Phlegethon Class Guided Missile Frigate
KDF Styx of the Knootian Home Fleet [ Click here for high resolution image [8000 x 2619] ]
KDF Styx of the Knootian Home Fleet [ Click here for high resolution image [8000 x 2619] ]
Technical data
Name: | Phlegethon Class [FFG] |
Builders: | Royal Beaufort Shipwrights Guild |
Nation: | Knootoss and Yohannes |
Type: | Guided Missile Frigate |
Displacement: | 4,200 tonnes |
Length: | 126 m |
Beam: | 14 m |
Draft: | 4.4 m |
Complement: | 115 officers and crewmen |
Armament: | 1x OTO Melara 127mm/64 D/P Gun 2x 16-Cell Sub Length Nelson VLS (VLA, ESSM, SM-2) 24x SM-2MR block IIIA SAMs 24x RIM-162 ESSM SAMs 2x Quad Launchers for 8x CVS401 Perseus stealth supersonic cruise missiles 2x Mk46 Mod 5 anti-submarine torpedo tubes 2x Bloemfontein Naval Frontline 30mm CIWS 2x Oerlikon 20mm Cannons |
Electronics: | Thales SMART-L 3D air/surface search 2x Mk. 99 SAM control FCS Thales PHS-36 Hull-mounted Active Search, housing for towed array CC: Thales M40A Combat Management System as standard. Command and Control is also to be enhanced by a follow-up to the old CAESAR system developed by Caesar SuperComputer Inc The software for the CAESAR 2.0 computer system is to feature revolutionary new capabilities. |
Countermeasures: | Falltech Mk603 ECM Suite 1x AN/SLQ-25A 'Nixie' Towed Decoy 4x 16-Cell Decoy Launchers, Flares/Chaff |
Propulsion: | Combined Diesel And Gas Turbine arrangement 2x Thales/Thompson C1400 Diesel Turbines for main drive 2x Thales/Thompson C2600 Gas Turbine for high speed running, or 2x Weilmfontein 16V26 Diesel & 2x Thales/Thompson C2600 Gas Turbine 30,400 total shp each/ driving two five-blade, variable-pitch propellers |
Speed: | ~29 knots nautical max/flank, ~16 knots cruise |
Range: | 8,500 km @ 16 kts ave. |
Protection: | 3mm steel spall liners (1st) - retrofitted with light steel and composite armour schemes for vital areas and new structural bracing |
Aircraft: | 1x TH-300 Lakota multi-purpose helicopter |
Export: | US$1,000,000,000.00 |
The Phlegethon-class guided missile frigate is a prolific example of one of the older pre-Ondeugd class of ships that has been constantly refitted, and improved through the years, to remain at the core of both the Marine of the Knootian Defence Force and the Commonwealth Navy of Yohannes, as well as no less than 200 foreign navies of various nations located in multiple regions.
Originally designed in partnership with the Knootian government and refitted by shipbuilders of the Royal Beaufort Shipwrights Guild, these Phlegethon class of vessels play a pivotal role in the protection of Knootian and Yohannesian coastal waters, and also undertake anti submarine warfare roles in Knootian and Yohannesian coastal waters, and in large maritime battlegroups. They are also used by multiple foreign navies in various roles, such as supply & replenishment vessels and anti submarine merchant convoys
In Greek mythology, the river Phlegethon (‘river of fire’) was one of the five rivers of the underworld. It flowed with fire that burned, but did not consume fuel. In the Divine Comedy the river is made of boiling blood and is part of the seventh circle of hell, containing the shades of tyrants, murderers, robbers and those guilty of sins involving violence against others.
The RCS Jayapura as seen at sunset in Te Whanganui-a-Tara on 25 May 2006.
Concept
Like the De Ruyter class of battlecruisers, the Phlegethon received initial gate planning shortly before the first Vogels administration, but the design itself only began in production in the second year of that administration. The then laissez-faire government sought to replace a large number of old and increasingly outdated coastal patrol vessels as well as escorts as cheaply, and as quickly as possible. The Marine therefore opted for the proposed Phlegethon design as it represented the best balance of capability and cost that would be allowed, and could be easily retrofitted and refitted with new systems and weapons, should the situation change for the worse in the future.
The design of the vessel itself was relatively simple. An all-steel monohull with a double bottom and twelve water-tight compartments for survivability, the Phlegethon was surprisingly tough, and the horizontal main deck and the angular single-block superstructure provided a mildly stealthy outline. The initial weapon, engine and sensor fit was hotly debated, as was the role of the ship itself given the variety of ships the class was going to replace, but eventually budgetary constraints won out and the basic fit, though sufficient, left a significant gap in capability.
For the construction of the ships themselves, each vessel was divided into five 'super-segments' which could be built simultaneously, to reduce production time and save money, and then welded together in a dry dock before fitting out. The modular design of this nature allowed far quicker installation of the larger machinery within the ship (such as the engines and gearboxes) in a shorter period of time, and would in the future also allow far more efficient retrofitting of the ship's internal systems.
Armour was - albeit hesitantly - removed to reduce cost, but a complete damage control and NBC protection system was installed, along with anti-spall liners and a hardened keel. The modular nature of the design allowed heavily damaged sections to be replaced entirely, whilst the thin steel hull could be easily repaired even at sea in the event of an attack.
Armament and sensors were kept to a minimum, and the lack of committed funding meant very often that ships going out to sea were fitted with different outfits of weapons and electronics. The baseline weapon fit included a 76mm (3 inch) OTO Melara Gun, 2 20mm Phalanx CIWS, an 8 Cell Self Defence Mk.41 VLS, 2 20mm cannons and 2 dual 324mm Torpedo Launchers. Sensors included a decent 2D air/search system, and a hull mounted active and a towed passive sonar array for detecting and engaging submarines.
A hangar and pad for a helicopter were fitted aft, able to launch, maintain and recover a variety of helicopters, but only on ranged deployments were helicopters carried as matter of course on the Phlegethon class due to a lack of money and the aircraft themselves.
Despite these drawbacks, the Phlegethon class proved the underlying excellence of Knootian shipbuilding, and the ships, though underarmed, were excellent seaboats and tough fighters, popular with their crews due to the low maintenance requirements and the spacious and gentle ride they provided. The vessels served their masters well for a number of years, however, as subsequent events proved, an underfunded, undergunned Knootian Marine couldn't hope to complete the tasks and trials required of it.
After a rise in Defence spending, a refit from the original design was proposed and approved.
The Knooti-Yohannesian Phlegethon-class frigate RCS Hamengkubuwono IV participates in exercises
with the Van Luxemburger Harlekijn-class submarine ZMS Seelöwe off the coast of Southern Alisna.
Refit (Batch II)
The basic design of the Knooti-Yohannesian RBSG-refitted second batch of Phlegethon would remain the same, but the extra space for new weapons and sensors was quickly used up as the ships were brought ‘up to spec’ to be able to compete in the modern warfare environment. The first of the refitted vessels were released for Commonwealth Navy commission in February 2001, and in July 2002, RCS Jayakarta became the first of the refitted Phlegethon to use interrupted and continuous wave illumination and X-band uplink -- controlled by her mounted Hamilton active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar or phased array multifunction radar (MRF) -- and successfully fired the SM-2MR block IIIA and RIM-162 ESSM missiles.
In February 2004, in light of regional tension at the time -- fitted with a new and enlarged Hamilton Indicated Tracing and Multiple Transmitted Acquisition, L Band (Hamilton ITMTA-L) 3D multi-beam long-range air & surface surveillance and target designation radar -- the RCS Hamengkubuwono IV participated together with the Van Luxemburger Navy's ZMS Seelöwe off the coast of Southern Alisna, and was able to effortlessly detect and comfortably track targets made to resemble tactical ballistic missiles, while another newly upgraded Phlegethon completed its first CVS401 Perseus stealth supersonic cruise missile test launches off the coast of Yohannes in April 2005.
Markedly differing the class from its predecessors, the Phlegethon now includes stealth attributes, notable for its smaller acoustic, electrical, infrared and magnetic signatures as well as radar cross-section. The newly upgraded watertight compartments, insulation, routing, blast and fragmentation retaining structures as well as power distribution and inclusion of vital systems make available a more considerable measure of survivability against missile attacks and internal fire threats, while the vessel's subdivided two gas citadels and sub citadel setting was altered, upgraded to provide a relatively higher degree of protection against biological and chemical threats.
The main gun was replaced with a new lightweight mounted 127mm, 64 calibre OTO Melara, a dual-purposed gun with relatively greater fire control capacity in comparison to its predecessor, though with a somewhat reduced firing rate capacity of 25 rounds per minute, taken as its acceptable and slight drawback. Its 4 modular automatic feeding drum magazines -with each holding 14 rounds, allows the gun to fire up to four different, immediately selectable ammunition types - at an effective range of 15,000 m, and maximum range of up to 23,000 m, giving the Phlegethon class the ability to effectively engage land and large surface targets with heavy artillery fire.
The old, now-ineffective 20mm CIWS were replaced with the more powerful 30mm Bloemfontein Frontline CIWS, providing an acceptable short-range defence against incoming airborne and surface threats with Its rate of fire of 4,500 rounds per minute, at a range of up to 1.5 km. Bloemfontein is a Yohannesian anti-ship, close-in weapon defence system, with six Halstenmetall 20/L128 autocannon each carrying 1,500 rounds, as its preferential weapon option within the Commonwealth Navy.
The system is divided into three sub-stages; That of detection being the primary, tracking secondary and interception as the tertiary and final stage. The system detect incoming threats within its initial detection stage, with acquired data being passed towards the succeeding tracking stage. The tracking stage will then automatically track the target, and provide the date further towards the final interception stage. The interception stage will then deflect and/or destroy the target by virtue of its electromagnetic beam, thereby neutralising the detected threat.
Bloemfontein utilised an automated fire control system from that of the established VMK AYTRACK and ADS, modified to suit its purpose. It has the capacity to detect multiple targets from as close to 500 metres' extended close reach of the system, and as far as 1,200 metres higher-than-limit. The initial, first stage as mentioned above delivers incoming signals towards the tracking stage, allowing the establishment of interception control solution. It utilised the addition of MHT algorithms (multiple hypothesis) and select combination of IPIAF (Integrated Probability of Information Acquisition Filter).
Two Quad ASM missile launchers were fitted aft of the funnel and the Nelson VLS replaced that of the initial Mk.41, expanded from 8 to 16 cells along with an increase in the types of other similar missiles that may surreptitiously be added as optional replacement for the original Tomahawk. The Nelson systems furthermore bestowed upon her an array of inexpensive aerial defensive measure, harmoniously guided with the existing Wilhelm II Networking & Fire Control package, which provides X-band radar surveillance integrated with target tracking and fire control for the guns and missile systems.
The target's estimated location is acquired by the infrared target tracking sensor, amalgamated within its integrated airframe, command guidance receiver, control systems, ordnance algorithms and signal processor, allowing operational missile deployment without the existence of nominal line target calculation. The Nelson's vertical electrical and mechanical launch infrastructure integrate harmoniously with that of the system, thus providing an efficient rapid deployment and operational accumulation of multiple vertical-launched lightweight designated and optionally chosen missiles.
The vertical stack consists of multiple rows. The rows are stacked vertically in the canister, with each missile stored in its respective tube. Deployment is initiated to the top-tier until no operation missiles remain at top, and sequentially to the bottom in an identical arrangement. Operational missiles are ejected out of the canister's open top end upon depletion of the stack. Command and control information are delivered from the existing launching infrastructure from controller located within the canister.
Prior to engagement, identification of potential threats required from navigational data is obtained by the Wilhelm II integrated fire control & sensor systems. The information will then pass through the VLS, and reached the Phlegethon Class' controlling interface. Instantaneous crucial information which are included would be that of the opposing target's direction, position, presence probability & percentage, and target velocity.
The Nelson design simultaneously provide an ample supply of instant low-cost, light-weight guided missile presence. The integrated link of command guidance and thrust vector can be located upon the tail section, whilst contact fuse and ordnance located by the middle section. As demonstrated during the Ralkovia-Osthia-Incursus War, or more specifically remembered within the Crown Commonwealth Realms as the Gratislavian Invasion of Osthia, an acceptable air defence umbrella was successfully achieved, in a cost-effective, solid kill probability ratio in relation to the multiple launched missile's low cost.
This increased firepower was complemented with a brand new 3D Air/Surface search radar and new ECM equipment, allowing the ship to track, engage and destroy more targets at a greater range. The pre-refitted Phlegethon's two Sabre ECM suites, four Sippican Hycor SRBOC MK36 launcher and AN/SLQ-25 Nixie were kept, while other systems - such as the long-range air and surface surveillance, air and surface search, tracking and guidance radars and hull-mounted sonar also received minor upgrades alongside her new long-range infrared surveillance & optical tracking systems. And finally, new armour plating was added to the design to protect vital areas.
Just like her predecessor, the 27 m flight deck supported hangar located aft-most or at stern accommodates one TH-300 Lakota multi-purpose helicopter, handled by its safety hold-down and helicopter handling systems. The TH-300 Lakota is a medium-lift utility helicopter, designed as a multi-mission aircraft that can fulfill a wide variety of roles. With its variable pitch propellers and rudder roll stabilised two rudders, the refitted Phlegethon is powered by an independently lined combined diesel and gas propulsion system, with a divided transmission room for its two gearboxes, with each of the two Weilmfontein 16V26 diesel engines providing 4.2 mW/5,600 hp and each of the two Thales/Thompson C2600 gas turbine engines providing 8.5 mW/24,800 hp: giving the Phlegethon the capability of traversing at a stabilised cruising speed of ~16 knots and nautical max/flank speed of ~29 knots,
The Phlegethon class, having gone through this extensive refit, are now highly capable and effective ASW and Escort Frigates, able to deploy in both large battlegroups or by itself with relative ease, equipped with a weapon system and sensor package equal to any comparable design.
Export
The Phlegethon Class is mainly exported by the Royal Beaufort Shipwrights Guild, and it can be purchased with the following application in our official storefront: [ click here ]
![[ National Flag ]](https://i.imgur.com/7vADKOP.png){kind=link}