into two parts, with the primary array being like that seen on other submarines. The secondary array is angled downward and, in conjunction with the side sonar arrays and retractable propulsors, will allow the class to ease itself over the ocean floor at a distance of only one meter for a period of up to three months. Aside from the bow-mounted arrays, which are both capable of functioning in a passive and active role, the submarine features a wide aperture passive arrray on the flank and a high frequency active array on the keel and fin. The submarine features a towed array capable of being deployed to distances of roughly one kilometer, allowing for a clear image of entities behind of the vessel.
The class is fitted with an advanced photonics mast, allowing for a multitude of sensor-gathering through low-light TV, thermal imaging and laser range-finding. A navigational, satellite-communication mast is also featured along with a typical communications and radar mast with a deployable buoy for target finding and communications whilst submerged. Finally, a multi-mission mast is capable of fitting a 30mm automated weapons system, an electrionic warfare suite, or anything else capable of fitting inside of it's diameter.
The submarine features a lock-out trunk, allowing for the inclusion of Special Forces equipment, rescue mini-submarines, or for the storage and deployable of two unmanned water vehicles for mine disposal or recon operations.
Armament
The Chanson-class is equipped with eight 533mm torpedo tubes and two modular vertical launch systems (M-VLS). The M-VLS has the capacity to launch up to six Lance Missiles or other missiles of varying size and purpose, allowing the Navy to introduce it's advanced TRISTAN modular family to the Submarine Service. This would technically allow a Submarine to launch twelve Lance Missiles in a single salvo. A magazine capacity of thirty-two weapons allows the Submarine to launch a high variety of weapons from the ship's eight torpedo tubes, such as the SST-28B Huntsman Torpedo.
An integral lock-out chamber is incorporated into the hull for special operations or rescue purposes. The chamber can hold several mini-propulsion units for divers or serve as a docking device for mini-submarines or an attached lock-out 'garage', capable of holding a Special Forces Submarine Unit (SFSU). The Class is also outfitted with an advanced acoustic countermeasure system, allowing it to provide specific types of countermeasures intended to fool incoming munitions of the submarine's postion, leading to a miss. A full spectrum warning system is incorporated into the ship's sonar housing, allowing for an automatic threat detection and warning assessment and transmission if needed. A mast mounted electronic support system allows the ship to spoof enemy missiles either completely or long enough to dive out of harms way. A multi-mission mast is capable of fitting a 30mm automated weapons system, an electrionic warfare suite, or anything else capable of fitting inside of it's diameter.
Block Two
When BAU systems took over construction contracts for the Chansonin 2006, they introduced the improved design program now known as the Block Two. A majority of changes introduced were electronic and to the core structure of the Submarine for ease of maintenance, construction, and repair. A new rail system to mount the sections of the submarine inside of the hull was completely redone as was the way in which the sections lock into each-other. The forward VLS array was completely redone and condensed into two single VLS cells that would mount a canister configured to sit a certain number of a specific missile. Up to six Lance Missiles can fit into a canister as can a single heavy missile. It was theorized that the Submarine could act as a proxy air defence picket with a canister filled with twelve Archer Missiles, but has yet to be tested.
Following the incident aboard F.N.S Collision, fire crews were stationed near the Submarines during construction at the BAU shipyards and an easier access system to the wiring compartments prior to construction being finished was made. The reactor compartment received an update, with a back-up coolant system being included and standardizing an emergency flushing system tested out on an existing submarine.
Incidents
F.N.S Collision fire (1999)
On 5 June 1999, whilst technicians were aboard Collision to inspect the finishing of the number two section when a fire began in the wiring compartment. Technicians aboard the submarine went to suppress the fire as the fire suppression system had yet to be filled (it was due to be filled an hour later). Technicians outside of the Submarine first reported smoke emerging from the open front of the Submarine at 20:23, three minutes after the fire warning came out over the radio. At 20:30 maydays were called out after the fire burst through the edge of the number two section, trapping thirteen technicians inside of the finished rear end of the vessel and their only escape. Attempts to attack the fire by on-site technicians were met with little success, and all contact inside of the submarine was lost at 20:36. Fog hampered the arrival of fire crews from the nearby fire station and they wouldn't arrive until 20:48. Upon the Fire Department's arrival, the Submarine was fully engulfed in fire with paramedics on scene treating two for smoke inhalation and a third for third degree burns.
The bodies of twelve technicians were found inside of the Submarine after the fire was put out almost three hours later, with the thirteenth technician having been pulled out to be treated by paramedics before being flown to Alexandria Military Hospital. The thirteenth technician died of his injuries two days later. Parts of the Submarine were placed in the Federation Naval Museum along with a memorial for the thirteen technicians who died as a result of the fire. In light of the harrowing incident that led to thirteen deaths and that the ship had been written into the registrar, the Admiralty decided to retire the name permanently, an action that led to the log books of the previous ships to carry the name being released into public domain and the originals stored in the Federation Naval Museum's Ship of Honor wing.
A report issued shortly after the accident made several accusations toward the ship-builder group, the Ridgeworks Shipyards, for poor log keeping and lax security, having found several trespassers in previous sites being logged down by local police. The report proved fatal for the guild, who after the sister-ship of the Collision was finished, the F.N.S Christophis, lost their contract with the Federation Navy. The Ridgeworks Shipyards went bankrupt five years later and was liquidated into BAU Submarines who picked up the contract in 2005 after a period in which the contract was jockeyed between two companies.
In 2002, the investigation concluded that a faulty exchange hub where number three section's wiring control system was to meet with section two's caught fire when being tested by the technicians. Exposed wiring super-heated and ignited when met with gasses left over from painting work the night before. The work force was working their second late finish of the ship's expected four to finish construction on schedule. Flood lighting was brought in and the investigation concluded that lighting conditions did not cause the fire nor did it hamper any efforts to escape the submarine or to put out the fire.
A second investigation in 2008 was quickly brought under scrutiny after it suggested that Michael Fischer, the technician who was retrieved to die in hospital days later, was responsible for the fire. The family of Michael Fischer formally complained and the government, under then-leadership of Ian Davies, led an inquiry that cleared Michael Fischer of all wrong-doing, starting that the evidence to his responsibility was non existent anywhere near a criminal degree. Mr. Fischer was the last of the technicians out of the hatch that allowed the fire to progress further into the submarine and was coincidentally the furthest from the fire when it broke out. This, combined with a prior conviction for fire-related offenses almost forty-five years prior to the incident led the initial inquiry to place the blame on him.
Ships in service
| Name | Number | Builder | Launched | Comissioned | Status | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F.N.S Chanson | SSN-197 | Kimmeos Steel Group | 22 June 1988 | 15 April 1991 | Active | ||
| F.N.S Cadmer | SSN-198 | Kimmeos Steel Group | 15 July 1990 | 14 August 1991 | Active | ||
| F.N.S Cougar | SSN-199 | Kimmeos Steel Group | 20 July 1992 | 15 September 1993 | Active | ||
| F.N.S Conqueror | SSN-200 | Kimmeos Steel Group | January 23 1992 | June 4 1994 | Active | ||
| F.N.S Carnage | SSN-201 | Kimmeos Steel Group | September 5 1993 | January 2 1995 | Active | ||
| F.N.S Charon | SSN-202 | Kimmeos Steel Group | September 20 1992 | January 2 1995 | Active | ||
| F.N.S Carthage | SSN-203 | Kimmeos Steel Group | June 15 1993 | August 22 1994 | Active | ||
| F.N.S Chaser | SSN-204 | Kimmeos Steel Group | May 5 1994 | August 15 1996 | Active | ||
| F.N.S Challenger | SSN-205 | Kimmeos Steel Group | September 12 1995 | June 8 1998 | Active | ||
| F.N.S Chatham | SSN-206 | Kimmeos Steel Group | March 2 1997 | August 5 1999 | Active | ||
| F.N.S Collision | SSN-207 | Kimmeos Steel Group | Never launched | Never commissioned | Destroyed by fire whilst under construction | ||
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In popular culture
The Chanson-class submarines have been featured prominently in numerous novels and films since it was first put into service.
- The submarine class is prominently featured in numerous Alex Richmond novels and film adaptations. See novels
- Thirteen Hours is a 2004 documentary chronicling the 1999 fire aboard F.N.S Collision (SSN-207) whilst she was under construction.