Chile Armed Forces

[The Armchair Soldier]

A topic to discuss defence in Chile.

[RichardIC]

Note that it's a proposed sale. I'm no expert but my understanding was that Congessional notices are a ground clearing part of the procurement process rather than confirmation that a sale has been agreed. In other words Chile may choose evolved Sea Sparrow knowing that approval for the sale has already been granted.

If I read this correctly they would be talking of swapping a 32-round Sea Wolf for an eight-round ESSM!

[RetroSicotte]

Not CAMM?

There's a surprise. I always thought Chile was a shoe in.

[Timmymagic]

I still think they are a shoo in. Integration and testing that the RN will do with Sea Ceptor and Type 23 makes life a lot easier. The competition may keep them honest though.

[GibMariner]

Jane's is saying Chile has dropped the previously reported Raytheon ESSM option:

Chile set to choose from four bids for Type 23 upgrade

Rival combat system integrators bidding to upgrade the Chilean Navy's three Type 23 frigates have presented the service with combat system modernisation solutions using either the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Barak-8 or the MBDA Sea Ceptor anti-air guided weapon systems, IHS Jane's has learned.

A third missile option - in the form of the Raytheon RIM-162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM) - appears to have dropped out of contention despite the US government approving a prospective sale.

BAE Systems (teamed with QinetiQ), IAI's MBT Division, Lockheed Martin Canada, and Thales Nederland are vying to modernise the three former UK Royal Navy (RN) ships Almirante Cochrane (ex-HMS Norfolk ), Almirante Condell (ex-HMS Marlborough ), and Almirante Lynch (ex-HMS Grafton ). The four companies were shortlisted in 2015 to bid for the upgrade or replacement of the ships' combat management system (CMS) and surveillance/target indication radar, and the replacement of the GWS 26 Mod 1 VL Seawolf command-to-line-of-sight point-defence missile system with an active radar or semi-active radar guided weapon system.

A formal request for proposals was released in mid-March, with responses submitted in early July. A decision on the preferred supplier is expected during the fourth quarter of 2016.

BAE Systems' proposal effectively mirrors the upgrade being introduced to RN service under the Type 23 Capability Sustainment Programme (CSP), encompassing the Outfit DNA(2) CMS (replacing the legacy Outfit DNA[1]), the ARTISAN 3D (RN designation Radar Type 997) medium-range radar (replacing Radar Type 996), and the MBDA Sea Ceptor local area anti-air weapon system. Sea Ceptor is founded on MBDA's new 'soft-launch' Common Anti-Air Modular Missile, which uses active radar homing (supported by mid-course guidance updates) to deliver an all-weather engagement capability.

MBDA argues that selection of Sea Ceptor would enable the Chilean Navy to maintain commonality with the RN. Furthermore, the ship installation would be de-risked by the prior RN Type 23 retrofits; Sea Ceptor is being introduced on board the RN's 13 remaining Type 23 frigates, replacing GWS 26 Mod 1, with HMS Argyll the first ship to receive the system.

http://www.janes.com/article/63496/chil ... witterfeed

[GibMariner]

SEA Commences Combat System Upgrade on Chilean Navy Type 23 Frigates

The upgrade on the Chilean frigates Almirante Cochrane, Almirante Condell and Almirante Lynch follows a similar obsolescence upgrade carried out on the UK Royal Navy's 13 Type 23 ships. SEA has a support contract covering the Combat Systems Highway (CSH) for UK Royal Navy frigates and also supports CSHs for various defence Primes.

Read more: http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.ph ... gates.html

[ArmChairCivvy]

The strategy is already working... one day after its publication?

The National Champ concentrating on the cherries in the cake, and the metal bashing and welding together to be done by whoever who has
a) higher productivity,
b) slack in the production schedules
or a combination of both.

OK, the news piece does not refer to any metal bashing, but is a sort of pointer which way things could evolve. All for the good of UK Ltd.

[chinook88]

Chile favours Lockheed Martin Canada for frigate midlife upgrade
Lockheed Martin Canada has been identified as the preferred option to become the main contractor on a midlife upgrade programme for Chile's three British-built Type 23 frigates, sources in Santiago told IHS Jane's .

The sources said firms bidding for the contract, potentially worth up to USD1 billion in total, were informed of their status on 5 December.

The UK's BAE Systems was listed as the second preferred option if negotiations between the Chilean Navy and Lockheed Martin Canada, expected to be completed by early 2017, fail to reach an agreement, sources said.

Chile's three 4,900-tonne Type 23 multipurpose frigates, also known as the Cochrane class, were procured second-hand from the United Kingdom in 2005 and transferred between 2006 and 2008.

http://www.janes.com/article/66303/chil ... fe-upgrade

[ArmChairCivvy]

$ 333m per ship, to keep them viable.

13 times that...calculator... $4bn.

And they are not -judging from the missile choices only - putting anything heavy on them (CoG & buoyancy reserve?).

[silabario]

HI!

Lockheed Martin Canada to lead Chilean frigate upgrade

Jose Higuera, Santiago, Chile - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
16 February 2017


Lockheed Martin Canada Mission Systems and Training (MST), after signing a contract earlier this month in Chile, is now officially the main contractor and integrator for a USD600 million programme to modernise three British-built Type 23 frigates that Chile bought from the United Kingdom in 2005.

Lockheed Martin will fit the Chilean frigates with its CMS 330 combat management system, developed jointly with Saab Defence and Aerospace, as a subcontractor, for the recently completed modernisation of the 12 Halifax-class frigates of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN).

Developed from Saab's 9LV Mk 4 CMS, Lockheed Martin's CMS 330 retains the flexible, open architecture of the original system as well as some of its core components - such as the Ceros 200 all-weather tracking/fire control system - to provide advanced C4I capabilities tailored to the RCN's operational and tactical requirements.

http://www.janes.com/article/67807/[....]ada-to-lead-chilean-frigate-upgrade

1 USD billion? NO WAY! in english and spanish.

[chinook88]

Lockheed Martin Canada to lead Chilean frigate upgrade

Jose Higuera, Santiago, Chile - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
17 February 2017

Lockheed Martin Canada Mission Systems and Training (MST), after signing a contract earlier this month in Chile, is now officially the main contractor and integrator for a USD600 million programme to modernise three British-built Type 23 frigates that Chile bought from the United Kingdom in 2005.

Lockheed Martin will fit the Chilean frigates with its CMS 330 combat management system, developed jointly with Saab Defence and Aerospace, as a subcontractor, for the recently completed modernisation of the 12 Halifax-class frigates of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN).

Developed from Saab's 9LV Mk 4 CMS, Lockheed Martin's CMS 330 retains the flexible, open architecture of the original system as well as some of its core components - such as the Ceros 200 all-weather tracking/fire control system - to provide advanced C4I capabilities tailored to the RCN's operational and tactical requirements.

http://www.janes.com/article/67807/lock ... te-upgrade

MM USD$ 200 / frigate .... now it makes sense

TRS-4D radar, CMS-330 & Sea Ceptor
http://www.defensa.com/frontend/defensa ... 638-vst333

--
Probably in the future it would be possible to replace the Sea Sparrow by ESSM in the frigates Karel Doorman and Jacob van Heemskerck (if it is not decided to replace it). ESSM at type 23 is impossible, Raytheon did not respond to RFP (Request For Proposal) on time.

[silabario]

Chile to modernise Type 23 bow sonar

Jose Higuera - IHS Jane's Navy International
13 October 2017

The Chilean Navy is to upgrade the bow-mounted medium frequency sonar fitted to its three ex-UK Royal Navy (RN) Type 23 frigates to the Sonar 2150 standard as part of a wider modernisation programme, military sources in Santiago have told Jane's.

Chile will also buy a third Sonar 2087 active/passive variable depth low frequency towed sonar, allowing all three Type 23s to receive the system.

Almirante Cochrane (ex-HMS Norfolk ), Almirante Condell (ex-HMS Marlborough ), andAlmirante Lynch (ex-HMS Grafton ) were recommissioned into the Chilean Navy between November 2006 and May 2008 following their acquisition from the United Kingdom.

http://www.janes.com/article/74902/chil ... -bow-sonar

[abc123]

Chile to modernise Type 23 bow sonar

Jose Higuera - IHS Jane's Navy International
13 October 2017

The Chilean Navy is to upgrade the bow-mounted medium frequency sonar fitted to its three ex-UK Royal Navy (RN) Type 23 frigates to the Sonar 2150 standard as part of a wider modernisation programme, military sources in Santiago have told Jane's.

Chile will also buy a third Sonar 2087 active/passive variable depth low frequency towed sonar, allowing all three Type 23s to receive the system.

Almirante Cochrane (ex-HMS Norfolk ), Almirante Condell (ex-HMS Marlborough ), andAlmirante Lynch (ex-HMS Grafton ) were recommissioned into the Chilean Navy between November 2006 and May 2008 following their acquisition from the United Kingdom.

http://www.janes.com/article/74902/chil ... -bow-sonar

Anybody knows the cost of Sonar 2087?

[Caribbean]

In April 2001, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) awarded Thales a contract for the development and supply of six S2087 sonar sets with an estimated acquisition cost of £340 million ($652 million). The initial operational capability aboard HMS Westminster (T23-class frigate) was expected by January 2007. As of July 2005, the MoD was negotiating with Thales the acquisition of further two S2087 sets

I think the original plan was to get 16 sets for the £340m - I wonder if we got the (rumoured) 3 new ones because Thales still had them sitting in the warehouse

[xav]

Chilean Navy interested in the Adelaide-class frigates

The Chilean Navy is strongly interested in the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) Adelaide-class frigates. The information comes from the Defensa.com website. The frigates have been at the forefront lately, due to the interest shown by the Polish and Hellenic Navies, and allegedly other ones too. Greece had recently showed interest in acquiring the two or three frigates of the RAN, in order to fill-in the gap in area air-defence capabilities for its fleet. According to statements made by the Greek Minister of Defence, the two frigates would cost EUR 180 million, without their weapons.

https://www.navalnews.com/news/2019/02/ ... -frigates/

[silabario]

Following an extensive worldwide competitive tender, Lockheed Martin Canada was selected in 2017 to be the combat systems integrator for the Chilean Navy's three Type 23 frigates, leveraging its Canadian-developed combat management system, CMS 330.

This selection builds on the longstanding relationship between Chile and Canada and the countries’ two navies. It also represents Lockheed Martin’s global scale of expertise in naval systems integration and capability to support interoperability between allied countries.

Lockheed Martin Canada is working alongside ASMAR Shipyard and DESA and executing two contracts with Chilean subcontractor DTS for the update of their ESM-RD-170 system and to support connectorization work onboard the T-23 frigates.

Bilateral collaboration across Canadian and Chilean defence and shipbuilding industries is strong, and our teams are actively forging long-term relationships with Chilean partners to deliver new capability to the Armada de Chile.

-

Complex and Diverse Integration Capability
Leveraging its combat system integration methodology and expertise first established through Canada’s HALIFAX class Modernization (HCM) Project, Lockheed Martin Canada exported a highly capably and low-risk solution to Chile.

The contract is Lockheed Martin Canada’s second export sale of its Canadian developed CMS 330, which was designed as a modern, affordable product for the international market. The Armada de Chile selection in 2017 placed Lockheed Martin Canada’s CMS 330 and integration expertise on four classes of ships across three different navies. In 2019, two additional Canadian naval programs – the Joint Support Ships and the Canadian Surface Combatant – increased the number of classes to six.

This momentum propels the company’s growth strategy, validates its innovative and collaborative approach to naval combat systems integration and adds tremendous value for future international programs.



"Lockheed Martin Canada is an anchor employer in Halifax and Nova Scotia, and I am excited about the future work coming to Nova Scotia employees as a result of this latest export sale to Chile. The critical skills and expertise developed here in support of key naval programs positions us for continued economic growth. These valuable high tech jobs also attract top talent and offer exceptional opportunities for our local graduates."

Mike Savage, Mayor of Halifax

https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-ca/chile.html

[chinook88]

Chilean Navy honours Admiral Cochrane
https://www.westminster-abbey.org/es/ab ... y-day-2019
-
https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/u ... er-2893572

[SKB]

^ Almirante Lynch FF-07

[silabario]

https://www.infodefensa.com/latam/2019/ ... izada.html

[silabario]

https://www.infodefensa.com/latam/2019/ ... um=twitter

[xav]

Ex-RAN Adelaide-class frigates commissioned with the Chilean Navy

Australia officially transferred former Adelaide-class frigates Melbourne (FFG 05) and Newcastle (FFG 06) to the Chilean Navy (Armada de Chile). A commissioning ceremony took place on April 15, 2020 at the HMAS Watson naval base in Sydney.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... lean-navy/

[Jensy]

Interesting that they are replacing the M-Class frigates.

Wonder how long the older, Almirante Williams (ex-Sheffield)will be remaining in service.

[abc123]

Really nice work by Chileans about their defence capabilities. Probably the most capably military in Latin America.

[ArmChairCivvy]

Who else has two (potential) enemies there?

[Lord Jim]

That is what you get when you have a guaranteed level of funding linked to the price of Copper etc. No wonder the Chilean Military is opposed to this being scrapped by the current Government. I wonder if they would be interested in any of the GP T-23s if we retired them in the ongoing Review.