BAE Systems used EuroNaval to present the concept of an "adaptable" frigate for the first time. Its key features are modularity and the integration of autonomous systems, which are intended to be deployed in all three dimensions (above, below and on the water). This should enable the frigate to bring combat power and presence to the theatre of operations. It will also be configurable for different scenarios, e.g. as part of an aircraft carrier task force or as a single operating unit.
According to BAE, this requires a new approach to the design of warships in order to be able to effectively utilise the systems integrated on board in different command and operational structures. Open architectures should make up the adaptability of the Adaptable Strike Frigate so that newly developed systems can be incorporated and different customer requirements can be met in a fast-moving technological world.
The details given in Le Bourget indicate a ship of approx. 130 metres in length with a displacement of around 6,000 tonnes and a crew of 60 men.
Adaptable Strike Frigate - front ship. Photo: hum
Think differently!
The model of the concept ship exhibited at Le Bourget is clearly divided into two parts: The forward part corresponds to a modern frigate - the mission bay with a stern ramp and a launching and recovery system extends prominently over the aft half, with the flight deck above.
The front part of the model of the Adaptable Strike Frigate on display at EuroNaval shows the usual armament for a unit of this class. A 57-millimetre turret, VLS cells and the SeaCeptor arrangement (the Royal Navy's "mushroom farm") define the image of the forecastle in front of the deck superstructure. In front of the main mast with a generic radar and ISR configuration, there is sufficient space on the deckhouse for sensor and communication systems. The configuration exhibited at EuroNaval is to be understood as a placeholder - the additional armament options Phalanx-CIWS and Railgun arranged to the side of the model indicate this.
Adaptable Strike Frigate - lateral mission bays. Photo: hum
The flight deck of the model is transparent and allows a view into the mission bay, which extends over the entire length and width of the aft ship. There are two autonomous surface vehicles ARCIMS (Atlas Elektronik Remote Combined Influence Minesweeping System), of which Atlas Elektronik offers five equipment variants for mine warfare, submarine hunting and other purposes. As these are 11 metres long, you get an impression of the spatial dimensions below deck.
Adaptable Strike Frigate - view from behind. Photo: hum
The flight deck above the mission bay is designed to accommodate a large transport helicopter. The hangar to the front is designed for a medium-sized helicopter on the starboard side and various drones in the centre. Further forwards, large mission bays for RHIBs or similar mission boats follow at the sides. A look inside the mission bay reveals the storage and transfer facilities for containers in addition to the storage options for the USV, UUV and ROV. They can either be stored at the side or moved to other locations within the ship via a tunnel or lift up to the centre deck.
The Royal Navy has already committed itself to the PODS concept (Persistent Operational Deployment System), in which containerised equipment modules - placed on board according to the "plug-and-play" principle - enable the respective unit to perform specific tasks. This allows platforms to be reconfigured in the shortest possible time in the event of changing conditions, e.g. by placing up to 20 containers in the mission bay or on the upper deck, from which weapon systems or UAVs can then be operated. PODS, which was presented in 2021, is part of the 'Think Differently' programme. The Royal Navy wants to open up new options for action with alternative approaches to gain an operational advantage.
Drive configuration of the Adaptable Strike Frigate. Photo: hum
The propulsion arrangement is also unusual: two propeller nacelles are grouped around a shaft with a propeller/rudder blade configuration.
Protean
With the concept ship, BAE has the future programme of a Type 32 frigate in mind. The programme, which was first mentioned in March 2021 in the Ministry of Defence's "Defence in a competitive age" guidance document - alongside other defence investment projects and fundamental force structure issues - envisages a class of up to five multi-purpose frigates to be delivered from the early 2030s. They should be able to operate independently as well as be integrated into task forces. Type 32 is seen as a new generation of warships that meets the requirements of the Maritime Operating Concept (MarOpC) published in September 2022. This formulates the navy as a protean force distributed around the globe. Protean here means adaptable and means that naval units will no longer be optimised for specific tasks. In future, they should be able to adapt their equipment to the requirements of the respective situation. The Royal Navy wants to move towards units that consist of a series of system components that are interchangeable but can act together as a co-operative system without interruption (system of systems), which is not yet common today.
The costs of such a concept have not yet been considered. British media estimate the price of the future Adaptable Strike Frigate at GBP 300 million (350 million euros). This is likely to be the platform itself - without the aforementioned modules and mission packages.
Adaptable Strike Frigate - possible configurations. Illustration: BAE Systems
Scratching the intellectual foundations
The Royal Navy's future Type 32 frigate is taking shape. The model presented at Le Bourget has pioneering features - whether they will prevail remains to be seen. Conceptually, the Royal Navy seems willing to break new ground. If realised, the Adaptable Strike Frigate could mark a real change. It would be a step away from the optimisation of highly specific platforms towards a battle group with interdependent and interchangeable system components that are scalable and can be flexibly combined. The frigate would mutate from a pure sensor and weapon carrier to a mother ship with various subsystems that are customised for the task at hand. In the British approach, it is not the flagstaffs that create superiority in the sea area. Force projection is understood differently.
Artist impression of an Adaptable Strike Frigate. Source: BAE
Ultimately, it does not end with the interchangeability of systems and subsystems. The approach also covers the fundamentals of naval forces - doctrine, training, logistics.
It remains to be seen to what extent the approach will prevail. It is worth considering!
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