Littoral Combat Ship contract announced

[Akimonad]

Akimonadi defence contract competition offering $1 billion announced
By Marcus Armidale

The Akimonad Defence Forces Navy announced a $1 billion contract competition for new littoral combat ships today. The new procurement of littoral combat ships will replace several complicated classes of patrol boats and littoral ships, many from different foreign manufacturers. The ADF Navy cited this and logistical complications as well as a modernization effort for the Coastal Guard as reasons for the new competition.

Included in the thirteen-page Request for Procurement, the Navy outlines several requirements for foreign submissions. Any proposal must have a ship displacement of greater than 2000 tons. The ships must be able to carry at least one LAMPS-type helicopter for search-and-rescue and interdiction. Ships must have the ability to launch rigid-hulled inflatable boats*. Any other specifications are fluid to some degree. However, all requirements are not rigid. Any ship of extraordinary design may be accepted even if it does not fulfill some requirements.

*If you have your own design of RHIB, feel free to include it.

[1010102]

To: Akimonad Defence Forces Navy
From: Binarian Naval Combat Systems
Subject: Naval Contract
Here at Binarian Naval Combat Systems, we have a vessel seemingly perfectly to fit to your contract. The Taft Class Littoral Combat Ship meets your weight requirements several times over, has more than enough hangar space for the helicopter you require. Attachment One

[Cotland]

Type 35 Littoral Combat Vessel

Dear sir,

CotWep Export Ltd. would like to take this opportunity to offer to you the Type 35 Lett Stridsfartøy (eng: Light Combat Vessel, equivalent to Littoral Combat Ship), a low-cost, lightweight but still fully capable warship capable of conducting operations either singlehandedly or alongside other combatants in both blue-water, brown-water and green-water areas. While the Type 35 has an emphasis on anti-surface threats, it is equipped with a vast array of weaponry and sensor equipment that enable it to carry out both anti-surface warfare (ASuW), anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) with satisfactory results. With your permission, we will briefly describe the Type 35's weaponry.

The Type 35's principal armament is the highly capable Mk.51 Tactical Vertical Launch System, with which the Type 35 has been equipped with three 16-cell [4x4] blocks, totalling forty-eight cells on its forcastle. The Mk.51 TVLS' cells measure 0.6 x 0.6 x 7.6 meters, and can accept any munition that can fit inside it (assuming of course that you upload the relevant software for said weaponry to the CWBG Mk.IV Weapons Guidance Suite). Next, the Type 35 is equipped with two Mk.55 Quad Launcher mounts which can fit up to four anti-shipping missiles (AShM) each, with each cell in the launcher measuring 0.7 x 0.7 x 5.5 meters. This allows the Type 35 to fit most AShMs, such as the RGM-84 Harpoon, the MM40 Exocet or the Kh-35 Uran ("Harpoonski"), just to mention a few of the options. Also, the Type 35 is fitted with two Mk.59 Twin Launcher mounts, each being able to carry two of the exceptional SBM.63B Akkar heavy anti-shippin missile, a 9.4 meter long, 0.85 meter wide, 5 900 kg heavy anti-shipping missile with a 1 000 kg penetrating high-explosive warhead, a range of 250 kilometers and a speed of Mach 3.2 (Mach 4 terminal).

Against submerged threats, the Type 35 can in addition to carrying ASROC-type ASW weaponry in its VLS cells utilize its two Mk.47 triple torpedo launchers, each of which is capable of launching up to three 324 MM anti-submarine torpedos such as the Mark-46 or Mark-50 ASW torpedo towards the enemy submarine in one go.

For point-defense, the Type 35 is fitted with a vast array of weaponry. It has two OTO Melara 76 MM/62 caliber Super-Rapid cannons mounted fore and aft, one Mk.53 Point Defense Missile launcher facing aft which is fitted with 21 BLM.34E Grumpy point defense missiles, which are basically RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missiles with better guidance and a range out to 12 kilometers, two of the highly capable Mk.55E Imperator-E combined gun/missile close in weapons system facing port/starboard, each being fitted with two 35x228 MM cannons and two reloadable four-cell Grumpy launchers with a total of eight Grumpy missiles loaded and twelve stowed in a below-deck automated magazine. This gives the Type 35 an exceptionally good point defense protection against the full spectrum of threats that may venture into your littoral waters, ranging from pirate skiffs and submarines to cruise missiles.

For defense against any terrorist threats while in port or in inshore waters, or for providing cover during boardings of potential smugglers and pirates, the Type 35 is fitted with four heavy machine guns of the type M2HB Browning 12.7x99 MM, with two mounted facing port and the other two facing starboard, giving 360° close-in point-defense in-port coverage, meaning that any terrorist attack alá the USS Cole attack will be doomed to fail as the sailors on the HMGs can lay down swift and powerful fire against an approaching terrorist boat.

The Type 35 has a 240 square meter landing pad for a helicopter in the 10-16 ton range, complete with hangar, allowing for the sustained operations of a helicopter such as the Merlin or Seahawk LAMPS helicopter. The addition of a helicopter allows for the Type 35 to be employed not only against threats, but also as an excellent search and rescue vessel.

Naturally, a Littoral Combat Ship such as the Type 35 need to be able to quickly and efficiently deliver boarding parties, special forces and other detachments from the ship onto shore or other ships, and for this purpose the Type 35 is equipped with several support craft, including one Support Tender located on the starboard aft and three 11-meter RIB-type boats located on the port and starboard side, respectively. This allows the Type 35 to deploy up to four shore/boarding parties simultaniously.

As you see, the Type 35 is an exceptional all-round littoral combatant that can serve the needs of the Akimonadi Defence Forces Navy for many years to come. For further information, we refer to the specifications list for the Type 35 Littoral Combat Ship.



Length (overall): 126 meters
Length (waterline): 131.5 meters
Beam: 15 meters
Draught: 7.5 meters
Freeboard: 4.5 meters
Standard Displacement: 4 600 tons
Block Co-Efficient: 0.310
Complement: 15 Officers, 45 Non-Commissioned Officers, 60 Enlisted

Power Plant: Two LM2500+ Gas Turbines producing 28.6 MW each in COGAG arrangement (57.2 MW)
Shafts: Two shafts, two Controllable-Reversible Pitch Propellers, two rudders
Speed (maximum): 35 knots
Speed (cruise): 25 knots
Endurance (supplies): 30 days
Endurance (fuel): 12 000 km @ 20 knots

Armament
Gun
2x OTO Melara 76 MM/62 caliber Super Rapid cannons (one fore, one aft) with 900 rounds per gun
Missile
3x 16-cell [4x4] Mk.51 Tactical Vertical Launch Systems fore (cell dimensions: 0.6 x 0.6 x 7.6 meters)
2x Mk.55 Quad Launcher mount
Standard load: 8 BBM.30B AMESM anti-shipping missiles (can be replaced with RGM-84 Harpoon, MM40 Exocet or similar anti-shipping missile)
2x Mk.59 Twin Launcher mount
Standard Load: 4 BBM.63B Akkar heavy anti-shipping missiles
Point Defense
1x Mk.53 Point Defense Missile Launcher facing aft
Standard load: 21 BLM.34E Grumpy point defense missiles
2x Mk.55E Imperator-E combined gun/missile CIWS facing port/starboard
Standard load: 40 BLM.34E Grumpy point defense missiles
4x M2HB 12.7x99 MM heavy machine guns (two facing port, two facing starboard) with 2 000 rounds per gun
Torpedoes
Two Mk.47 324 MM Triple Torpedo Launchers facing port/starboard
Standard load: 18 Mk-50 anti-submarine torpedoes (or equivalent ASW torpedo) stowed

Aviation: Landing pad with room for one Merlin-sized helicopter or two Fire Scout-type UAVs
Landing Pad: 24 x 10 meters (240 m²)

Sensors & Electronics
CE/SSR.73E Surface Search Radar
CE/SNR.38 Navigational Radar
CE/ASR.74E Air Search Radar
CE/SFD.89E Fire Direction Finger
CWBG Mk.VI Weapons Guidance Suite
CE/EKS.44E Defensive Electronic Warfare Suite

Build Cost: $650 000 000
Annual Maintenance Cost: $25 000 000
Annual Crew Pay Cost: $3 375 000
Export Cost: $775 000 000

[Akimonad]

Bumpy. All submissions must be in by Saturday!

[Akimonad]

:3 :3