Frederic Wellson-class destroyer
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| File:Belfras Frederic Wellson DDG.png Frederic Wellson-class, Block II.
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Frederic Wellson-class destroyer |
| Builders: | Triuvirate Enterprises |
| Operators: |
list error: <br /> list (help) Belfras Royal Navysee Users |
| Preceded by: |
list error: <br /> list (help) Callis-class destroyer Karzelek-class destroyer Hawk-class destroyer |
| Building: | 15 |
| Completed: | 50 |
| Active: | 50 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Destroyer |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: |
list error: <br /> list (help) 159 m (521 ft) (Blocks I and II) 165 m (541 ft) (Block III) |
| Beam: | 22 m (72 ft) |
| Draught: | 9.4 m (30 ft) |
| Propulsion: | 4 Sentennei G-2530 gas turbines each generating 27,000 shp (20,000 kW); coupled to two shafts driving five-bladed screws |
| Speed: | 30+ knots |
| Range: | 4,800 nmi at 20 kn |
| Complement: | 330 |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
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| Armament: |
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| Aircraft carried: | Helipad space for 2 x helicopter |
The Frederic Wellson-class is the Belfrasian Royal Navy's primary class of destroyer and is named after Admiral Frederic Wellson, a famous commander who served in both the Rodar-Belfrasian War and the Western civil war.
The design for the Frederic Wellson began in 1983, with the Royal Naval Admiralty querying a replacement for the aging Callis-class destroyer which had faithfully served in the Navy since the late 1960s. The admiralty highlighted that previous variants of the Callis-class hadn't lived up to expectations or demands and that a new class of destroyer would be a cheaper solution in the long run. The lead ship of the class, the H.M.S Frederic Wellson (DDG-32) was launched in 1986.
The class was designed to serve as a multi-role platform, fitting into the Anti-Aircraft Warfare (AAW) role with the usage of powerful anti-air missiles and the ship's RHEA Defence Network. The class fits into the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) role with it's powerful Tungsten SSC-12 Sonar array that is fitted on the hydrodynamic nose of the vessel and in a towed array stowed under the flight deck to locate and target enemy submarines with both anti-submarine rockets and ASW helicopters. The class is capable of detecting and tracking surface threats With the Tungsten TKS-55 Surface Search Radar, filling it's Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW) role through the usage of powerful TE-22 Foreganger launchers, the ship's vast array of vertically launched missiles, and the ship's 155mm deck gun.
With the decommissioning of the last Callis-class destroyer in 2003, the Frederic Wellson-class became the Royal Navy's primary multi-role destroyer, with the harder hitting and specialized Karzelek-class destroyer and Hawk-class destroyers due to retire by the end of 2018. As a result of the impending pressure to cover the Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW) and Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) theaters that were previously specialized by with the aforementioned classes, the Block III Frederic Wellson came into service in 2014. The new class features an improved radar system previously tested on the Victoria-class Battlecruiser along with a new arsenal of weapon systems.
Design
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With the requirements placed upon the Block I design but the realization that the Karzelek-class destroyer, a ship-to-ship dedicated destroyer, would remain in service, the Block I design placed an emphasis on Anti-Submarine (ASW) and Anti-Air (AAW) warfare. A Tungsten TKA-12 Air Search Radar was featured in the design with the Kyte Launching System holding 65 surface-to-air missiles (SAM) and two dedicated anti-submarine missile launchers on the port and starboard side, where the Block II and onward have placed ASHM launchers.
The Block I continued in service until the launch of H.M.S Aegis (DDG-37), which was the beginning of the Block II design in 1991. The Block II design brought the inclusion of a raised hangar capable of holding up to two light aircraft and a total refit of the missile and sensor system. The TKA-12 was scrapped in favor of a tandem RN/SPD-4 and a TKS-55 surface search radar. The Kyte was replaced with the universal Mk. 41 VLS that brought a standard Anti-Shipping Missile (ASM) complement to the warship design. The anti-submarine launchers were replaced with two quad-launchers for Anti-Shipping Heavy Missiles (ASHM)
In 2002 the Block II design was augmented with the introduction of the SSC-12 Sonar Array, which included a towed array on the aft, directly under the flight deck. Several augmentations would occur between 2002 and 2014 with the RHEA Defence Network being introduced to all ships in 2005 and the Trixton 500 defence suite introduced in 2008. The augmentations allowed destroyers to connect their sensor networks to share tactical information and a real-time radar feed between friendly vessels. This would also allow the information to be passed to the Trixton 500, which would then be able to engage an incoming missile or torpedo with soft and hard kill options.
In 2014 the Block III was introduced aboard H.M.S Leopard (DDG-77). Leopard featured an expansive array of refits or new tech. The radar system previously seen aboard the Battlecruiser Victoria was fitted, removing the need for a secondary radar system. Radar directors were retained as a redundancy, with the ship also receiving two 30mm remote weapon systems and bow and aft thrusters to aid maneuverability in port. The Mk. 41 VLS was replaced with a TRISTAN bay, allowing for a hugely modular load-out. The decision was made following the successful trial of the BMS Peltast Vertical Launching System, which offered a variety of options for engaging air and sea-borne threats.
Safety systems aboard the Wellson have stayed the same throughout it's history. The ship is capable of sealing itself off from airborne threats such as a biological or a chemical attack. The ship has anti-radiation treatments aboard and is secured from a harmful Electromagnetic Pulse, often seen in a nuclear detonation. The Block III, however, utilizes the ALERT and SCRAM systems installed on the Agamemnon-class amphibious assault ship in 2009 to improve it's ability to seal itself from airborne threats. The double-lined bulkheads added size to the ship, but the ability to contain compartments or seal them off completely in the event of flooding improve the ships survivability in a combat situation.
