Longsword-class superheavy guided missile warship
Dimensions
Length:
Waterline: 1240.83 m; overall: 1257.23 m
Beam: 208.49 m
Draught (normal load): 45.83 m
Displacement (long tons)
Light: 7,000,500 t
Normal: 8,990,000 t
Full load: 9,200,000 t
Crew compliment
123,490 (normal)
83,521 (ferrying)
Powerplant
8 × INNEC RA(PW)-14 supercritical pressurised water reactors (enough to produce 3.85 GW power for max. speed + electrical power)
4 × MCG-4 hybrid gas-steam turbine generators (50+ MWe) for sprint power (35 kts)
52 propulsion units (mix of Azipod (28) and conventional shaft propulsion (24)), 4 rudders
Weapons
256 × GWLS.102M2 1-cell VLS (cell dimensions: 2.8 × 2.8 × 25 m^3; 8 × 32 (i.e., 16×2) module arrays, 4 each at A, B, X, and Y mounts)(256 cells)
640 x GWLS.58M6 : dual length 4-cell VLS (cell dimensions: 0.85 m × 0.85 m × 12/24 m^3; 40 × 16-module arrays, 20 port and 20 starboard amidships (i.e., P and Q positions))(5120 cells)
864 × GWLS.35M3 dual length 8-cell VLS (cell dimensions: 0.7 × 0.7 × 9/18 m^3; arranged along sides in 4 long arrays, 2 port and starboard fore, 2 port and starboard aft, 30 x 16-module arrays, 10 fore of A mount, 20 fore of X mount)(13,824 cells)
164 × LY774 35 mm naval autocannons (in remote weapon stations; dispersed)
8 × 324 mm triple torpedo tubes (for anti-torpedo hard-kill and ASW defence)
9 × CIWS missile defence batteries (bow, 4 superstructure (fore, aft, port and starboard), port and starboard of X mount, 2 aft)
Aircraft
Hangared in fantail; equipped with lightweight EMALS and EARS for UAVs -- larger aircraft are strictly discouraged.Capable of operating two heavy-lift helicopters and two medium-lift/anti-submarine helicopters or up to six medium-lift/anti-submarine helicopters as well as MQ-9-sized unmanned aerial systems.
Countermeasures
MDV.302 Kelpie surface decoy unit
NLQ.305 underwater defence system (sidemounted barrage arrays)
MLE.140 130 mm decoys
Armour (all numbers list average max.)
Main belt: 915 mm outer, 915 mm inner
Ends: 600 mm
Upper: 600 mm
Torpedo bulkhead: 600 mm
Deck: 305 mm
Electronics
Computer complexes: MEI.25 (ISOMS); Cromwell II battlespace integration system.
Threat management systems: MBQ.101 (CBRN detection and alert), LYMkIV(N) CBRN emergency overpressure system, MEQ.181 NAIADS (anti-air; replaceable by Skyguard), MEQ.185 SELKIE (anti-torpedo), MEX.193 MITRE (target recognition; replaceable by Skyguard), MLD.261 (signature self-detection)
Radars: 2 × MRU.262 Hydra (multifunction), 6 × MRN.116(V)3 Beluga (navigation), 2 × MRS.164(V)3 Hofvarpnir (surface search), AN/FPS-65 Moat (long range over-the-horizon radar), AN/FPS-66 Bastion (intermediate-range VHF), AN/MPQ-71 Keep (X-band TTR)
Optronics: 8 × MSS.127 Owl (surface surveillance), 2 × MSU.124 Adder (long range search and tracking)
Combination radar/optronics: 164 × MSG.183 Gjallar (close-range fire direction - part of LY774 35 mm systems), 2 × MSP.133 Tuesday (helicopter landing system)
Sonars: 6 × MQU.268 (keel-mounted, MF/LF), MQU.269 (bow-mounted LF)
ECM/ESM:
MLQ.188(V)4 Valtarn (radar/signals emissions processor and retransmitter, complete system),
MLQ.189(V)4 (jammer, complete system), MLR.165(V)4 (radar/signals emissions receiver and direction finder,
complete system), MPR.184(V)4 Nott (laser warning receiver and direction finder, complete system), 12 ×
MRD.199 (signals direction finder, complete system).
Communications:
8 × JSC.196C (encrypted burst communications transceiver, command version), 10 × MPC.190C (laser communications transceiver, command version),
MRC.178 (secure communications system),
MSC.117(V)2 Godi (Link 17.2; secure datalink),
16 × MRC.191 (HF transceivers),
MRC.192 (HF receivers),
8 × MRC.201 VHF/UHF transceivers (complete arrays),
4 × MRC.202 EHF transceivers,
6 × MSP.123(V)2 Gna (Link 17.2D; secure drone control datalink),
14 × MSW.125(V)2 Ran (Link 17.2G; secure missile guidance datalink),
6 × MSY.121 Alvis (secure satellite communications system),
12 × NQC.128(V)2 Dvalin (Link 17.2U; encrypted acoustic modem).
GWLS.35M3 can replace the GWLS.58M6 on a two-for-one basis, if desired.
From weapons: Which means of 864, 480 are in the block-module arrays, and 384 are in long arrays. Therefore 96 in each long array (which is 16x6 in layout)
Conceptualisation
The Longsword class is a superheavy guided missile warship designed by the Lyran Protectorate in conjunction with the Royal Shipyards of Isselmere-Nieland, and serves as the largest and most noticeable means of maritime force projection in the naval forces of the Protectorate of Lyras.
Background and Development
Subsequent to the Lyran Protectorate's shift from territorial defence to a more interventionist foreign and strategic policy, it very quickly became apparent that the Protectorate was not just behind the eightball, but was woefully, woefully underprepared, underarmed and undertrained to fight from or over water.
When Lyras' primary rapid response formation, the well-regarded Task Force Epsilon, deployed to the Avrisonian theatre and found itself wholly reliant upon local support facilities, due to the presence of hostile fleet elements, Executive Command directed the Protectorate Research and Development Commission to develop a means of reversing this trend, with alacrity.
Initial assessment (and fortuitous experience) established the devastating potential of the cruise missile, when employed en masse, as a means of anti-ship force projection. Records detailed the destruction of whole fleets by ground-launched LY4045 cruise missiles, fired from LY300 Manticore Multiple Rocket Systems. Three seperate instances of fleet destruction (not including an extremely destructive strike launched against an AMF fleet by a TPF Manticore division, shortly after the commissioning of the first Longsword) confirmed the concept's validity, and the Protectorate R&D Commission determined to advance development along those lines.
The high concentration of offensive potential that the class of ship increasingly demonstrated called for extremely high levels of self-defence capability, not only against other ships, but also against hostile airbourne or air-launched threats, and the world-leading LY471 Skyguard anti-aircraft/anti-ballistic missile system was blended into the evolving program.
The result was a supercapital warship able to project an anti-aircraft bubble over 1000km, defeat inbound ballistic missiles, engage surface targets of all forms at up to 2800km, and co-ordinate combined arms force elements, simultaneously.
Networking, Sensory and Fire Control System
The Longsword uses the Cromwell II fire control and battlespace integration system as the basis of its electronic and information warfare suite. Like the Cromwell before it, the Cromwell II system inputs and actively seeks information from a wide variety of sensory sources, not limited to those on the ship itself.
Cromwell II system follows on from its Inter-Vehicular Information System (IVIS) conceptual ancestor, and is part of an integrated and adaptive battlespace network that maximises combat lethality, and enables command and control on an unprecedented scale. Information is sourced not only from multiple sources on the individual aircraft, ship, vehicle or soldier, but from every Cromwell II equipped friendly platform within the battlespace, which provides constant informational updates across a broad spectrum of sources, both known to the operators, and operating below their awareness.
The Cromwell II system utilises this information to compute a firing solution, based upon analysis of the target and selected weapon. This is achieved in less time than it would take the gunner to depress the firing stud or authorise the missile launch. The firing solution that Cromwell II generates ensures a near-perfect hit percent at standard ranges, across all conditions.
At the most basic level, the Cromwell II system aims to accelerate engagement cycles and increase operational tempo at all levels of the warfighting system. This acceleration is acheived by providing a mechanism to rapidly gather and distribute targeting information, and rapidly issue directives. Cromwell II's ultra-high speed networking permits error-free, high integrity transmission in a bare fraction of the time required for voice-based transmission, and permits transfer of a wide range of data formats, from a multitude of compatible sources.
As well as radar, the fire control system on the Longsword also has an electro-optic channel with long-wave thermal imager and infrared direction finder, including digital signal processing and automatic target tracking.
The Cromwell II network coordinates the fire power of up to seven Longswords and, utilising the greater computational power available to a supercapital warship, as opposed to the LY471 from which the system was derived, and up to 80 other Cromwell-equipped vessels, spaced at distances of up to 900km. Any Longswordcan be the network master controller and the network can link with other command facilities, or even other networks, in real time, allowing for individual ships to control the anti-air coverage of taskgroups, and integrate the entirety into a cohesive whole, a system-of-systems approach, which has increasingly been prevalent globally.
The fully automatic real-time data exchange includes aerospace control data, weapon control orders and fire control orders, target identification data, individual system status and vehicle position, threat prioritisation and optimised weapon allocation, engagement status, weapon status and jammer triangulation data.
The warship's computational facilities can track and target up to 4480 air or ground targets near simultaneously, a tenfold increase on its Skyguard predecessor, with the control point directing the network to ensure the right weaponry arrives at the right time. The system can also assign targets to other vehicles in the network that are operating with their radars in silent mode, maximising lethality while maintaining proportionally high levels of emission concealment. TheLongsword can also vector in extra weapons systems, in flight, if targets are missed or if the warships vast magazines have been depleted beyond its capacity to engage hostile force elements.
The Cromwell II links for the Longswords, like the Skygyard and Shepherd, use frequency-agile radios or direct laser LOS transfer, satellite assisted if required. Over 4,000 frequencies with 20kHz channel spacing are used in the frequency agile radio link. The system architecture provides full duplex data exchange and simultaneous half duplex voice communications.
As with the LY471, the Longsword's air defence sensor net is a multi-system package that consists of three distinct elements. First is the AN/FPS-65 Moat early warning radar, with a range of 7200 km. Second-stage is the AN/FPS-66 Bastion VHF band intermediate-range radar, viable out to 3500km. The last is the AN/MPQ-71 Keep target tracking radar, range 1200km. Keep uses an X-band, range-gated, pulse-doppler system. The antennae use phase-frequency electronic scanning technology, forming sharp 3D pencil beams covering large surveillance and track volume. The radar automatically detects, tracks, classifies, identifies and reports targets, including cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. It uses a high scan rate (40 RPM), is frequency agile, and operates at a range of 1200 km. The radar is designed to incorporate extremely high resistance to electronic countermeasures (ECM), partly by way of GaAs circuitry, and can perform target acquisition, confirmation, tracking and identification in the absence of the other layers of radar coverage, should circumstances require.
Well implemented networking, using the Cromwell II system, can contribute to improved effectiveness in other ways as well. Rather than micromanage Cromwell-equipped platforms with close control via a command link tether (such as a radio), networked platforms are given significant autonomy, defined objectives, and allowed to take the initiative in how they meet these objectives. The size, integration and scope of the networked Cromwell II system enables all units across the battlespace to respond faster than their opposition, and this increased tempo generates increased lethality across all levels of the engagement spectrum.
The system, in its entirety, is fully insulated against electronic interference and data-hacking, and all communications and information exchange programs are 1024-bit encrypted (the additional layering to support the Longsword-class' status as force or Task Group co-ordination point) to ensure maximum network security.
Anti-air Armament
The Longsword, as with the Skyguard, fields three three seperate air defence missile systems, and which are loaded into differently sized vertical launch cells, which are themselves modular, maximising mission flexibility.
The first of the three, the LY4030, has a range of up to 1100 km and will be able to engage "over- the-horizon" airbourne targets using a combination of information obtained by Cromwell II uplink, and seeker heads developed by Lyran Arms, in conjunction with Protectorate Research and Development's LY589 “Hellion” Advanced Cruise Missile Program. This seeker can operate in semiactive- or active-radar modes, or infra-red, with the seeker switched to a search mode on launch command or target area arrival, and homing on targets independently. Targets for this missile include generally include high priority aerial targets such as airborne early warning and control aircraft and electronic warfare aircraft.
The standard loadout for a Longsword is 5,120 of the LY4030 missile.
Length: 10.0 m
Diameter: 0.85 m
Wing span: 0.85 m
Weight: 3,300kg
Propulsion: solid propellant boost and sustain
Guidance: Semi-active radar, active-radar, IR, inertial, GPS and force-uplink with command updates.
Warhead: 150kg
Speed: 14450km/h (just shy of double 48N6E2 of S-300, a fraction more than the 40N6)
Range: 1100 km
Altitude: 90,000 m
The LY4031 missile is a medium range, high-acceleration, endoatmospheric interceptor missile, capable against a wide range of targets. The LY4031 is more than able to engage aircraft and air-launched weapons at ranges in excess of 210 km. The missile is small - similar in size to the 9M96M missile of the S-400, on which the LY4031 is based, and uses a hit-to-kill attack profile. The missile is equipped with an active homing head and has an estimated single shot kill probability of 0.98 for manned aircraft and 0.92 for unmanned maneuvering aircraft. A gas-dynamic control system enables the LY4031 missile to maneuver at altitudes of up to 65 km at positive g forces over 30, which permits engagment of non-strategic ballistic missiles. The LY4031 (modified) has become the basic long-range weapon of Lyran Protectorate Air Force's combat aircraft, and the standardised missile for medium-to-long range air defense SAM systems, ship-launched air defense missile systems, and fighter aircraft.
VLS cells on the Longsword capable of firing the LY4031 are the same cells able to fire the LY589 Hellion or BGM-109 Tomahawk, and exact loadout is variable, with 13,824 missiles of the three types being able to be deployed. By convention, Lyran operational cruises detail 3,800 LY4031s in most circumstances.
Length: 5.1 m
Diameter: 0.31 m
Wing span: 0.46
Weight: 355 kg
Propulsion: solid propellant boost and sustain
Guidance: inertial with command updates. Active radar terminal homing from AGAT. Alternate home-on-jamming modes.
Warhead: KE hit-to-kill
Speed: 3600 km/h
Range: 210 km
Altitude: 65,000 m
The third missile, the LY4032 “Rampart”, is the highest altitude component of Lyras' ABM defence, and is a dual-fueled, three-stage, upper tier exo-atmospheric weapon, with a 450km range and a 2 Mt nuclear warhead. The weapon is based on the Soviet-era 51T6 (NATO codename: Gorgon) and its 45T6 successor. However, where the 51T6 and 45T6 were silo-launched, the LY4032 is mobile, with the Longswords typically carrying 256. The system is radar (command) guided, and is one of the most extensively tested and maintained pieces of equipment fielded by the Protectorate. Security measures surrounding the handling (and export) of LY4032 are rigorous, as befits the system's composition.
Length: 20.3 m
Diameter: 2.15 m
Wing span: 0.45 m
Weight: 32,500 kg
Propulsion: solid propellant rocket boost motor (1st) and two liquid-rocket sustainer (2nd and 3rd)
Guidance: inertial with mid-course command updates. Active radar terminal homing from AGAT
Warhead: 2 Mt nuclear
Speed: 3600km/h
Range: 450 km (max), 1km (min)
Altitude: 185,000 m (max), 10m (min – unrecommended)
Surface-to-surface armament
The ship's primary surface to surface armament takes three forms.
The first is the near ubiquitous BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile, which itself needs little by the way of introduction. The only remaining Tomahawks in Lyran service are the Block Vs, however the VLS cells themselves are backwards compatible.
Length: Without booster: 5.56 m
With booster: 6.25 m
Diameter: 0.52 m
Wing span: 2.67 m
Weight: 1440 kg
Propulsion: Williams International F107-WR-402 turbofan
using TH-dimer fuel and a solid-fuel booster
Guidance: GPS, TERCOM, DSMAC
Warhead: Conventional: 1,000 lb (450 kg) Bullpup, or submunitions dispenser with BLU-97/B Combined Effects Bomb, or a 200 kiloton of TNT (840 terajoule)
Speed: 880km/h
Range: 2500km
The second is the LY4045 anti-ship cruise missile. Itself developed from the BGM-109, and remarkably similar superficially, the LY4045 has undergone a series of minor modifications to optimise its performance in the anti-ship role. Having seen action in numerous theatres since its inception, at the hands of both Lyran forces and allies and clients, the LY4045 is a rugged, destructive and relatively cheap system that is generally fired in relatively large numbers to ensure target destruction. To date, the LY4045 is responsible for more naval tonnage destroyed than all other forms of offensive firepower employed by the Lyran Protectorate combined.
Length: Without booster: 5.6 m
With booster: 6.45 m
Diameter: 53cm
Wingspan: 2.7m
Launch mass: 1500kg
Propulsion: Lyran Arms AB112 turbofan with solid-fuel booster
Guidance: GPS/INS with mid-course command data-transfer via Cromwell system. IR, ARH, SARH or command terminal stage homing.
Warhead: 450kg Tandem-charge HEAS
Speed: 900kph
Range: 3000km
The third system is the LY589 Hellion advanced cruise missile. The LY589 Hellion is a long-range, all-weather, multi-role, fourth generation subsonic cruise missile. Designed and built by Lyran Arms for a wide variety of roles, it was designed primarily as a medium- to extreme-range, low-altitude, surface-to-surface missile that could be launched from a variety of platforms against a variety of targets. During initial concept development, the missile changed from a fairly conventional (albeit advanced) cruise missile into arguably the most intelligent and technologically sophisticated multi-role guided munition in the world. Warheads available to the Hellion include (but are not limited to) high-explosive anti-ship, unitary HE, unitary fragmentation, bomblet dispersal, WAGAV and thermobaric.
Diameter: 53cm
Length: Without booster: 5.6 m
With booster: 6.45 m
Motor: Lyran Arms AB112 turbofan with solid-fuel booster
Launch mass: 1510kg
Wingspan: 2.7m
Warhead: Variable
Guidance: GPS, INS, Cromwell 2 (if available), DSMAC, ARH, IR, TERCOM, IMU
Fuzes: Variable, depending on selected by missile.
Speed: 880kph
Range: 3000km
Armour and Protection
The Longsword, while not designed to engage in line-of-sight or near-line-of-sight combat, is nevertheless well armoured, with approximately 33% of its combat weight being made up by its armour. The primary focus us on the main belt, a standard BB, DN and SD layout, and emphasises protection against long-extreme range sea-skimming anti-ship weapons, based on the proviso that the vessel is designed to engage in extreme-range conflict and thus notably less likely to be engaged by anything considerably shorter ranged.
That being said, the remainder of the armour is by no means ignored, and the deck itself has no less than 305mm of armour, a considerable investment in passive protection from a warship of its class and type.
The superstructure is likewise protected, although not in the same manner. Constructed of radar absorbent material, the vessel has sought throughout its design to minimise radar cross-section. While not a 'stealthy' platform in any sense of the word, the Longsword does have a notably smaller radar return than one would expect for a vessel of its size, making the exact pinpointing of the vessel by radar within a fleet problematic, especially when compared to similarly sized warships of other classes.
Anti-missile systems in the form of the LY4030 missile is a strong feature of the class' active defence with the firing sequence keyed automatically, dependent upon rules of engagement. Manual firing of (automatically targetted, manually adjustable) LY4030s can be utilised, should the circumstances call for that.
For close range protection, the ship is armed with 164 LY774 35mm naval autocannons, 82 along each side, which can be fired either manually, using remote weapons stations, or automatically, by Cromwell uplink to the vessel's central computer. The system, once more pursuant to any rules of engagement in effect, can automatically engage unidentified or hostile targets that enter firing envelope, as a means of automated self-defence. This feature can, of course, be overridden or deactivated, as the tactical scenario warrants. The system, as well as naval craft, can also target low-flying aircraft, or ground targets.
The system is not designed to engage larger surface vessels, or engage in conventional naval gunnery exchanges, but exists entirely as a short-range self-defence measure. Most variants of naval-grade autocannons are compatible, and are controllable either manually, or by radar assisted targetting, either from the firing platform or from the central radar stations of the bridge. The generic system has a range of approximately 2400 metres (1.5miles).
Manning
The Longsword is an extremely large vessel, greater than a kilometer in length, and as wide as some battleships are long. As a consequence of that, and of the class' additional role as a taskforce command vessel, the class is heavily manned, despite extensive automation integral to the design.
At full complement, the vessel will thus house 123,490 personnel, of whom roughly 1 in 7 will be officers. The body of personnel enables combat redundancy, and also maximises the ability of the vessel to conduct underway repairs, as well as co-ordinate large-scale combined arms operations on the strategic-level. The class is fully capable of transporting large numbers of personnel, although 'transient berths' are spartan, and designed to sleep 4 to a room, enabling transport of up to 2000 additional personnel under normal conditions. The upper limit of emergency transportation capacity has not been established, but is estimated to be in excess of 100,000 personnel in addition to the crew.
Export
The distribution of the Longsword class is, by virtue of its status and potency, very heavily restricted. Further to that, amongst those to whom the class is available, acquisition of the role-specific production rights to the LY589 Hellion cruise missile is further restricted.
Upon purchase of one or more example of the class, the purchaser is also entitled to the following:
DPR to the LY4045 anti-ship cruise missile for use on-ship only
DPR to the LY4030, 4031 and 4032 AA/ABM missiles for use on-ship only
DPR to the LY774 35mm naval autocannon for maintenance and resupply only
DPR to the AN/FPS-65 Moat for maintenance and repair
DPR to the AN/FPS-66 Bastion for maintenance and repair
DPR to the AN/MPQ-71 Keep for maintenance and repair
Authorisation to purchase nuclear stores
Peacetime clearance to dock at Lyran or Lyran-held ports, subordinate to Lyran Executive Command revokation.
Each Longsword-class vessel is available for purchase at NS$1,200bn. DPRs are not available in normal circumstances, although requests may be made to Executive Command for clearance, as Executive Command does maintain oversight.
Purchase through Lyran Arms.
