Chanson
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Chanson-Class Attack Submarine |
| Builders: | BAU Submarines |
| Operators: |
 Belfrasian Navy |
| Preceded by: |
list error: <br /> list (help) Lanchev-class Submarine Ulysses-class submarine |
| Built: | 1973-2004 |
| In service: | 1976-present |
| Completed: | 12 |
| Active: | 12 |
| 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 Volusenus, 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 Volusenus fire (1996)
On 5 June 1995 whilst an inspection was ongoing aboard Volesenus to inspect the finishing of compartment three - the command and sonar rooms specifically - when a fire began in the torpedo room. The fire was first reported at 18:28 by Captain Atticus Curatus, commanding officer of F.N.S Scaurus who was leading the inspection as a seasoned submarine commander. Fire engines from the shipyards emergency station sounded to depart at 18:29, within a minute of the fire's first report. By 18:30 a flash-over was reported by Lieutenant Commander Hanno Aponius which engulfed the torpedo room in flame as the room's installed temperature sensor recorded the room reaching over 1,000 degrees Celsius. The flash-over of the torpedo room was stopped briefly by a safety door installed in place of a bulkhead door which had been removed two weeks prior due to imperfections found in it's seal. The door, designed to withhold fires up to 280 degrees failed and the sudden contact of oxygen-rich air resulted in an aggressive backdraft as the fire, which had been consuming oxygen in the trapped torpedo room, engulfed the hallway and rooms between the torpedo room and the command room in seconds. During this backdraft Captain Atticus Curatus, who was in the sonar room overseeing evacuation, was killed when he was overtaken by the fire.
By 18:32 the fire was reported by Lieutenant Commander Aponius as having reached the exits of the boat at it's unfinished mid-section. Fire engines arrived at the same time but would not begin efforts to tackle the blaze until 18:42 as they had to move equipment from their fire trucks to the boat, which was resting in Construction Slip 4. The fire was declared extinguished at 05:38 the next morning but was not declared safe until 14:22 over fears that potentially toxic chemicals may be released by melted components. The Navy had formally taken over control of the shipyard from it's builders firm just after dawn and jurisdiction of the fire given over to Salonika's State Fire Safety Department (FSD). A roll-call made shortly after the fire had overtaken the entire boat confirmed fears that of the 48 technicians and 14 naval personnel aboard the boat at the time of the fire, 14 technicians and 1 naval officer had been trapped or killed by the fire. Of the survivors, 16 had to be treated on scene by medical experts for smoke inhalation and a further 5 had to be airlifted to Thessalona General Hospital for third degree burns, with 1 of those succumbing to his injuries hours later.
Recovery efforts for the 15 men trapped aboard the boat after it was made safe led to the grim discovery that only one body could be successfully recovered, although it was unable to be identified and later buried under the possibility of being any of the 15, and as such was subject to an Alban and Jewish burial. Following the release of the boat by fire and criminal inspectors two weeks after the fire an inspection team reported that the submarine could not be salvaged from it's condition to continue construction and was formally scrapped. The Admiralty decided in 1998 to retire the ship's name Volesenus, which had been used on a heavy cruiser previously, and to construct a memorial to those killed in the fire at Naval Station Leander, which was to be the submarine's home port upon completion. Captain Atticus Curatus was posthumously promoted to Commodore, a position he was in line to receive later that year, and was recognised for his actions. Reports from survivors noted that Captain Curatus could have evacuated immediately, but withdrew into the boat after leaving to sound the alarm to coordinate evacuation of technicians and to coordinate fire-suppressing maneuvers with 3 technicians who, like Curatus, were fire-fighting qualified.
A joint investigation by the National Gendarmerie and the Salonika State Fire Safety Department led to the discovery of poor log keeping and lax security, as local police had several reported instances of trespassers to the shipyard and one instance in which police, having pulled over a truck leaving the shipyard, discovered the theft of copper components bound for the boat. The report was fatal to Ridgeworks Shipyards, who lost their contract immediately afterwards in favour of Orestes Steelworks. The report, which was in regards to initial findings, also reported that the fire was deemed to have been electrical in nature. In normal circumstances this would have meant that Carbon Dioxide fire extinguisher would have been used. However at the time of the fire only water extinguishers were available on the boat. This may have resulted in the flash-over happening much quicker as the fire would've become agitated and could have incapacitated the technician attempting to fight the fire.
The investigation concluded on 5 June 2000, exactly five years following the fire. The report concluded that a faulty exchange hub where wiring from the command room was to meet interface connections for the torpedo launch control station super-heated after contacting metal - identified as a pipe wrench - and ignited after meeting left-over gasses from painting works the night before. The rapid movement of the fire was put down to trapped gasses and construction materials being strewn about the torpedo room. The remains of an individual found in the torpedo room was too badly destroyed by the flames to identify posture or orientation, but the report stated that it's position in the room made investigators believe that the person may have been rendered unconscious within the first minute of the fire, if not at the same time as the fire began. As it was impossible to identify any of the deceased, the identity of the individual in the torpedo room cannot be exactly found, as all 14 technicians were slated for works in the torpedo room as well as other parts of the boat.
In 2001 the Admiralty ordered the construction of a final Chanson-class boat to replace the Volesenus. The boat, built by Orestes Steelworks in it's new shipyard outside of it's namesake city Orestes, was named after captain Curatus. The F.N.S Curatus (SSN-209) was formally commissioned in 2004 by Captain Curatus' widow Jane.
Ships in service
| Name | Number | Builder | Launched | Comissioned | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F.N.S Chanson | SSN-197 | Ridgeworks Shipyards | Active | ||
| F.N.S Scaurus | SSN-198 | Ridgeworks Shipyards | Active | ||
| F.N.S Rex | SSN-199 | Ridgeworks Shipyards | Active | ||
| F.N.S Gratian | SSN-200 | Ridgeworks Shipyards | Active | ||
| F.N.S Chalinus Sura | SSN-201 | Ridgeworks Shipyards | Active | ||
| F.N.S Charon | SSN-202 | Ridgeworks Shipyards | Active | ||
| F.N.S Caelius | SSN-203 | Ridgeworks Shipyards | Active | ||
| F.N.S Disertus | SSN-204 | Ridgeworks Shipyards | Active | ||
| F.N.S Tranio Aurelius | SSN-205 | Ridgeworks Shipyards | Active | ||
| F.N.S Vibius | SSN-206 | Ridgeworks Shipyards | Active | ||
| F.N.S Volusenus | SSN-207 | Ridgeworks Shipyards | Never launched | Never commissioned | Destroyed by fire whilst under construction |
| F.N.S Horatius | SSN-208 | Orestes Steelworks | Active | ||
| F.N.S Curatus | SSN-209 | Orestes Steelworks | 18 August 2003 | 22 September 2004 | Active |
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 Volusenus (SSN-207) whilst she was under construction.