Issues on Cutlass/Leander.
Based on existing ship, Khareef, it has a strong merit that many of the detailed design is already there. Extention and many modifications are needed, but the existing design will significantly reduce the design work-load,
if it retains the original configuration as mush as possible.
Here, the point is its width.
Let's compare ANZAC and Khareef.
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Length 117m/99m
Width 14.8m/14.6m
Draught 4.35m/4.1m
FLD 3600 t/2700 t
Power 22500 kW (CODOG)/18200kW with 2 diesels (CODOE)
Speed 27 kts/25 kts
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Since Khareef has short range and endurance, adding ~20m of hull (say 15m amidship and 5 m astern (for Merlin-capable flight deck) to make it ~120m length is important. If we enlarge the beam-width too much,
all of the internal design will need re-work, negating the "merit" of Khareef-based design. As (original) Leander B3 is 5% wider than B1/2, so may be we can "relatively easiliy" increase the width to 14.6*1.05 = 15.3m, but not more.
Thus, my expectation of Cutlass/Leander hull design is as follows:
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Length 119m
Width 15.3m
Draught 4.1m
FLD 3600 t
Power 18200kW (CODOE)
Speed 25 kts (longer hull will compensate wider beam).
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In short, similar to the ANZAC frigate. I'm not sure RN agree it is "~4000 t" (from RFI), but may be yes. But, anyway it is small.
Drawback of being "small" is less internal space. So, it
must be associated with less equipments.
Luckely, T31e RFI's requirement is actually very flexible. For example, "Adaptable: Misstion bay and/or deck space for 2x ISO containers", latter is quite easy. As RFI states "Meduim and small calibre guns to provide
highly visible deterrent and range of effects for Maritime interdiction, be capable of small vessels of up to FAC size, and surviving attackes", gun shall be there.
CAMM needs 2.5x3 m2 size for 6 cell (from T26 fig). So, locate (up to) 24 CAMM
amidship in the middile of extention (copy-and-paste T26's amid-VLS), and free-up the bow SAM spaces to host (up to) 127mm gun at the bow. Put a Merlin flight deck, but only a NH90 hangar.
Then, it will really be
an ANZAC-NZ mod frigate, replacing the GT's intake-exhaust space for 2x ISO containers.
Actually,
merit of being "small" is being cheap in its nature. In other words, spending the same cost as a 4000t design, the 3600t hull will be possible to be improved to "a bit more" like escort standard (e.g. shock resistance, more of water-tight sections and fire-walls, redunduncy in damage control, and so on).
In short, I am very much interested in the beam-width and displacement of Cutlass/Leander proposal.
cutlass_leander_1.jpg
Perhaps the set from Ocean would also look good on a 9th T26 also 
