Requirements of the Navy for the multi-purpose combat ship class 180

News from 10.06.2021: The German Navy's new multi-purpose combat ship class 180 (MKS 180) officially becomes the frigate class 126 (F 126). This rightly spreads a feeling of "Now it's really starting" everywhere. Read now 

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Modular maritime capability carrier - The Bundeswehr's mission and tasks require a broad range of military capabilities that can be flexibly adapted to specific operational requirements. The diversity and unpredictability of current and future deployment scenarios has led to an increase in the number of capabilities required. Furthermore, policymakers expect to be provided with the largest possible number of differentiated, scalable options for action.

Against this background, flexibility and adaptability must also be given appropriate consideration in the requirements for future naval combat ships. The multi-purpose combat ship Class 180 pursues this approach far more than previous ship classes, in fact for the first time in the planned form. The ship, designed for foreseeable operational tasks, can also be adapted to future and currently unforeseeable safety risks and operational requirements.

Introduction

Initial deliberations on a future surface combatant began at the start of 2009. Supported by studies independent of the project, a thought paper "Operational Requirements K1311" was drawn up for a ship type that would be commissioned at the earliest 10 years later and equipped for a range of missions up to 2050. A flexible design of a "future modular maritime capability carrier2 " is required to ensure that a forecast of the required capabilities for such a time horizon does not become like looking into a crystal ball.

Rough draft of the system study by P+S-Werften GmbH

Based on the thought paper and the initiative for a Corvette Class 131, study activities were commissioned on a possible crew structure and a mission-modular design. On the one hand, these studies prove that modular equipment concepts are possible in many areas with low risk on the basis of existing systems. On the other hand, however, they show that the modular design requires a ship size that is larger than a typical corvette size. The crew size of a corresponding ship will have to be in the region of 100 people. Based on the sustainable modular approach, it was decided to coin the term Multi Role Combat Ship (MRCS) for the new type of ship to be developed. The renaming was accompanied by an update of thought paper K131 on the capability profile MKS 180 - Operational Requirements. This capability profile provides the design framework for the functional requirements for the MKS 180.

The phase document "Final functional requirements (AF)" had already been commissioned in February 2011. The AF was prepared within the Navy, coordinated with the other organisational areas of the Bundeswehr and submitted for ministerial approval on 31 March 2012. In line with the realignment of the Bundeswehr, it was decided to use the FMD 180 project as a pilot project for the amended CPM and to transfer the requirements of the AF to the prioritised list of requirements in the CPM document "Capability Gap and Functional Requirements" (FFF) (Figure 1). The document, which was agreed in an integrated project team, was submitted to the Planning Division of the Federal Ministry of Defence on 30 November 2012 and approved by the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr on 25 March 2013. The project was transferred to the analysis phase part 2 at the constituent meeting on 23 May 2013.

Basic features of the capability profile

While naval forces have long specialised in maritime warfare in three dimensions - on, above and under water - the missions of the future will vary both in intensity and in terms of the capabilities required. The spectrum ranges from maritime presence in the sense of deterrence or open intelligence gathering to reconnaissance, humanitarian aid, ensuring freedom of the seas, evacuation operations, embargo operations, securing sea lines of communication and naval warfare through to conducting maritime, limited joint and multinational operations.

The multi-purpose combat ship Class 180 In addition to its contribution to initial operations, the task force will primarily carry out low to medium intensity and longer duration operations within a multinational and joint force framework. In particular, the capabilities for monitoring and controlling sea areas, for enforcing an embargo in conjunction with a seaborne blockade of supply routes and for participating in national risk prevention in crisis regions for the protection and rescue of German citizens are to be mapped in a modular and scalable manner.

Thanks to the modular and scalable design, the spectrum of capabilities provided by MKS 180 can be varied in breadth depending on the deployment requirements and scalability can be achieved in terms of the expected intensity.

In the overall portfolio of required skills, it is important to identify those skills that must be available in their entirety and those for which restrictions can be accepted with regard to operational requirements and/or resilience. Operational minimum requirements must not be undercut. On the other hand, restrictive factors such as the available personnel for crews and support elements as well as the available financial framework for procurement and operation must be taken into account.

Not all operational capabilities can therefore be achieved by the MKS 180 in its basic configuration - and above all - with the core crew. The range of capabilities will be able to grow through personnel and/or material additions. A distinction must therefore be made between basic capabilities, on-board mission components and mission modules.

Basic capabilities are understood to be the part of the capabilities that must be covered by the ship with its permanent crew. The sensors, effectors, systems and equipment required to fulfil the basic capabilities must be permanently installed on board and be able to be operated, operated, deployed, maintained and - if necessary with external support - repaired by the crew.

The prerequisite for fulfilling the basic capabilities is that the required sensors, effectors, systems and devices are part of the ship design. One of the navy's requirements is to utilise systems that have been introduced into the navy as far as possible in order to facilitate operability within the system. Sensors for three-dimensional situational awareness using radar and electro-optics will have to cover the short and medium range as completely as possible. A suitable mix of tube weapons and missiles is required to cover primarily the lower and medium threat spectrum from the ship's side to the close range of the ship. Reconnaissance components and an appropriate level of command and control equipment based on satellite communication also have a considerable influence on the dimensions of the ship.

The embarkation of shipboard components covers the probable operational requirements that go beyond the basic capabilities. The equipment of the shipboard components has a significant influence on the ship structure and must already be planned in the ship design. A long-realised example of an on-board mission component is the embarkation of an on-board helicopter, for which a flight deck, hangar, stowage space and technical systems for operation and maintenance must be available. The required personnel are also embarked and the accommodation capacity is taken into account.

Structure of the prioritised catalogue of requirements down to the level of the capability-defining performance parameters

Mission modularity

The possibility of embarking mission modules is provided for in the sense of largely self-sufficient system components. As a rule, all the equipment required for a supplementary capability is brought on board with a mission module. Skilled personnel are embarked together with the mission modules depending on the requirements of the mission. The transfer of mission modules on board should also be possible in the theatre of operations with minimal effort.

Mission modules are not part of the overall scope of the MKS 180 project, nor are the on-board components to be installed on board. They are only taken into account in the ship design by means of standardised interfaces - mechanical, electrical, air conditioning and electronic.

The modules currently envisaged for the MKS 180 in an initial conceptual approach are generally not new capabilities, but rather the adaptation of defence equipment that has already been procured or is planned for procurement. Any necessary adaptations to the ship or the merging of components into one module are to be carried out as measures. Possible mission modules, which from today's point of view can be promptly combined with the units of the Class 180 could be realised include the capabilities

• for recording acoustic underwater and above-water signatures using a towed sonar,
• for mine reconnaissance using an autonomous underwater vehicle,
• to combat individual mines or explosives detected in the underwater area,
• for extended reconnaissance using the ship's own facilities by special evaluation of the raw signal data, and
• to support diving operations by providing a diving pressure chamber.

Mission modules temporarily extend the capabilities of a ship. They thus counteract the need for an expanded or updated requirements profile to be accompanied by the procurement of new units.

When compiling capabilities for initial and subsequent operations or stabilisation operations, mission modules increase flexibility and ensure later adaptability.

In contrast to systems that are permanently scaffolded, mission modules that are not currently required for a mission can be repaired and maintained independently of their carrier platforms. During deployment, it is conceivable that the carrier platform could remain at sea, temporarily foregoing its specific capability, while the module is repaired in a harbour.

Mission modules can - and above all: should - be designed to be not only compatible within a ship class, but also interchangeable across classes and internationally. In this way, synergy gains with friendly nations are conceivable.

Given the limited budget, modular systems do not necessarily have to be procured at the same time as the platform. It is also possible to procure expensive subsystems in smaller quantities, whereby the number of systems required must be based on the usual cycle for maintenance, operational training and deployment.

Finally, it will be possible to further develop mission modules technologically with less effort. The complex requirements of adapting the capabilities of an entire ship to the current extent could be reduced.

However, there are also some disadvantageous aspects to consider in connection with a mission-modular concept. For example, the design of the platforms must not only take into account the space and weight for the mission modules, but also the case that this additional weight is not on board and the resulting free space is available for other purposes instead of just "lying idle".

At the home base, additional personnel, organisational and logistical costs are incurred for training and exercising the personnel as well as maintaining and servicing the modules.

Carrier platforms may not be optimised for the specific capability provided by a module to the same extent as units dedicated to that single main task. Modularised systems may have a slightly lower capability than fixed systems. It is not always possible to optimise the ship design for the simultaneous embarkation of several modules and their specific capability.

Overall, however, in view of the tasks that are conceivable now and in the future, the procurement of a broadband, modular platform is preferable to that of a highly specialised and cost-intensive unit.

Summary

In principle, the requirement for more flexible equipment of naval units can be met with the capability structure via the basic capabilities, the shipboard mission components through to the mission modules.

While the requirements of the on-board mission components result in the familiar design requirements for a ship - for example hangar, flight deck and flight operation facilities - significant innovations compared to a conventional ship design will have to be taken into account by creating a space and weight reserve for the future equipment with mission modules. Some of these modules will have to be arranged in such a way that modular surface and underwater components can be deployed from the ship directly from the modules.

Initial system studies by MTG Marinetechnik GmbH and P+S Werften GmbH based on the catalogue of requirements of a draft version of the FFF give an impression of what a future modular maritime capability carrier could look like (Figures 2 and 3).

The MKS 180 will not be a small ship - as the sum of the design-determining requirements - but rather "as big as necessary". The idea behind the MKS 180 is to be able to provide the basic capabilities in a sustainable manner and not to achieve top values in individual disciplines. Consequently, the technical implementation is not orientated towards the limits of what is feasible. Cutting back on certain performance parameters reduces the realisation risk and thus, as experience has shown, the procurement costs and technical vulnerability during operation. Thanks to its modularity, the MKS 180 could become a future workhorse for the navy from 2020.

Notes:

1 The preparation of the functional requirements for the "multi-purpose combat ship" project Class 180" was initially sold under the name "Corvette Class 131" commissioned
2 Das CPM-Dokument FFF trägt den Lösungsweg unabhängigen Titel „Fähigkeitslücke und funktionale Forderungen für den zukünftigen modularen maritimen Fähigkeitsträger (MKS 180)“

Autor: Peter Wiemann

Fregattenkapitän Peter Wiemann ist im Marinekommando Dezernatsleiter Fähigkeitsentwicklung in der Abteilung Planung und Beauftragter der Marine im Integrierten Projektteam MKS 180