Yet more Anzac upgrades
Posted: 07 Nov 2021 00:29
Hi all, as we are all aware, the Anzacs have gone through three major iterations.
As delivered (the infamous fitted for but not with)
As upgraded with the initial CEAFar phased array radars but retaining the SPS-49 on top of the mast.
And now the latest standard, which replaces the outdated SPS-49 with additional phased arrays.
Well the RAN having, much to their surprise, discovered they won't have an Anzac replacement until 2033 at the earliest, given the incessant delays and size and cost growth of the Hunters, is looking at another upgrade of the Anzacs.
This one won't do too much with the sensors, which are better than any other Meko 200 in service anywhere, instead its the weapons. They've recently completed a design review which suggest the following can be undertaken on the RAN's Anzacs.
The 5 inch will stay up forward, but the Harpoons will be removed, given they are now hopelessly out of date for fighting any half-way competent navy. They will be replaced by a new missile, almost certainly the Naval Strike Missile, which is an anti-ship and land-attack missile developed by the Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence. NSM is stealthy and far more capable, and can be fired from ships, subs and aircraft, basically the Harpoon for the 2020s.
The NSMs will be relocated to the same place every other MEKO 200 operator in the world places their anti-ship missiles, behind the bridge and forward of the funnels and mainmast.
The reason for this is to free the space ahead of the bridge currently occupied by the Harpoons with an 8 cell Mk 41 vertical launch system, which will be quad-packed with evolved Sea Sparrows, adding an additional 32 surface to air missiles.
Further to this, the current 8 cell VLS behind the funnels is actually only using half the space the class was designed for. This shot of Warramunga and Ballarat from above shows the blank area alongside the current VLS behind the funnels.
The intention is to install this second 8 cell VLS into the class.
This will take the class to their maximum weight limits, using up the last growth margin in the class, but would give the Anzacs a total of 24 self-defence length Mk41 VLS cells.
The self defence length cells can carry Sea Sparrow (1 per cell) which was upgraded to Evolved Sea Sparrow (which can carry 4 missiles per cell).
The tactical length are almost twice as long and can carry a much wider range of missiles, including Standard long range Surface to Air missiles.
The strike length is much longer and can carry Tomahawk land attack missiles and the very long ranged Standard SM-3 and SM-6 missiles.
The Hobart class carry 48 strike length VLS systems, allowing them to be fitted with SM-3 and SM-6, and they will be fitted with Tomahawk missiles, as recently announced by the government.
The Anzacs can't carry the longer tactical or strike length VLS, but if they end up getting the additional two 8 cell VLS launchers that means an Anzac can carry 96 quad-packed evolved Sea Sparrow.
The original Sea Sparrow is an old missile that was fired from a trainable 8 cell box launcher, with a range of about 10 nautical miles.
ESSM is a completely different kettle of fish, being a vertical launch missile with a range of 30+ nautical miles, about the same range as the original Tartar SAM carried by the Perth class DDGs.
If this upgrade goes ahead, it would mean that each Anzac could contribute to task force air defence, with the Hobart using Standard to pick off targets at long range, and using the Aegis system and cooperative engagement capability to designate targets for the Anzac's ESSM as they get closer.
Given every cell that carries a Tomahawk is one less carrying air defence missiles, it means that more cells on a Hobart can be used to carry land attack missiles, because each post-upgrade Anzac contributes an additional 96 SAMs rather than the current 32.
If this goes through, its designed to make the surface fleet better able to defend itself and any other vessels being escorted from a massed missile attack (looking at you China). This would be critical in defending high value targets such as Canberra, Adelaide, Choules and the Supply class replenishment ships.
Given the improvements in radars, missiles and computers, it's probably as good as a US carrier group with two Tico's and a couple of other cruisers, destroyers and frigates back in the late 1980s could have hoped to achieve, and they were designed to stop Russian saturation missile attacks.
If approved, it will mean the Anzacs remain capable right through till they pay off, once the interminably-delayed Hunters finally come into service sometime in the mid-2030s.
Mike
As delivered (the infamous fitted for but not with)
As upgraded with the initial CEAFar phased array radars but retaining the SPS-49 on top of the mast.
And now the latest standard, which replaces the outdated SPS-49 with additional phased arrays.
Well the RAN having, much to their surprise, discovered they won't have an Anzac replacement until 2033 at the earliest, given the incessant delays and size and cost growth of the Hunters, is looking at another upgrade of the Anzacs.
This one won't do too much with the sensors, which are better than any other Meko 200 in service anywhere, instead its the weapons. They've recently completed a design review which suggest the following can be undertaken on the RAN's Anzacs.
The 5 inch will stay up forward, but the Harpoons will be removed, given they are now hopelessly out of date for fighting any half-way competent navy. They will be replaced by a new missile, almost certainly the Naval Strike Missile, which is an anti-ship and land-attack missile developed by the Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence. NSM is stealthy and far more capable, and can be fired from ships, subs and aircraft, basically the Harpoon for the 2020s.
The NSMs will be relocated to the same place every other MEKO 200 operator in the world places their anti-ship missiles, behind the bridge and forward of the funnels and mainmast.
The reason for this is to free the space ahead of the bridge currently occupied by the Harpoons with an 8 cell Mk 41 vertical launch system, which will be quad-packed with evolved Sea Sparrows, adding an additional 32 surface to air missiles.
Further to this, the current 8 cell VLS behind the funnels is actually only using half the space the class was designed for. This shot of Warramunga and Ballarat from above shows the blank area alongside the current VLS behind the funnels.
The intention is to install this second 8 cell VLS into the class.
This will take the class to their maximum weight limits, using up the last growth margin in the class, but would give the Anzacs a total of 24 self-defence length Mk41 VLS cells.
The self defence length cells can carry Sea Sparrow (1 per cell) which was upgraded to Evolved Sea Sparrow (which can carry 4 missiles per cell).
The tactical length are almost twice as long and can carry a much wider range of missiles, including Standard long range Surface to Air missiles.
The strike length is much longer and can carry Tomahawk land attack missiles and the very long ranged Standard SM-3 and SM-6 missiles.
The Hobart class carry 48 strike length VLS systems, allowing them to be fitted with SM-3 and SM-6, and they will be fitted with Tomahawk missiles, as recently announced by the government.
The Anzacs can't carry the longer tactical or strike length VLS, but if they end up getting the additional two 8 cell VLS launchers that means an Anzac can carry 96 quad-packed evolved Sea Sparrow.
The original Sea Sparrow is an old missile that was fired from a trainable 8 cell box launcher, with a range of about 10 nautical miles.
ESSM is a completely different kettle of fish, being a vertical launch missile with a range of 30+ nautical miles, about the same range as the original Tartar SAM carried by the Perth class DDGs.
If this upgrade goes ahead, it would mean that each Anzac could contribute to task force air defence, with the Hobart using Standard to pick off targets at long range, and using the Aegis system and cooperative engagement capability to designate targets for the Anzac's ESSM as they get closer.
Given every cell that carries a Tomahawk is one less carrying air defence missiles, it means that more cells on a Hobart can be used to carry land attack missiles, because each post-upgrade Anzac contributes an additional 96 SAMs rather than the current 32.
If this goes through, its designed to make the surface fleet better able to defend itself and any other vessels being escorted from a massed missile attack (looking at you China). This would be critical in defending high value targets such as Canberra, Adelaide, Choules and the Supply class replenishment ships.
Given the improvements in radars, missiles and computers, it's probably as good as a US carrier group with two Tico's and a couple of other cruisers, destroyers and frigates back in the late 1980s could have hoped to achieve, and they were designed to stop Russian saturation missile attacks.
If approved, it will mean the Anzacs remain capable right through till they pay off, once the interminably-delayed Hunters finally come into service sometime in the mid-2030s.
Mike
