French Navy Demonstrates its 1st Cooperative Engagement with Frigate & Destroyer
In a first, the French Navy (Marine Nationale) demonstrated a cooperative engagement between two of its surface vessels.
Horizon-class air defense destroyer Forbin remotely engaged a target (with an ASTER 30 surface to air missile) using a radar track shared via data-link by the FREMM frigate Languedoc.
The event, a milestone for the French Navy (a first in Europe, for a European navy), took place on September 18 2019 during the “Gabian” training exercise, a recurring exercise involving several vessels based in Toulon, on France’s Southern coast.
SEA FIRE Next Gen Radar System Begins Testing at Shore Integration Facility
Combined teams of DGA, the French Navy (Marine Nationale), Thales and Naval Group started putting the new SEA FIRE radar through its pace at the Shore Integration Facility (SIF) located in Southern France, near Toulon.
Artisan 3D was introduced in 2012, to HMS Iron Duke. Also, it is designed not as high-end radar, but as "normal" radar = no aim for long-range AAW. It is based on GaAs modules, and has "only" 2 seconds refresh rate.
This Sea Fire AESA fix-plate radar will come into service in ~2024. So, 12 years newer design.
It is also designed to be used to partly cover the AAW roles, compensating Horizon-class DDs and FREAM-DA frigates. Former is using EMPAR, and the latter is using Herakles 3D S-band PESA. FTI will have an AAW capability much less than them, so AAW requirement for SeaFire might be even "lower" than that of Herakles 3D S-band PESA. But, it will still be higher requirement than Artisan, I guess.
Anyway, I agree it is good time for RN to think "upgrading" Artisan or replacing it. Artisan for T31 is good, but not sure it is good for T26.
- So, why not GaN?
- How about, "double plating" to make the refresh rate doubled, 1 second ? With GaN, it could be lighter with similar/better performance. (Herakles, with single plate, has 1 second refresh rate.)
- How about, 4-fix-plate configuration?
Recorded at DSEI... neat little (rather large actually) tug boats... and very much multi-role vessels in the end, especially if they end up putting (optional) sonars on them...
andrew98 wrote:That's not the Aus system, it's French.
The Australian system is SEAFAR2 by SEA technologies, but that too may be better than artisan?
Sorry, my post wasn’t very well written, but I wasn’t meaning seafire was Australian (the video I was responding to alone said it was French), just that IMO it seems a lot better than ARTISAN. The Australia thing was because with CEAFAR2 their version of the type 26 will be more capable than ours (they’ll also be getting more than us ). There’s a pretty good chance the Australians could end up being the key movers and standard bearers for the type 26 not us IMO. I’ll leave it there so as to not risk dragging the topic too far off topic though.
I hadn’t noticed how close the names for the 2 systems were before now and can see how my poorly written post caused the confusion though.
donald_of_tokyo wrote:
Anyway, I agree it is good time for RN to think "upgrading" Artisan or replacing it. Artisan for T31 is good, but not sure it is good for T26.
- So, why not GaN?
- How about, "double plating" to make the refresh rate doubled, 1 second ? With GaN, it could be lighter with similar/better performance. (Herakles, with single plate, has 1 second refresh rate.)
- How about, 4-fix-plate configuration?
Many options can be considered.
4 fix plates seems to be the direction most other navies are following. I understand the RN’s point about rotating radars being lighter so can therefore be mounted higher but as type 26 won’t be an air defence ship first and foremost could GaN tech allow a 4 face to be mounted at the same height (or very close to it) as the current ARTISAN and get the best of both worlds so to speak? Or perhaps look at something like the DARPA parasail mounted radar or perhaps some sort of small UAS that can be used to gain a basic long range picture?
I do think the French strategy of keeping adding to the number of good air defence ships on top of their specialists is smart though, especially when you consider just how few our two navies have....sort of brings my post back on topic!!
cky7 wrote:I do think the French strategy of keeping adding to the number of good air defence ships on top of their specialists is smart though, especially when you consider just how few our two navies have....sort of brings my post back on topic!!
About as subtle a thread re-steering as ramming an 18-wheeler through a wall, but it works.
Can anyone tell me when the French Armed Forces started to adopt the 7.62mm FN MAG General Purpose Machine Gun? I have just watched a video of a recent French Army Live Mobility Demonstration and a number of vehicles and helicopters were equipped with this weapon.
Naval Group Starts Construction of Amiral Ronarc’h – French Navy’s 1st FDI Frigate
On October 24, the steel-cutting ceremony of the first FDI (Defense and Intervention Frigate) took place at the Naval Group shipyard in Lorient, in the presence of the Minister for the Armed Forces Florence Parly and the Chief of the Hellenic Navy Nikolaos Tsounis.
Lord Jim wrote:Can anyone tell me when the French Armed Forces started to adopt the 7.62mm FN MAG General Purpose Machine Gun? I have just watched a video of a recent French Army Live Mobility Demonstration and a number of vehicles and helicopters were equipped with this weapon.
French Navy Received First Two Upgraded ATL2s Maritime Patrol Aircraft
The first two ATL2 maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) upgraded by Dassault Aviation were delivered to the French Navy (Marine Nationale) at the Lann-Bihoué naval air base.
The contract for the upgraded (standard 6) ATL2 combat system was awarded by the defense procurement agency DGA on October 4, 2013. The program covers a fleet of 18 aircraft. Dassault Aviation will deliver a further five upgraded ATL2s in the period 2020-2023. In parallel, the SIAé aeronautical maintenance center will upgrade 11 aircraft.
Fincantieri to Build Forward Sections of 4 Future French Navy Logistics Ships
Fincantieri has been awarded an order from Chantiers de l’Atlantique (CdA) for the construction of the forward sections of four vessels based on the Italian “Vulcano” design.
French Navy eyes new training system for its VBSS teams
The French Navy’s VBSS (Visit, Board, Seach and Seizure) teams will soon be able to improve their skills ashore with a new training module the French Armed Forces Ministry plans to build next year at the Toulon naval base (south of France), according to an RFP issued on Tuesday.
Airbus VSR700 VTOL UAV enhanced prototype performed maiden flights
The Airbus Helicopters VSR700 naval VTOL UAV made its maiden flight on November 8 at the Aix-en-Provence drone test center (south of France). Several test captive-flights were successfully performed on an enhanced version of the UAV.
The VSR700 performed several take-offs and landings on Friday 8th of November with the longest flight lasting around ten minutes, the company announced
DGA Hydrodynamics: inside the largest hydrodynamic test facility in Europe – Part 1
On October 11, the French Direction Générale de l’Armement (Directorate General of Armaments) organized a visit at the DGA Hydrodynamics centre at Val-de-Reuil, in Normandy. A unique occasion to discover the astonishing facilities that greatly contributes to the optimal dynamic performances and low acoustic signature of the French Navy' surface ships and submarines.
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)
