It had been clear for some time that the future frigate 126 would be equipped with the TRS-4D radar system. Now, on 13 April 2022, Hensoldt was able to sign the corresponding contract.
For the F126, this means that the combination of the TRS-4D/NR long-range radar and the APAR Block 2 from Thales Nederland will provide the ships with state-of-the-art equipment for air and maritime surveillance as well as the up/downlink capabilities required for the ESSM. According to the Taufkirchen-based company, the first deliveries are planned for 2025. The press release also states that the first F126 frigate is expected to be delivered to the customer in 2028. Whereby 'customer' may stand for the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) and is not to be equated with commissioning by the Navy.
The TRS-4D product family is used on several German Navy classes, including the F125 frigate. The second batch of the K130 corvette will be equipped with the TRS-4D Rotator ship radar and the MSSR 2000 ID friend-or-foe detection system (IFF) from Hensoldt. In August 2021, the Koblenz Procurement Office commissioned Hensoldt to manufacture, supply and install TRS-4D/LR ROT long-range radars on the Sachsen-class frigates (F124). They are to replace the SMART-L radars on the three frigates from 2025. For Berlin, Koblenz and Rostock, the advantages of a common product line may have been the decisive factor in the selection. The supply and stockpiling of spare parts and training will become more economical for the navy.
Wider use is also advantageous from an industrial perspective. In this regard, the German sensor manufacturer announced the successful acceptance of the installation of TRS-4D radars in the US Navy's Freedom-class LCS ships (LCS = Littoral Combat Ship) in summer 2019. In the LCS, the TRS-4D (which operates under the designation "AN/SPS-80" in the US Navy) is used as a rotating AESA antenna, as in the F124 and K130. This makes it the first rotating AESA radar on board a US Navy ship. In summer 2019, eight TRS-4D systems were under contract for the Freedom-class LCS ships, according to factory information. As was announced in March 2022, the US Navy is planning to decommission the nine Freedom-class LCSs.
Quadome
This is in contrast to Hensoldt's "Quadome", which was presented at the London Defence and Security Exhibition DSEI in summer 2021. The radar, which operates in C-band, features the latest gallium nitride technology with an active electronically steered antenna (AESA) and is software-defined. According to Hensoldt, Quadome is targeting the global market for tactical naval radar systems, which are primarily aimed at offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), corvettes, light frigates and support vessels.
Excursus Littoral Combat Ship
The LCS class, which was specially developed for coastal use and customisation, consists of two variants, the 'Freedom' and the 'Independence'. Austal USA, Mobile, Alabama, in collaboration with General Dynamics, is responsible for the 'Independence' trimarans (127 metres long, 30 metres wide, 3,100 tonnes displacement, up to 45 knots), of which 19 units have been ordered to date (delivery horizon 2025). The 'Freedom' variant, of which 16 have been ordered so far, is being built by Lockheed Martin, Marinette, Wisconsin together with the Fincantieri subsidiary FMG. The 115 metre long, 17.5 metre wide monohull ships of this variant are to be able to reach speeds of up to 47 knots with a displacement of 3500 tonnes. As reported by USNI Naval News on 29 March 2022, the decommissioned ships are USS Fort Worth (LCS-3), USS Milwaukee (LCS-5), USS Detroit (LCS-7), USS Little Rock (LCS-9), USS Sioux City (LCS-11), USS Wichita (LCS-13), USS Billings (LCS-15), USS Indianapolis (LCS-17), USS St Louis (LCS-19). The latter was put into service on 8 August 2020.
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