"Splinter"-Class Corvette (Light Missile Patrol Craft)
Background & Capabilities
The "Splinter" is a class of corvette/small missile initially conceived in the years following the nations withdrawal from ongoing inter-regional conflicts. In the preceding downtime, Panzér's Navy began to create and structure a subdivision within itself - the Panzér Port Authority, respectively - which was given oversight and jurisdiction for littoral operations like coastal defense, anti-piracy, and maritime law enforcement. Officials noted the lack of a dedicated support vessel with the practicality to fulfill the latter and talks began for a cost-effective solution. Splinter was ultimately chosen as the ideal candidate and twenty-five vessels were queued for construction. The initial dozen of these would be laid down and commissioned into the Panzér Port Authority starting in 2012, onward.
The primary design concept and intended role of the Splinter class is centered around a small, fast, highly-maneuverable vessel with enough stopping power to permit its participation and effectiveness in deep-water operations. The idea was to design a cheaper alternative to a frigate while still retaining the performance capability of a frigate. The class is considered to be a success when analyzing its capabilities in comparison to the requirements and expectations found within the roles it is intended to fill. The ship can adorn a crew of 40-70 and has a sea endurance of roughly 15 days (the ability to stay at sea without resupply). The draught of the vessel (vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull) measures approximately 4 meters (13 feet) permitting it to operate even in rivers and shallow waterways. Splinter class is also respectably well-armed. An 8-cell missile housing located in the bow is capable of firing Sol-OptikRG cruise missiles at both ship and ground targets. A 76mm gun emplacement located just behind the missile housing brings highly accurate firepower against soft and hard targets. The Splinter class is equally capable of defending itself against threats from the air, with a stern-mounted Trier CIWS (Close-In Weapons System) point defense emplacement capable of protecting the ship from incoming hostile missiles, including missiles traveling supersonic, and aircraft.
Among the most notable characteristics of the Splinter class is its speed. Four individual Gene M-750 biodiesel engine blocks transmit 14,400-kW of power through independent shafts to four modular, carbon-composite, five-bladed straight (non-helical) propellers that can provide thrust in both directions at any time. This system allows the class to reach a top speed of 46 knots (53mph / 85kph), capable in part due to the superstructure being cast out of a light magnesium-based alloy as opposed to steel. The powertrain is accompanied by three 320-kW biodiesel generators. Additionally, the class features a rudder-shift time of just 3.1 seconds and can perform a 180° turns within a 150-meter radius.
Sensors and Systems
At the forefront of the Splinter class's surveillance capability is the MUD multifunctional radar array. MUD is comprised of an active (AR), passive (PR), and orientation/data exchange radar (ODER), collectively interfaced to the ship's bridge and accompanying systems. MUD-AR is responsible for actively searching, identifying, classifying, and pinpointing (up to 30 simultaneously) coordinates of surface targets within 250km (155 miles). MUD-AR will then designate targets, channeled through ODER, to the ship's missile system which can subsequently engage the targets being tracked by active radar, granted that they're within firing range. MUD-PR, on the other hand, is responsible for counter-detecting hostile radar systems. MUD-PR actively scans over the horizon for hostile radar emissions within 450 km (279 miles). Upon detection, MUD-PR will triangulate the coordinates of a radar emission (up to 50 simultaneously) and will classify the threat based on the type of emission being detected. PR can then relay targets through ODER to the missile system adjacent to any targets being tracked by AR. MUD-ODER is the relay through which both AR and PR communicate, and can channel information to any accompanying friendly units for mutual orientation of threat detection; transmission range to friendly forces is limited to 30 km (18 miles) and 9 ships independent of the origin. A total of 200 targets can be actively monitored and relayed through ODER at a given time.
HFASD is a secondary radar system equipped by the Splinter class and provides an additional layer of surface detection and tracking for airborne targets. HFASD has a high antenna-rotation speed with a quick response time and has completely automated communication with combat systems just as the MUD does. HFASD has enhanced anti-jamming capabilities and can substitute as a detection and tracking system in place of the latter. Active elevation scanning coincides with reliable monitoring algorithms makes the HFASD a powerful albeit short-ranged detection scanner. Surface and altitude detection ranges are limited to 80km (50 miles) and 20km (12.4 miles) respectively. The system has a response time of 2-4 seconds and can track 40 targets simultaneously. Additionally, Splinter class vessels sport an N100 radar identical to that used on the ASF-A7, albeit a phased-array version mounted on a tower above the bridge. Both radars have inherently the same characteristics. Elevated detection is ranged at approximately 260km (160 miles) with a surface detection range cap of 300km (186 miles). 30 targets can be simultaneously detected and tracked.
An SPE-10 RCS (Radar Control System) is the primary radar and electro-optical fire control system for the Splinter class's 76mm cannon. SPE-10 permits the gun to engage air targets, including surface-skimming missiles, as well as surface targets on and offshore. SPE-10 is capable of receiving data from either of the ship's primary onboard radar systems and can simultaneously switch between engaging up to 8 targets at a time. SPE-10 operates as a closed-loop, automated fire adjustment system that can automatically measure miss-distance and recalibrate sea target input during an active engagement. SPE-10 can communicate with onboard systems to translate meteorological data and independently ballistic calculations, negating weapon inaccuracy as a result of environmental variables such as high winds. SPE-10 is capable of automating its own performance and can troubleshoot system malfunctions without the need for direct input. The system has a reaction time of approximately 3 seconds from when a target's coordinates are transmitted through MUD-ODER to the time it can begin firing. Time taken for the system to switch and re-acquire targets is roughly 1 second, respectively. SPE-15 can track targets up to 60km (37 miles) away, though the effective range of the ship's cannon is limited to roughly 65% of the system's effective tracking range.
The TK-10 is a decoy dispenser system equipped as two independent launch platforms located in the stern. The TK-10 is designed as a failsafe to accompany the CIWS system as an active protection system against ballistic and radar-guided threats. Incoming missiles that are not intercepted and eliminated by Splinter's CIWS will trigger a response by TK-10, which will then fire a decoy beacon up and outwards of the ship. These radar 'flares', upon ejection, will generate a sudden, intense radar signature intended to trick the missile's guidance system and divert it off course. Each of these decoy dispenser platforms contains twelve vertical tubes within a canister-type housing. The system is linked through the MUD-ODER network and can activate autonomously as an emergency countermeasure. TK-10 is effective in all weather conditions.
A Ts-NM satellite communications array is an additional facet of the Splinter class that permits the use of satellite guidance with the ship's missile system. Missiles launched at a target will coordinate with satellite installations through the Ts-NM system, pivoting the missile on-course and preventing any means of jamming to the missile's guidance system - upon closing in on a target, the satellite link will cease and the missile will use radar to close the remaining distance before striking a target. Ts-NM can be appropriately programmed to any given satellite network intended for this use.
Armament
The primary weapon of the Splinter class is the Sol-OptikRG cruise missile, and eight of them can be carried at a time while stored in an 8-cell, reinforced compartment local to the bow of the ship. The Sol-OptikRG is 8.6 meters (28 feet) long and weighs nearly 3,100 kg (6,800lb) with a 250kg (550lb) semi-armor piercing HE warhead, though a nuclear warhead is also compatible with the platform. It is an incredibly powerful anti-ship weapon and is the 'knock-out punch' solution to the requirement for a small warship with maximum combat effectiveness. A target unable to thwart a direct hit from this system is liable to be immediately incapacitated or catastrophically damaged. This level of effectiveness is due in part to the sophistication of its guidance system. Sol-Optik uses a dual satellite-radar guidance system, wherein a satellite link through the Ts-NM network will steer the missile from launch to the near end of its flight path - per this, the satellite link will terminate and the missiles own radar guidance will engage and finish the missile's trajectory. ECM countermeasures will have difficulty intercepting the Sol-Optik by the time it nears its target. The effectiveness of this type of guidance system contributes to the missile's CEP (Circular Error Probale) of only 1.5 meters (5 feet). Sol-Optik has a maximum operational range of 300 km (186 miles), travels at a maximum speed of 3,703kph (2,301 mph), and can operate in sea state conditions up to level 7. While operating normally, the missile will fly to its flight ceiling of 14,000 meters before performing a dive down to its target. Alternatively, Sol-Optik can launch and fly at an altitude of just 10 meters (32 feet) above sea level, maintaining this angle of attack throughout the entirety of its flight path. While significantly reducing its radar signature with this method, an increase in fuel expenditure decreases its operational range by 60% (300km/186 miles to 120km/75 miles). The choice of AoA made be made circumstantially and transmitted to the missile when it's fired.
Not to garner away all the attention of the Splinter class's firepower, its bow-mounted 76mm rapid-firing cannon is an effective and formidable emplacement that maintains the ship's offensive capability without as much of an excessive display of force as the Sol-Optik. The gun is a GPNG manufactured naval cannon that fires a variety of 76×636mm shells, including standard HE (High-Explosive), SAPHE (Semi-Armor Piercing High Explosive), and AMP (Anti-Missile Projectile). It's capable of firing 120 rounds per minute and has a magazine capacity of 80 rounds. The emplacement has 7 magazines (1 loaded, 560 rounds total) available for the system to draw from before warranting manual replenishment. A standard composition of rounds carried would consist of 4 HE magazines, 2 SAPHE magazines, and 1 AMP magazine. Magazines are (un)loaded through a belt-feed system where they may be interchangeably swapped at the discretion of a weapon operator or the SPE-10 RCS. Reload time is 12 seconds. The cannon's muzzle velocity is approximately 915 m/s (3,000 ft/s). The primary strength of the cannon is in the ammunition it fires. All rounds are equipped with a multi-role, programmable fuze with a respective programmer slotted in the gun mount. Fuzes may be primed to a specific mode before being fired; supported fuzes aside from the conventional include an air-burst mode, anti-missile proximity mode, and anti-surface proximity mode. All fuze caps are equipped with a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) responsible for filtering out background clutter and allowing the fuze to more easily detect an incoming missile; it remains effective even for missiles traveling as low as 2 meters above sea level. When used in conjunction with AMP rounds, Splinter's 76mm cannon becomes a CIWS system of its own and is almost as effective as the ship's own dedicated CIWS. A brief overview of supported rounds is listed below.
(High-Explosive): Standard HE rounds have a maximum range of 16km (10 miles) and an effective kill range of 8km (5 miles). Standard rounds can be fired effectively at incoming missiles 4km (2.4 miles) away, up to a maximum angle of 85°. HE used in conjunction with the air-burst or anti-surface proximity fuze mode is highly effective against low-flying aircraft and other soft targets.
(Semi-Armor Piercing High Explosive): SAPHE rounds have identical statistics to the latter. 16km (10 miles) max range and an 8km (5 miles) effective kill range.
(Anti-Missile Projectile): AMP rounds are effective within 4km (2.4 miles). These rounds host a canister of solid balls of tungsten that, when used with the anti-missile proximity fuze, create an effective fragmentation effect capable of eliminating incoming missiles.
The Splinter class's ability to defend itself from airborne threats transcends its dual-purpose gun. Mounted on the upper deck of the ship is a state-of-the-art CIWS system known as Trier - a dedicated air-defense platform with its own detection and targeting system, though data can be relayed through MUD-ODER in the event that the Trier's own tracking system becomes disabled. Trier utilizes an akimbo arrangement of GuS-30NC 30mm rotary-style cannons sporting a 5,000 round/per minute rate of fire, as well as a pair of missile platforms shoulder-mounted above these guns. The guns themselves can fire up to a 5km (3 miles) away from the emplacement but have an effective kill range limited to roughly half that. A 900 round dual-belt style magazine feeding system (totals 1,800 rounds) trails from the center of the system to the compartment through which the emplacement is mounted into the hull. An additional pair of 500 round belts can be stored in reserve within this compartment, accessible through a hatch into the hull at the rear of the emplacement.
The bread and butter of Trier's ability to combat aerial threats lie in the Hermes family of homing missiles developed specifically for missile defense. O-Hermes is a multi-purpose, modular homing missile with a 28kg (62lb) warhead and an effective kill range of nearly 20km (12 miles). The system uses a combination of inertial and radio command guidance through a relay to Trier's tracking system, but has thermal sensors and can function additionally as an infra-red homing missile. Adjacent to high-flying missiles and aircraft, it can strike incoming surface-skimming anti-ship and cruise missiles with comparable effectiveness. Its propulsion system is two-stage and consists initially of an expendable, high-powered solid-fuel rocket booster allowing it to achieve a velocity of nearly 500 m/s. Perhaps the most unique feature of the Hermes missile system and its relationship with the Trier system is the system's ability to launch a salvo (approx. 2) of rockets at once rather than firing on multiple targets one by one.
To boot, Trier supports an additional rocket platform with nearly identical characteristics to the latter. 57B-6, although similar to the Hermes platform, has a slightly smaller, continuous-rod warhead of 20kg (44lb) that creates a fragmentation effect when exploding. This annual(ring-shaped) effect is highly effective in shredding incoming anti-ship missiles similar to the proximity fuses used by the 76mm cannon in conjunction with APM rounds. Both rockets have a maximum range and altitude of 20km (12 miles) and 10 km (6 miles), respectively. Trier is capable of equipped 4 missiles ready to be fired at any given time, with supplemental storage adjacent to the 30mm cannons ammunition within the emplacement housing.
As previously noted, Trier has its own independent tracking and detection system, albeit interfaced through MUD. Trier uses a multi-frequency tracking and target-acquisition system with an effective scanning and detection range of approximately 36 km (22 miles). Trier can effectively track and fire on targets within 24km (15 miles) and has a reaction time of about 5 seconds. The system is highly resistant to hostile jamming and its ability to supplement its missiles' tracking systems with radio guidance further decreases the success chance of jamming attempts.
Design and Amenities
Another noteworthy attribution of the Splinter class is its speed and maneuverability. While its engine system was initially considered to be unnecessary and detrimental to the ship's ability to embody its envisioned characteristics of "light and fast", accompanying research and developments in material sciences led to the experimentation and eventual, successful, implementation of a magnesium-based alloy hull - the first of its kind - which allows for the ship to carry such a large powerplant without compromising its size, weight, or maneuverability. This new material composition is a lighter and stronger alternative to both aluminum and steel, with the ability to absorb 16 times the level of intensity and vibrational shock that aluminum can withstand, while remaining 30% lighter than aluminum and 60% lighter than steel. In short, this revolutionary hull design is what permitted the overall construction and completion of the Splinter class of ships, and is continuing to be tested and investigated for its potential implementation in further designs applications.
Although the Splinter class was not designed for prolonged sea endurance, efforts were made to create modular and compartmentalized crew quarters effective enough for supporting a large complement of crew members without compromising the ship's overall integrity. An H-shaped crew quarter housed above the waterline in an open-air bunk-style setting supports a complement of up to 70 people. The ship's mess hall and provisions storage are located on either side of the centerline of the living area, and a dedicated officer's quarters lay past the mess hall just aft of the bridge. The ship can store enough provisions for a 15-day voyage with a maximum complement of 70. Both the crew's living quarters and adjacent facilities are individually sealed from one another and a straight-line path cutting through the middle of the 'H" allows crewmembers to travel directly from the bridge to the stern exit quickly. A single mount for a lifeboat is fitted in the rear of the ship adjacent to the anchor line and anti-decoy dispensers, though additional lifeboat mounts can be added.
Pricing & Specifications
Cost per unit: NSD$33.4 million ($33,400,000)
| Displacement: 800 tons | Length: 67 m (220 ft) | Beam: 11 m (36 ft) |
| Draft: 3.3 m (11 ft) | Powerplant: 4x Gene M-750 biodiesel engines (14,000kW) 3x 320-kW biodiesel generators | Speed: 46 knots (53mph / 85kph) |
| Range: 1,900 nautical miles (2,186 miles / 3,518) | Endurance: ≥15 days | Complement: ≤70 |
