The next generation of air defense - First thoughts on the frigate F 127

The German Navy has had three Sachsen-class air defense ships at its disposal since 2004. With the planned end of the useful life of these three ships, a capability gap will arise in maritime air defense for the areas of air defense and area protection from the mid-2030s. This capability gap is intended to be closed by the “Next Generation Frigate” to implement the NATO planning goals accepted by Germany. These ships, also known as F 127, open up additional options for covering further NATO requirements in the area of ​​sea-based defense against ballistic and hypersonic missiles.

Unlike in the past, the requirement for the F 127 capability profile was not initiated by the Navy, but directly from the planning department of the Federal Ministry of Defense in a new top-down process "rough analysis and project outline". This is also an expression of the great importance of the F 127 at ministerial level in fulfilling various national and NATO planning goals. It is also a guarantee for a significantly faster entry into the planning phases for armament projects. From the outset, all relevant departments (PlgABw, BAAINBw, CIR, MarKdo, BAIUDBw etc.) belong to the integrated project team (IPT) set up under the leadership of the planning office. Close coordination therefore takes place from the start – and not only after the initiative has been completed. This not only saves one to one and a half years in the preliminary analysis, but also ensures the greatest possible consensus across all official levels from the outset.
The frigate 127 is intended to help maintain the capabilities to be provided by the Navy after the F 124 has been decommissioned and to complete them in the area of ​​ballistic missile defense (BMD). With the F 127, the Navy will have a weapon system that can be used worldwide in the long term, the main task of which is to protect a task force or an area against the entire spectrum of threats from the air. In the future, the F 127 will operate in a sensor network with other sea, air, space and ground-based integrated air defense systems. In addition, the analysis phase will now examine and determine to what extent these future ships can contribute to territorial missile defense as part of homeland security and national defense, but also to NATO Ballistic Missile Defense as part of alliance defense.

As the first ship class since the F 124, a frigate designed specifically to meet the requirements of national and alliance defense will have capabilities for surface and underwater warfare, for operations in cyber and information space and for operational tasks within the framework of international crisis management and national crisis management risk management. F 127 is designed as an assertive means of naval warfare. The ship should be able to be flexibly adapted to the potential threats that cannot yet be foreseen until well after the middle of the century in an economically justifiable manner.

Six ships are required

The national ambition for the class 127 is based on permanent operational readiness for one of these ships in two task forces. This ambition is the basis of the project outline now presented for a total of six units. The future ships are therefore not only the successors of the three current air defense frigates, but also an expression of the seriousness of a stronger German commitment to NATO's strategic security precautions.While the Sachsen class after 2025 will cover the NATO requirement for a sensor contribution to defense against ballistic missiles with a new radar, the F 127 should meet the medium-term requirement for a comprehensive defense system including interceptor missiles against ballistic missiles. The arrival of the new air defense ships is scheduled for 2032. This plan is currently, however, the delayed arrival of multi-purpose combat shipsMKS 180in contrast to.

Vertical launch systems decisive for ship design

Just ten months after the commissioning, the IPT was able to present the draft project outline to the ministry as the first “phase document”. This is also based on the draft of a preliminary operational concept, which the naval command had already coordinated across the Bundeswehr in April.

Da F 127 Fähigkeiten abbilden soll, wie sie heute teilweise schon auf Zerstörern der Arleigh-Burke-Klasse der US Navy zur Verfügung stehen, ist es nicht verwunderlich, dass erste Designüberlegungen auf ähnliche Abmessungen kommen – bei etwa halbierter Besatzung. Die Größe des Schiffes wird hauptsächlich durch die Anzahl und Dimension der Senkrechtstartanlagen für die Flugkörper und die umfangreiche taktische Sensorausstattung bestimmt. Eine konkrete Festlegung auf Systeme ist noch nicht getroffen und bleibt somit Gegenstand weiterer Untersuchungen in der Analysephase. Die Frage, welche und wie viele Flugkörper letztendlich eingerüstet werden sollen, wird aktuell im Forschungs- und Technologievorhaben „HF133 –Flugkörper für maritime Luftverteidigung“ eruiert. Aufsetzend auf eine im Rahmen des Framework Nations Concept durchgeführte multinationale Studie „Seabased Upper Layer Effector Feasibility“ werden dort die marktverfügbaren Abwehrflugkörper Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) und Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) mit zukunftsgerichteten und bedrohungsoptimierten nationalen und europäischen Flugkörperkonzepten verglichen. Ambitioniertes Ziel ist es, die NATO-Forderungen an Deutschland für die Bereiche Verbandsflugabwehr, Gebietsschutz sowie Abwehr ballistischer (innerhalb der Atmosphäre) und hypersonischer Bedrohungen mit möglichst einem einzigen Abwehrflugkörper wie zum Beispiel dem SM-6 oder dem national in der Konzeptauslegung befindlichen Ramjet abzudecken.

The “Territorial Missile Defense” concept, approved by the Inspector General in 2018, takes into account the focus on national and alliance defense. It describes the requirements for protection against a 360° threat from ballistic missiles of all range classes and the possible maritime contribution to an overall national architecture for missile defense, integrated into the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defense. If a (political) decision were to be made that the F 127 would also contribute to the defense of ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere (over 100 km), another missile such as the SM-3 or the “sea-based European Midcourse Interceptor” (which is in the draft concept) would have to be used. sEMDI)”.

In the area of ​​close and immediate area protection, proven but modernized products such as Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) or Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) - then Block 2 - should be used; high-energy weapons such as a 100 kW laser will also be considered. In addition to missiles to defend against threats from the air, various concepts for combating sea and land targets over long distances are being investigated. A long-range weapon against submarines is also considered – in line with the threat.

Blessings and curses of digitization

The digital networking required by NATO and the concept of networked operational management of the Bundeswehr is decisive for the technical realization of modern weapon systems. The F 127 must therefore offer the possibility of carrying out fully automated situational awareness, threat analysis and combat planning, even at multinational unit level. This is the only way for the system to relieve the operator and offer the decision-maker the best possible support for the time-critical use of weapons. The implementation is to take place via the "Framework Architecture 2030+" coordinated with the partner nations with standardized interfaces and processes as well as modern IP networks. At the same time, however, in addition to the ever more intensive networking, there must also be a return to the emergency proceduresunplugged operationsallow. This means that the F 127 must still be able to use weapons effectively, even in electromagnetically difficult environments and after satellite and internet connections fail. Combined with the need for an ever-reducing workforce approach, this now seems like squaring the circle. The topic of artificial intelligence for process optimization will also be considered.

Other resources in flexibly structured areas

Zur Erfüllung der Anforderungen an die in Entwicklung befindlichen Sensor-Wirkverbünde sowie zur Sicherstellung von späteren Nach- und Umrüstungen ist die zukünftige Fregatte zur Aufnahme modularer Einsatzmittel (bemannte und unbemannte Luft-, Überwasser- und Unterwasserfahrzeuge etc.) auszulegen. Dafür wurde durch die Firma MTG Marinetechnik ein flexibles Raumkonzept für den Initialentwurf F 127 entwickelt. Dieses ermöglicht in zwei voneinander unabhängigen, internen Schiffsbereichen eine flexible und einsatzspezifische Integration diverser organischer Einsatzmittel und anderer modularer Bordeinsatzkomponenten. Diese Schiffsbereiche werden nachfolgend als „Flex-Hangar“ und „Flex-Heck“ sowie zusammengefasst als „Flex-Bereiche“ bezeichnet. Die Flex-Bereiche erlauben eine flexible Konfiguration des Fähigkeitsträgers F 127 bei einer gleichzeitig sinnvollen Begrenzung des erforderlichen Schiffsraumes und der Anzahl der zu erwartenden Einsatzkomponenten. Die Einsatzkomponenten werden in der Stauposition gegenüber Witterungseinflüssen geschützt, haben keinen negativen Einfluss auf die Signatur des Fähigkeitsträgers und sind gegenüber unerwünschtem Einblick von außen verborgen. Durch die Vielfalt der berücksichtigten Möglichkeiten besteht ein hohes Potenzial zur Integration zukünftiger Systeme, die zum Entwurfszeitpunkt nur als Konzept oder Idee existieren.

The flex hangar is part of a spatially separated double hangar for the on-board helicopter. The hangar located on the port side is designed as an “onboard helicopter service hangar” and, in combination with its connected service, storage and ground service facilities, is optimized for the stowage, care, maintenance and repair of the embarked onboard helicopter.

The flex hangar, which is arranged parallel to the service hangar on the starboard side, allows, among other things, the accommodation and operation of the following resources:

• a second on-board helicopter (here exclusive repair)
• small to medium-sized unmanned aerial systems (UAV), including maintenance and repair
• a rescue boat or unmanned surface vehicle (USV) up to about twelve meters in length, alternatively several smaller types
• various underwater vehicles (UUV)
• ISO containers (1 x 40 ft and 1 x 20 ft)

The flex stern is located near the waterline in the middle of the stern below the BHS flight deck and is flanked on both sides by spatially separated handling decks. It enables, among other things, the inclusion and operation of the following resources:

• Emergency boat or USV up to about twelve meters in length
• containerized modular towed sonar (TASS)
• UUV and compatible launch and storage systems
• other containerized mission components
• Sea mines and storage and dropping rails compatible with them

The boat or USV is stored in a trough-like, inclined stern tow set into the ground on rollers or rollers that reduce static friction. These can be adjusted in angle to different hull geometries. The tail tow can be covered with profiles that are carried on board in the flex tail. This creates a flat storage area of ​​approx. 15 x 5 meters. This storage area can accommodate either two parallel tracks for two 20-foot ISO containers each or three parallel mine rails.

New ways of implementation should ensure rapid availability

A complex project like that of the Class 127 frigate is extremely risky. This is due to the fact that new technologies, some of which are still to be developed, are used here. In order to make these risks manageable, a gradual increase in skills is helpful. Based on past experiences with large, sometimes years-long gaps between delivery of the ships and their operational availability, operability and operational capability for the fleet, two fundamentally new approaches to implementation are proposed in connection with the Class 127.

AMD Testbed

A first stage in reducing risks is the “Air & Missile Defense Testbed” preceding the F 127 project. In order to make the development risk and complexity manageable for the new class, a timely, gradual build-up of sub-capabilities was planned in Wilhelmshaven Land facility was recommended early on by the Integrated Project Team F 127.

The aim is to prepare both the threat-appropriate maintenance of capabilities in the area of ​​anti-aircraft defense and air defense as well as the increase in capabilities to defend against ballistic and hypersonic missiles. This should happen decoupled from future platforms together with multinational partners and in a joint armed forces context. The results must then be provided to project F 127 at a later date. In addition, the AMD testbed is intended to provide results in advance for further projects related to the F 124 and MKS 180 classes, for which system and project dependencies also exist with F 127.

The Federal Ministry of Defense has now instructed the creation of the phase document “Capability Gap and Functional Requirements” (FFF) to set up the AMD testbed.

Inflow in manageable skill levels

In order to make the influx of such a complex warship and its operational system integration manageable, the suggestion of a gradual build-up of capabilities is also reflected in the influx of the individual ships. From ship 1 to ship 6, the complexity of the skill levels gradually increases. They follow achievable and verifiable milestones and thus provide the fleet with ships that are ready for deployment, supply and operation at an early stage right from the start. While ship 1 goes into service as a pure anti-aircraft ship with an initial operational capability (capability replacement AAW F 124), on ship 2 the remaining points of this initial capability level from acceptance and operational testing are eliminated and finally proven. On ship 3, an initial ballistic missile defense capability in the lower intercept layer is being implemented and qualified. The integration and proof of further capabilities (lasers, operational modules, etc.) are carried out via ships 4 and 5. In order to make the decision to equip the particularly complex (cost and risk-related) last capability level “BMD Upper Layer”, an exo-atmospheric missile defense capability, In order to be able to hit as late as possible, this skill level was deliberately placed on the sixth ship.

The upgrades of units 1 to 5 to the higher capability levels generally take place in the routine repair phases.

Conclusion

The Class 125 was designed at the beginning of the century as a stabilization unit with new ideas for intensive use and MKS 180 based on the operational requirements at the beginning of this decade. The basic idea for the F 127, on the other hand, is based on the reorientation of the Bundeswehr towards national and alliance defense and represents the associated maritime component. The assertiveness in intensive naval combat and against attacks from the air and from land, the protection of civil and military units at sea and facilities near the coast as well as the contribution to the defense against ballistic and hypersonic threats place unprecedented demands on the technological design of the ships. A particular challenge will be the interaction of the internal processes on the ships with the external sensor and control systems.

The time horizon of developing threats and technologies to be taken into account is between 2030 and 2075. This requires planners and architects to take the famous look into the crystal ball.

This is precisely why it is important to make decisions about the specific equipment for F 127 as late and as flexibly or modularly as possible. With these ships, the German Navy will receive a future-proof and assertive platform that has the potential for flexible adaptations to changing threats. F 127 will be the backbone of the fleet by the middle of this century.

The article first appeared in the January 2020 issue of the journalMarine Forum, the publication of the Marine Officers Association (MOV).

Author: Commander Andreas Uhlis authorized representative F 127 in the Rostock Naval Command in the Planning Department.

The author became ship operations officer of the destroyer Mölders in 1997. Since then he has accompanied the development of air defense capability in various posts
the German Navy and its capability growth. When the frigate Sachsen was commissioned, he was its first officer. Since January 2019, he has been the authorized representative of the Navy for the preliminary analysis phase of the Next Generation Frigate (F 127). From the mid-2030s, the F 127 class frigates are intended to maintain the capabilities of the F 124 frigates, which have reached the end of their useful life, against timely threats - and also provide other new capabilities against ballistic and hypersonic threats as required by NATO.