Defense of the Republic of the Philippines

Thailand ordered an Saab upgrade package for their Naresuan class frigates back in 2011. The order was for
2 x Saab Sea Giraffe AMB, 2 x CEROS 200 FCR, 2 x Saab 9LV CMS Mk4 and 2 x TDL for a total cost of MSEK 484, which works out to USD48 million for two ships.[1]

Ref
[1] http://saabgroup.com/media/news-press/news/2011-06/saab-receives-order-from-thailand-regarding-upgrading-of-combat-management-and-fire-control-systems/

• Comandante Cigala Fulgosi Class

• Sirio Class

• Abu Dhabi Class Corvette

• Coast Guard Command (Turkish Armed Forces) Search and Rescue Ship

Vessel size, high performance, transport and support capability are optimized to play different roles such as: escort, support, relief, interdiction and patrol operations.

Such ships are highly handy, have excellent nautical qualities and seaworthiness, long range and are able to operate in open seas missions and to manage protracted helo operations. The vessels are built following stealth principles and are able to accommodate different Combat System versions.

Mission. The ships are tasked with routine maritime policing and economic exclusion zone (EEZ) patrol.

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Design Features
... The light frigate-sized hull is topped with a superstructure featuring reduced signature characteristics, including inclined surfaces on the hull and the superstructure, and side openings (which house small service craft) masked by a mesh that deflects enemy radar.

The hull itself is slender and rather attractive, with a strongly raked bow with pronounced sheer lines. The underwater section of the bow features an underwater bulb for reduced drag and greater fuel efficiency. The aft part of the superstructure incorporates a helicopter hangar, with the associated deck forming part of the main hull. The hangar accommodates an AB-212 helicopter, which will later be replaced by an NH90. The aft section of the helicopter hangar is telescopic, provided by Canada’s Indal Technologies (ITI). It consists of three sections, with Fincantieri providing the fixed section, and ITI the two movable sections, the track, and the specialized doors. The hangars are also designed with maximum radar cross-section (RCS) suppression in mind, including a feature that allows the sliding door to be stored flat inside the hangar instead of requiring a large box, as is typical for roller-curtain doors.

The ship is powered by two GMT-Wartsila 28V26XN diesels of 8,685 shaft horsepower (shp) fitted with an exhaust cooling system to suppress infrared signature. These diesels drive two controllable-pitch propellers. The twin-engine configuration is expected to yield a top speed of about 25 knots.

Operational Characteristics
The operational experiences in the Balkan crises (Bosnia, Kosovo) and Italy’s need to monitor refugees arriving in increasing numbers from neighboring Albania and North have changed the operational concept somewhat.

Key changes to the design finalized in 1998 were made to improve the ship’s seakeeping capabilities farther out in the Mediterranean, in the Sicilian and Sardinian channels.

The larger size was adopted to boost the ships’ endurance and provide substantially more margin for growth of onboard systems. Also, the new ships provide more space to accommodate inspection teams, as well as refugees and/or survivors of disasters.

These ships are minimally armed, with the weapons suite being oriented exclusively toward the patrol function. They have no significant air defense capability (the hand-swung, unstabilized 25mm Oerlikon cannon technically have an anti-aircraft role, but this is theoretical at best). They are totally devoid of any anti-submarine or realistic anti-surface warfare capability.

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NUMC. During its gestation period, the Commandante Cigala Fulgosi patrol vessel class had frequently been referred to as NUMC (presumably for Nuova Unità Minore Combattanti, or New Minor Combatant Unit), until the class name was publicized in 1999.

To further confuse the issue, though, the same acronym has also been erroneously used on occasion to refer to the New Major Combatant Unit, which is a substantially larger frigate-sized vessel now known as the FREMM and built in collaboration with France.

Program Review
Background. The NUMC (Nuova Unità Minore Combattanti, or New Minor Combatant Unit) class program was initiated in 1995. Originally, construction of a third group of four Minerva class corvettes was planned to produce a total class of 12 ships. This program would have provided a single class of patrol ships to replace the mixed fleet of corvettes.

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A revised design based on the first proposal was presented in 1998. This featured a larger hull but less sophisticated equipment, reflecting reduced operational demands and the final elimination of the anti-ship missile armament provisions. The primary intentions were to improve the ship’s seaworthiness and extend its operating endurance. Part of the reason for enlarging the design was to provide added growth margin for possible future expansion, along with more space to accommodate inspection teams, refugees, or survivors.

Besides being built on a larger hull, which gave added seaworthiness, the new design eliminated the UAV launch/recovery capability. It relied on small- to medium-caliber guns for its self-defense and policing functions. These changes reflected the need to monitor a growing stream of refugees from both the Balkans and the North African coast. This aspect is a strong driver in the projected future mission of these ships. It means that the ships need to be capable of performing sustained and extended surveillance and patrol missions
at longer distances.

First Orders Placed. The order for the first four ships of the series was placed in February 1999. At that time, it was believed that the first-of-class would begin its sea trials in 2001, followed by the rest of the class at 6- to 12-month intervals.

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Funding
The program is funded by the Italian government for the Italian Navy.

Contracts / Orders & Options
Contractor: Fincantieri
Award: US$ 415 million
Date/Description: Feb 1999 – First batch of four units ordered.

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• TRINITY - A specific, highly modular solution to provide small patrol craft and fast interceptor craft with C2 and action support. Based on a clever combination of low-cost building blocks that can be packaged into a lean yet mean combat system with sensors and machine gun(s).
• Commander - Commander integrates sensor and open-source information to generate a sharable local, operational and strategic situation picture. It represents the next level in maritime safety mission systems. Proven system in harsh circumstances (e.g. Arctic) and ideal for both civilian and military users.
• TACTICOS 100 - Designed to provide stable and reliable command and control capabilities for short-endurance Maritime Security Operations in littoral waters. Support is available for electro optical fi re control for a medium calibre gun (up to 40mm).
• TACTICOS 150 - The first choice for ocean-going maritime security agencies. It provides capabilities for both littoral and high-seas operations against pirates, smugglers and terrorists. TACTICOS 150 supports long-endurance oceanic patrols and work with a variety of off-board assets including sea boats, boarding teams, helicopters and unmanned vehicles.
• TACTICOS 300 - TACTICOS 300 provides defence and security capabilities for today’s multi-role navies. Aimed to equip any naval ship up to patrol ships with typically 4-6 operator positions. Its focus is to perform point defence tasks (guns) with support for Maritime Security Operations (MSO).
• TACTICOS 400 - Over and above the capabilities of TACTICOS 300, the focus of TACTICOS 400 is to provide point defence with guns and missiles, plus surface to surface missile capability, supported by a full range of MSO capabilities. It is typically designed to equip surface combatants (corvettes &  frigates) with 6-12 operator positions.
• TACTICOS 500 - The focus of TACTICOS 500 is to provide layered air defence with guns and missiles; support concurrent engagements (air, surface and subsurface). It supports a task force staff and provides coordination for area defence with typically 12-20 operator positions.
• TACTICOS 1000 - The TACTICOS 1000 is an addon that provides the ability to perform very wide area defence against ballistic missiles.

The Gepard-3.9 frigates are designated to search, trace and fight surface, underwater and air targets of the adversary, carry out escort operations, patrol and protect maritime state border and exclusive economic zone.

In 2004 Vietnam signed a deal with Russia for four Gepard Project 11661 frigates. Two were to be delivered from Russia and the other two were to be constructed in Vietnam. Rosoboronexport and Defense Ministry of Vietnam had been talking over the deal since 2003.

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In February 2006 it was reported that the Gepard project will be the first military export order for Zelenodolsk Shipyard since Soviet times. The Vietnamese had already agreed on the specifications of the ships, therefore it was thought that the contract may be signed even during the visit of the Russian officials to Vietnam.

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The first two frigates entered service with Vietnam’s navy in 2011. The second contract was signed in February 2013. Unlike the first two, the new frigates feature antisubmarine weapons and an advanced propulsion system.

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Russian-made frigate Gepard 3.9 built under order of Vietnamese Navy was launched in Tatarstan. The ship developed in 2003 was constructed by shipwrights of Zelenodolsky Zavod named after A.M. Gorky, informs ITAR-TASS.

In total, Vietnamese Navy ordered two Gepard frigates; the second one will be delivered to the customer in 2010.

The length of Gepard makes 102 meters, displacement is 2,100 tonnes. The ship's crew is up to 100 men. The frigate is armed with Uran-E antiship missile system, 76.2-mm gun mount AK-176M, Palma anti-aircraft artillery system and two 30-mm gun mounts AK-630M. The heliport for Ka-28 or Ka-31 is also provided at the deck of Gepard.

Delivery contract of two frigates for Vietnamese Navy was signed in 2006.

The Russian Gorky Shipyard will build and hand over two additional Gepard-class frigates to the Vietnam People's Navy by 2017, the Itar-Tass news agency reported on February 26.

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Vietnam received two first Gepard-class frigates from Russia in 2011 under a contract signed in 2006.

It signed another contract for two more such vessels in 2013, and the manufacture is on the right track.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 10, 2017 - The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Thailand for RGM-84L Harpoon Block II Surface Launched Missiles.  The estimated cost is $24.9 million.  The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on August 9, 2017.
 
The Government of Thailand has requested the possible sale of up to five (5) RGM-84L Harpoon Block II Surface Launched Missiles and one (1) RTM-84L Harpoon Block II Exercise Missile.  Also included are containers, spare and repair parts, support and test equipment, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor representatives technical assistance, engineering and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics and program support.  The estimated cost is $24.9 million.
 
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The proposed sale will provide enhanced capabilities in effective defense of critical sea lines.  Thailand intends to use the missiles on its DW3000 Class Frigate.  The proposed sale of the Harpoon Block II missiles and support will increase the Royal Thai Navy’s maritime partnership potential.  Thailand has purchased Harpoon missiles previously and will have no difficulty absorbing these missiles into its armed forces.

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