|
Denmark – Absalon Class Support Ship (Flexible
Support Ship) Rewritten – February 2006
Program Status: Complete – Final Report. Both units of the class, L-16 Absalon and L-17 Esbern Snare, were constructed at the Odense Steel Shipyard in Denmark and have been accepted by the Royal Danish Navy (RDN). The first unit, Absalon, was launched on 25 February 2004 and accepted by the RDN on 19 October 2004. The second unit, Esbern Snare, was launched on 21 June 2004 and accepted by the RDN on 18 April 2005. Operational Requirement: The RDN has a requirement for a class of multi-purpose ships that can perform a wide range of duties, including conflict prevention, peacemaking, peace support, humanitarian relief, and general naval combat operations. Program Background: In April 1996, the Danish Ministry of Defense established an expert committee (the Committee Concerning the Armed Forces’ Equipment) to evaluate the suitability of existing defense materiel systems, and to recommend what major materiel acquisitions should be made over the period 2000 - 2011. In August 1997, the committee completed its evaluation by submitting its 300-page report, The Report from the Committee Concerning the Armed Forces’ Equipment, to Parliament. The report recommended replacing the three Niels Juel class corvettes, four Falster class minelayers, and ten Willemoes class fast attack craft (FAC) with six units of a new design, referred to as the "Large Standard Vessel". Two of the Large Standard Ships would be Command & Support Vessels, and four additional units would be Large Patrol Vessels (Frigates). All six of the Large Standard Vessels would be based on the RDN’s Standard Flex (STANFLEX) concept. Passed by Parliament in 1999, Defense Agreement 2000-2004 provided for the construction of two Command & Support Vessels, and lays the groundwork for the future construction of the Large Patrol Vessels (Frigate). Construction of three of the originally planned four Large Patrol Vessels was authorized in 2004 under Defense Agreement 2005-2009. Program Acquisition Plan: The Naval Material Command (NMC), in cooperation with a number of foreign designers, initiated a pre-feasibility study for the two Flexible Support Ships authorized under Defense Agreement 2000-2004. An integrated part of the study was the derivative design for the Patrol Ship variants. Feasibility studies for the program, involving Direction Constructions des Navales International (DCNI) (now Armaris) and BAE Systems, were completed by the end of 1999. Three Danish shipyards (Oerskov Steel Shipyard, Odense Steel Shipyard (Lindoe Yard), and Danyard Aalborg Shipyard) were selected to submit detailed designs and prices by May 2001. Danyard Aalborg Shipyard declined to bid on this program. Tenders were returned in late June 2001, however, both were above the set ceiling price of US$110M (hull, mechanical, and electrical systems only). On 03 August 2001, the NMC cancelled the tender activity and entered into parallel negotiations with Oerskov and Odense yards. Several meetings were held to clarify the specifications, and to mitigate areas of risk and identify cost savings in order to reduce the overall price. On 15 October 2001, as a result of these negotiations, Odense Steel Shipyard was awarded a US$110M contract for the detailed design and construction of the two ships. First steel was cut for Absalon on 30 April 2003, launched on 25 February 2004 and accepted by the Royal Danish Navy (RDN) on 19 October 2004. The second unit, Esbern Snare, was launched on 21 June 2004 and accepted by the RDN on 18 April 2005. An additional US$256M was authorized to complete the construction and integrate both units of the class, allowing a total cost of US$183M per unit. The US$183M does not include the containerized STANFLEX systems, which are already in stock or funded through a separate budget. The construction schedule for the class is as follows:
Design and Construction Considerations: The Flexible Support Ship is to some extent based on the earlier Thetis class design, and includes the successful STANFLEX Concept. The ships are longer than the Thetis class (137m/452ft vice 112.5m/369.1ft) in order to incorporate a mid-ship "multi-function" plug. The beam has grown from 14.4m/47.5ft in Thetis to 19.5m/64.4ft in the new class. An all-diesel propulsion plant driving two shafts (compared to the one-shaft propulsion system chosen for the Thetis class due to the requirement to navigate in ice) allows for a maximum speed of 24 knots. The superstructure is designed and constructed to enhance the ships’ stealth characteristics. Additionally, a flight deck and hangar to support flight operations by two helicopters up to 15 tons. The stern and the deck below the flight deck is designed for roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) of vehicles up to Main Battle Tank size (62 tons). Alternatively, the 900 square meter multi-purpose deck (245 lane-meters) can take 75% of an Army reconnaissance battalion, a containerized hospital with a capacity for 10 surgeries a day, a containerized command module for a staff of up to 70 personnel, a container accommodation for emergency evacuations, or up to 300 mines in modular rails. Facilities for carrying two high-speed insertion craft (Swedish Type SRC-90E) are included. Light displacement will be approximately 4,500 tons and full load displacement of around 6,300 tons. The design features five STANFLEX container positions amidships. In principle, any combination of STANFLEX weapon/equipment container suites developed for the Flyvefisken class will fit on the Flexible Support Ship. However, the mission-specific STANFLEX weapon/equipment container suites that are found on the Absalon class include: A surface-to-air missile (SAM) module consisting of twelve Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles. Raytheon developed a dual pack Mk 56 launcher for ESSM for the RDN that will replace the Mk 48 Mod 0 at a later date. A surface-to-surface missile (SSM) module for two quad Boeing Harpoon launchers. An anti-submarine torpedo module with Eurotorp’s MU90 lightweight torpedoes. An ELINT module. The STANFLEX containers are manufactured in Denmark by Promecon (a subsidiary of Monberg & Thorsen). They are 3m in length, 3.5m in width, and 2.5m in height. Containers are craned into wells in each ship, with standard interface connections providing access to ship’s services (power, communications, ventilation, water, and data). Installation of a single container is typically accomplished in about 30 minutes, and depending upon the weapon/equipment being installed, system checks are generally complete with a few hours. If one or more container positions are left unoccupied, purpose-made hatch covers are fitted to seal the wells. In October 2002, the RDN announced the procurement of two United Defense Industries (now BAE Systems Land and Armaments Systems) Mk 45 Mod 4 127mm/54 guns, one for each of the Flexible Support Ships. As this type of gun is not planned for installation on other future RDN units, they will not be containerized. The RDN also intends to procure the Extended Range Guided Munitions (ERGM) for the 127mm gun. Ship Characteristics:
Key Personnel: Royal Danish Navy
Royal Danish Navy Material Command (Defense Acquisition)
|
