FMM multipurpose frigate

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FMMAAW.png FMMASW.png
Class overview
Builders: Sylva Fincantieri
Operators:
Preceded by:
Subclasses: ASW, GP, various other subclasses
Built: 1991–2010 (Sieuxerr)
In commission: 1994–present
Planned:
  • 20 (Sieuxerr)
  • 10 (Sylva)
  • 8 (Maracaibo)
  • 6 (Khalistan)
  • 4 (Batavaie)
  • 52 (Total)
Completed: 52
General characteristics
Type: Frigate
Displacement:
  • 5,400 tonnes
  • 6,500 tonnes
Length:
  • 130.7 m (429 ft) ASW
  • 154.8 m (508 ft) AAW
Beam:
  • 15.9 m (52 ft) ASW
  • 16.4 m (54 ft) AAW
Draft:
  • 5.1 m (17 ft) ASW
  • 5.4 m (18 ft) AAW
Propulsion:
  • CODOG, 30,000 kW (ASW)
  • CODLOG, 40,000 kW (AAW)
Speed: 30 knots
Range: 5,000 nm @ 19 knots
Complement:
  • 230 ASW
  • 280 AAW
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • Optronics:
  • 1 × Sagem Vampir MB infra-red search and track system (Both)
  • Radars:
  • 1 × DRBJ-17 3D radar (ASW)
  • 1 × DRBJ-19 3D radar (AAW)
  • 1 × DRBV-26 search radar (Early, AAW)
  • 1 × DRBV-27 search radar (Late, AAW)
  • 1 × DRBC-33J fire control radar (Early, Both)
  • 2 × RTN-30X fire control radar (Both)
  • 2 × Navigation and helicopter radars
  • Sonars:
  • 1 × DUBV-24 hull sonar
  • 1 × DUBV 43 towed sonar (Early, ASW)
  • 1 × UMS 4249 CAPTAS4 towed sonar (Late, ASW)
  • 1 × ATBF 2 VDS (AAW)
  • 1 × DSBV 62 TASS (AAW)
  • Communications:
  • Satellite links: Inmarsat, SYRACUSE
Electronic warfare
& decoys:
  • Jammers:
  • 2 × ARBB-33 jammers
  • 2 × BSM jammers
  • Decoy Launchers
  • 2 × SAGAIE launchers (Early, Both)
  • 2 × DAGAIE launchers (Early, Both)
  • 2 × ODLS-H launchers (Late, Both)
  • 2 × SLAT anti torpedo systems (Late, Both)
Armament:
Aircraft carried:

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

As designed, all ships would be produced with the Sorenoro-produced OTO 127mm L/54 Compact deck gun. The gun was selected over the older 100mm guns previously used to achieve a better surface-bombardment effect. The gun feeds from three twenty-two round drums for a total of sixty-six ready rounds, an additional 500 rounds are stored in the magazine.

The 127mm gun can fire at a rate of forty rounds per minute, giving it roughly one and a half minutes of sustained fire from its ready ammunition. The gun has a number of rounds it can use including high-explosive, illumination, as well, these rounds have a variety of fuzing options. The guns have an effective range of 15,000 meters in bombardment, and roughly half that when used in an anti-air role. New guided ammunition has been produced for these guns, allowing for high-precision fire missions in support of ground forces or in targeting other naval forces.

One part of close-in-defense is provided by two twin-30mm turrets. These guns are 30mm automatic cannons with selectable rates of fire. The turrets have their own fire control radars, but can take cueing from the external directors if needed. The turrets have a combined rof of 1,600 rounds per minute per gun. Each turret has 2,000 ready rounds. The turrets have been relatively unchanged since accepted, however newer targeting systems were added.

Additional guns are provided in the shape of AA-MAS M.82 13.2mm machine guns and 20mm autocannons for defense against small boats.

Missiles

The ships were built chiefly to utilize the new SYLVER vertical launch system and the Principle Area Defense System, or PADS. Various lengths of the SYLVER VLS were to be used for various missiles and to account for weight differences. The earlier ASW class would receive four 8-cell A-50, one 6-cell A-43, and one 6-cell A-35 block. The later AAW version would get six A-70 and one 8-cell A-43 block for VLS cells.

The AAW ships received more and longer VLS cells to fill a new role - cruise missile strike. As well, the much larger and longer-ranged Malafon III anti-submarine missile was to be used by the AAW ships.

On the ASW ships, the 6-cell A-35 block provides close-in-defense in conjunction with the 30mm CIWS. The A-35 cells quad pack the VT-1 Crotale for this purpose. For local defense, the 6-cell A-43 cells are for the Vipera VL. Initially the ships were to use the dual-pack Vipera 3, however a quad-packed solution was under development by this time and all ships were given provisions to take the Vipera 4 when it would be accepted into service.

AAW ships utilize two Goalkeeper launchers, of which each launcher has 17 missiles per launcher. An additional 34 missiles are carried as reloads. A new series of missiles, known as the Goalkeeper I, was accepted in 2010. The Goalkeeper I missile was designed to replace the older Crotales in the self-defense role. Instead of needing guidance from a director or illuminator, the Goalkeeper missile has an IR seeker on the missile itself. It can however take additional commands from a director or illuminator if needed.

For anti-ship duties, all the ships are able to take two 4-missile launchers. All ships can use the variety of the Entente standard anti-ship missiles. Sieuxerrian ships can use the Exocet or MM.90 anti-ship missiles, as well, they are able to, and do on occasion, use the MILAS anti-submarine missile.

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. The torpedo magazine is shared with the helicopter torpedo magazine.

Sensors

Radars

ASW ships were fitted with the DRBJ-17 3D C-band radar, also known as the Casaterran Multifunction Radar or CMR. The radar is a twin-faced passive electronically scanned array radar with an instrumental range of roughly 130 kilometers. The radar is capable of track-while-scan, and can provide data-link updates for up to 16 Aster or Vipera 4VL missiles. The radar can track over 100 targets.

AAW ships were fitted with a much more extensive radar suite, starting with the DRBJ-19 3D radar. Known as Casaterran Multifunction Phased Array Radar, or CAMPAR, is also a C-band radar. CAMPAR is much like the early CMR, but enlarged overall. The system still utilizes a twin faced passive electronically scanned array, however the range is between 150 to over 300 kilometers depending on its operation mode. It can provide data-link updates for more missiles and can have more simultaneous engagements than the CMR radar as well. In the mid-2010s all Sieuxerrian ships received, or were built with, an upgraded CAMPAR radar which instead of the older PESA radars were given new AESA sets.

AAW ships also received a volumetric search radar, the DRBV-26. The radar was at this point a matured legacy system, with a max useful range of over 300 kilometers. The radar operates on the D-band. It can track upwards of 64 targets at any given time. However, along with the upgraded AESA array, Sieuxerrian ships received an upgraded search radar. All ships received the DRBV-27, an upgraded planar array that was developed for use on larger air defense warships. The DRBV-27 provides much more capable detection and tracking, able to detect targets over 400 kilometers away. Hardware and software upgrades as well allowed for an increase in the number of targets it could track, going from 64 to over 200 targets.

Both the AAW and ASW ships have a number of regular helicopter and navigation radars. As well as fire control radars for guidance of the various guns, as well as guidance for the Vipera and Goalkeeper missiles.

Ships in class

Name Hull no. Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Home port Status
Sieuxerr Sieuxerrian Navy
Type D90 ASW Le Hardi
Le Hardi D651 Arsenal de Neons, Neons 1991 1992 1994 Vaudouan Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Fleuret D652 Chantiers Navals Courtillers, Courtillers 1992 1993 1995 AVA Joint Base Portcullia, Portcullia Active
Épée D653 Arsenal de Vaudouan, Vaudouan 1993 1994 1996 Neons Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Mameluk D654 Arsenal de Neons, Neons 1994 1995 1997 Briquemont Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Casque D655 Arsenal de Neons, Neons 1994 1995 1997 AVA Joint Base Portcullia, Portcullia Active
Lansquenet D656 Arsenal de Vaudouan, Vaudouan 1995 1996 1998 Vaudouan Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Le Flibustier D657 Arsenal de Vaudouan, Vaudouan 1995 1996 1998 Vaudouan Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active,
Le Corsaire D658 Chantiers Navals Courtillers, Courtillers 1995 1996 1998 Vaudouan Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active,
Type D90 AA Aigle
Aigle D661 Arsenal de Neons, Neons 1996 1998 2000 AVA Joint Base Portcullia, Portcullia Active
Vautour D662 Arsenal de Neons, Neons 1996 1998 2000 Neons Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Albatros D663 Arsenal de Vaudouan, Vaudouan 1998 2000 2002 Briquemont Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Gerfaut D664 Arsenal de Vaudouan, Vaudouan 1998 2000 2002 Vaudouan Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Milan D665 Arsenal de Vaudouan, Vaudouan 1998 2000 2002 Vaudouan Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Épervier D667 Chantiers Navals Courtillers, Courtillers 1998 2000 2002 Vaudouan Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Le Fantasque D668 Arsenal de Neons, Neons 2002 2004 2006 Vaudouan Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
L'Audacieux D669 Arsenal de Neons, Neons 2002 2004 2006 Vaudouan Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Le Malin D670 Arsenal de Neons, Neons 2002 2004 2006 Vaudouan Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Le Terrible D671 Chantiers Navals Courtillers, Courtillers 2002 2004 2006 Vaudouan Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
Le Triomphant D672 Arsenal de Vaudouan, Vaudouan 2006 2008 2010 Vaudouan Naval Base, Sieuxerr Active
L'Indomptable D673 Arsenal de Vaudouan, Vaudouan 2006 2008 2010 Vaudouan 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
Maracaibean Navy
ASW
GP
Khalistani Navy
Batavaian Navy