Halifax class frigate

From Free net encyclopedia

Image:Naval Jack of Canada.svgHalifax-class frigate
Image:HMCS Regina (FFH 334) 1.jpg
Class Overview
Class Type	Guided missile frigate with helicopter (FFH)
Class Name	The city of Halifax
Launched	1992–1996
Preceded By	Restigouche-class destroyer escort
Succeded By	N/A, latest frigate class authorized
Ships of the Class:	Halifax, Toronto, Vancouver, Ville de Québec, Regina, Calgary, Montréal, Fredericton, Winnipeg, Charlottetown, St. John's, Ottawa

The Halifax-class Multi-Role Patrol Frigate (hull designation FFH) is a class of Canadian Navy frigates launched between 1992 and 1996 to replace the aging Restigouche-class fleet of Destroyer Escorts (DDEs).

HMCS Halifax was the first of an eventual twelve Canadian-designed and Canadian-built guided missile helicopter-carrying frigates. They combine traditional anti-submarine capabilites with systems to deal with surface and air threats as well. The Halifax class are the work-horses of the Canadian Navy task group concept. All ships of the class are named after major Canadian cities, with at least one from each province (Ontario and Quebec, the most populous provinces, have two each). They are sometimes referred to as "City-class" vessels.

1 Weapons Systems
2 Flight Deck
3 Countermeasures
4 Sensors
5 Propulsion
6 Specifications
7 Ships in class
8 External links

[edit]

Weapons Systems

The ship's surface-to-surface missile is the Boeing Harpoon Block 1C. The two quadruple launch tubes are installed at the main deck level between the ship's funnel and the helicopter hangar. The Harpoon missile uses active radar homing to deliver a 227 kg warhead to a range in excess of 130km.

The Sea Sparrow vertical launch surface-to-air missile uses semi-active radar homing to deliver a 39kg warhead at speed Mach 1.6 to a range of 15km. The eight-cell launchers are installed port and starboard of the funnel.

The main gun on the bow deck is a 57mm 70 Mark 2 gun from Bofors. The gun is capable of firing 2.4kg shells at a rate of 220 rounds/min at a range of more than 17km.

One Raytheon/General Dynamics Phalanx Mark 15 Mod 1 close-in weapon system is mounted on the roof of the helicopter hangar. The six barrels of the Phalanx provide a firing rate of 3000 rounds/min. The Canadian Navy has ordered upgrade kits to convert to the Phalanx Block 1B. The Block 1B upgrade includes a Thales Optronics HDTI5-2F thermal imager, improved Ku-band radar and longer gun barrel with a dual firing rate of 3000 or 4500 rounds/min.

The ship's two twin 324mm Mark 32 Mod 9 torpedo tubes are installed at the bow end of the helicopter hangar. The torpedoes are the ATK (Alliant TechSystems) Mark 46 lightweight anti-submarine torpedo. The torpedo has a speed of 45 knots and is equipped with active and passive homing and a 44.5 kg warhead.

[edit]

Flight Deck

The ship has a helicopter deck with a single landing spot. The deck is fitted with a RAST (Recovery, Assist, Securing and Traversing) system supplied by Indal Technologies of Ontario, allowing the launch and recovery of helicopters in up to Sea State 6. The hangar can accommodate a 15t helicopter such as the Sikorsky CH-124A Sea King.

[edit]

Countermeasures

The ship's decoy system comprises four BAE Systems Shield Mark 2 decoy launchers which fire chaff to 2km and infrared rockets to 169m in distraction, confusion and centroid seduction modes. The torpedo decoy is the AN/SLQ-25A Nixie towed acoustic decoy from Argon ST (formerly Sensytech) of Newington, Virginia. The ship's radar warning receiver, the Canews (Canadian Electronic Warfare System), SLQ-501, and the radar jammer, SLQ-505, were developed by Thorn and Lockheed Martin Canada.

[edit]

Sensors

Two Thales Nederland (formerly Signaal) SPG-503 (STIR 1.8) fire control radars are installed one on the roof of the bridge and one on the raised radar platform immediately forward of the helicopter hangar. The ship is also fitted with Raytheon SPS-49(V)5 long-range active air search radar operating at C and D bands, Ericsson HC150 Sea Giraffe medium-range air and surface search radar operating at G and H bands, and Kelvin Hughes Type 1007 I-band navigation radar.

The sonar suite includes the CANTASS Canadian Towed Array supplied by General Dynamics - Canada (GD-C), formerly Computing Devices of Canada and GD-C AN/SQS-510 hull mounted sonar and incorporates an acoustic range prediction system. The sonobuoy processing system is the GD-C AN/UYS-503.

[edit]

Propulsion

The Halifax class is powered by a CODOG (combined diesel or gas) system with two GE LM2500 gas turbines and one SEMT-Pielstick 20PA6 V280 diesel engine. CAE provide the Integrated Machinery Control System.

[edit]

Specifications

Image:Navffh-4.jpg

Type: Guided Missile Frigate with Helicopter (FFH)
Displacement: 4,770 tonnes (full load)
Dimensions: 134.1 meters length x 16.4 meters width x 4.9 meters draft
Armament:
- Missiles: 8 x MK 141 Harpoon SSM; 16 x Sea Sparrow SAM/SSM
- Torpedoes: 4 x MK 32 torpedo launchers
- Guns:
  - 1 x Bofors SAK 57mm (220 rounds/minute to 10nm)
  - 1 x Phalanx CIWS (Block 1)
  - 8 x .50cal Heavy Machine Guns
- Decoys: 24 shield Chaff/infrared decoys (flares)
Sensors:
- Air/Surface Search: Ericsson Sea Giraffe HC 150 (G band)
- Long Range Air Search: Raytheon AN/SPS-49 (C/D band)
- Fire Control: Signaal SPG-503 STIR 1.8 (K/I band)
- Active Sonar: AN/SQS-510 Hull-mounted variable depth (range to 27 nm)
- Passive Sonar: AN/SQR-501 CANTASS Passive towed array
Propulsion: Twin CODOG
- 2 x General Electric LM2500 gas turbines producing 47,500 shp
- 1 Pielstick v20 cruise diesel producing 8,800 shp
Speed: 29+ knots (54 km/h)
Endurance:
- 7,100 nautical miles (13,000 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h) (diesel)
- 4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h) (turbine)
Complement: 225 (including air detachment and firefighting unit).
Range: 9,500 nautical miles (18,000 km)

Plans are underway to replace the Sea Sparrow missiles with the Evolved Sea Sparrow, upgrade the towed sonar arrays and fit newer propellers and anechoic tiles to reduce noise emission. HMCS Montréal has already been upgraded in the latter regard. Of note in the structural design of these ships is the distinctive funnel housing, designed to diffuse the vessels' heat signature.

[edit]