BAE Systems Prime Contractor For U.K. CVF Carrier Program

By ANTONY PRESTON

Antony Preston, a London-based naval analyst and broadcaster, is cofounder of the international newsletter NAVINT.

The U.K. Ministry of Defence (MOD) has announced that BAE Systems has been selected to be the prime contractor for the design, development, construction, systems integration, and support of the Royal Navy's next two aircraft carriers. "These two flagships," being built under the Future Carrier Program (CVF), "will be the largest warships ever ordered and ever constructed in the United Kingdom," according to the announcement by Secretary of State for Defence Geoff Hoon. They also will represent "the largest single naval procurement, production, and support program that the United Kingdom has seen in more than 50 years."

The overall cost of the two carriers, which will have service lives of up to 50 years, will be $15-20 billion. Because of the size and complexity of the program, BAE Systems has been working, as the lead player in an industrial consortium, with key private-sector partners both in the United Kingdom and in the United States.

The MOD selected the carrier concept design submitted by Thales, which headed the other major consortium competing for the contract and now will be a key supplier to BAE Systems for the CVF program. "The approach that MOD is taking in the next stage," officials said, "will capitalize on the significant work done thus far in the competition by both teams. ... Thales will bring many strengths to the program."

BAE Systems, Thales, and the MOD "will now engage in discussions to determine the detail for the structure of the proposed alliance," officials said. The team will at the same time ensure that "critical elements" of the design work continue to move forward so that the program remains on schedule.

Chris Geoghegan, chief operating officer of BAE Systems, said that the company is "delighted" to have been selected as prime contractor "for Britain's biggest-ever warship contract, the next-generation carrier," and is fully prepared to assume responsibility "for the design and integration of the highly complex systems" that will be installed on the two ships. "Our task now," he said, "is to work with the MOD to bring together the best industrial capability Britain can offer. We look forward to working with key suppliers, including Thales, to deliver to the Royal Navy a world-class sea system vital for the protection of our national interest."

Nigel Stewart, the company's managing director for the CVF program, said that BAE System's "collaborative approach" throughout the competition has been consistent, because "a project of this size and complexity" could succeed "only through partnership and collaboration. We have secured robust relationships with industrial partners. We are looking forward to building on our current relationships with Thales and ... the other supplier companies, continuing the excellent working relationship we have with the MOD and the Royal Navy customer on this very important program. ... We are going to build on those [relationships] and the new team's expertise to form up around the MOD and get on with building these formidable warships for the Royal Navy."

Not all of the specifics have yet been released, but it seems likely that the two CVFs will be in the 50,000-60,000-ton range. Each carrier will be capable of embarking 48 aircraft, probably including the short-takeoff/vertical-landing (STOVL) version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). The CVF flight-deck design will feature a ski-jump for the STOVLs, but provision will be made for catapult and arrester gear to accommodate CTOL (conventional takeoff and landing) aircraft at some later date.

Both consortia recognized the need for modular construction of the ships--which a U.S. study indicated would be the most economical form of production. BAE Systems selected the Babcock BES facilities (in Rosyth, on the Firth of Forth) as the most likely site for final assembly of the modules, which will be built to form four full "megablocks." Each megablock will be outfitted with electrical and "hotel" facilities that also will be linked up at the assembly site.

The first of the two carriers is expected to be commissioned in 2012, and the second in 2015. The CVF program will employ an estimated 10,000 people at the peak of the production cycle. BAE Systems established a four-yard cooperative agreement, early in the competition phase of the program, to share in the actual production. The four yards--BAE Systems, Babcock BES, Swan Hunter, and Vosper Thornycroft Shipbuilding--will be allocated specific ship sections, but it is understood that half the value of the contracts they receive will be subcontracted by competition.

Electric Boat to Help ASC On Collins-Class Refits

The Australian Submarine Corporation (ASC) has signed a $20 million contract with the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics to help it switch from being a builder of submarines to supporting the Australian flotilla.

The Adelaide-based shipyard is currently completing the last of six Collins-class diesel-electric submarines for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) under a $2.8 billion contract. HMAS Rankin was launched in November 2001 and will be completed next year. A year ago, Prime Minister John Howard announced that ASC would be responsible for all Collins-class refits, which could be worth $570 million over the 25-year expected service lives of the six ships.

Full-cycle refits will be required every six years, at a cost of $57 million, but the ships also will require upgrading, which would include installation of the Raytheon CCS Mark 2 replacement combat system starting in about 2006. Intermediate refits will be conducted at Fleet Base West, Fremantle, Western Australia.

The refit agreements will be negotiated with performance incentives, with the first likely to be signed this year. The three-year agreement ASC signed with Electric Boat--which includes a provision for annual extensions up to 2009--calls for the U.S. company to provide technical advice on the maintenance of ship hulls and machinery.

Joint Program Planned For Franco-Italian Frigates

France and Italy are planning to merge their frigate requirements into a joint program that might be worth the equivalent of $15 billion and would upgrade the surface-combatant capabilities of both nations.

The French Navy's multimission frigates will be some 450 feet long, displace 5,400 tons, and be able to cruise at 27 knots. Their range would be 6,000 nautical miles.

Italy's new-generation frigate, for which there is a requirement for ten hulls, was approved by the Italian Parliament last year. Originally, a national program worth the equivalent of $5.2 billion was planned.

Four of the ships would be antisubmarine warfare platforms; the others would be general-purpose ships with a limited land-attack capability. A preliminary feasibility study envisioned a basic platform approximately 420 feet long, with a displacement of up to 5,000 tons, capable of a maximum speed of 27 knots, and having a range (at 18 knots) of 6,000 nautical miles.

The frigates of both navies would be equipped with flexible command-and-control systems suitable not only for a variety of conventional operations but also for amphibious and land-support missions. Ship's armament would include the Aster 15 surface-to-air missile and an Oto Melara 127mm lightweight gun with Vulcano ammunition, two 76mm guns with Davide ammunition, a hull-mounted sonar, launchers for MU 90 Impact lightweight torpedoes, and an NH 90 helicopter.

The ASW ships also would be fitted with an active variable-depth sonar (VDS), a towed-array receiver, and eight Milas antisubmarine missile launchers. The general-purpose ships would carry antiship/land-attack missiles. Both ship types were planned to be capable of receiving the French Systeme de Lutte Anti-Torpille (SLAT) torpedo-defense system.

Construction of the first-of-class ship was anticipated to begin in 2004 with the remainder joining the fleet at the rate of one per year from 2009 to 2017. Madame Michelle Alliot-Marie, France's defense minister, revealed at a conference during the 2002 Euronaval exhibition that the partners expect to produce one ship for each country every eight to 12 months. However, it is unclear whether or not a common ship or common systems are planned. The Horizon/Orrizonte-class anti-air warfare (AAW) ships, for example, have common systems in a national hull. The program is scheduled to begin in 2004, with development costs shared on a pro-rata basis.

The principal industrial participants will be DCN and Thales in France, and Fincantieri and Finmeccanica in Italy--the latter company reorganized Orrizonte SpA into a systems company, originally for the AAW destroyer but now for other projects as well, including the frigates.

The program would certainly benefit the hard-pressed DCN, which saw orders fall from the equivalent of $4.2 billion in 2000 to $1.2 billion in 2001. However, it might hinder attempts to modernize the French organization by removing incentives for rationalization and downsizing.

Singapore Acquires Halter Marine; May Bid on Navy's LCS Work

One of the leading U.S. suppliers of smaller warships and auxiliaries has been acquired by a Singapore company. Friede Goldman Halter Inc., which is headquartered in Gulfport, Miss., was acquired for $66 million by the American subsidiary of Singapore Technologies Engineering, Vision Technologies Engineering, headquartered in Alexandria, Va.

The renamed VT-Halter Marine, which owns six yards, is perhaps best known for its export of fast attack craft and patrol boats. The new owners intend to compete for the U.S. Navy's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) contract, and certainly will be well placed to acquire some LCS work. At last year's Euronaval exhibition Singapore Technologies Marine was highlighting a series of "stealth" designs, including a 250-foot offshore patrol vessel (OPV) and a 200-foot patrol vessel.

The acquisition may breathe new life into the defunct FAC order for Egypt. The Egyptian Navy placed an order last January for four 200-foot Ambassador Mark III-type FACs, which were to incorporate advanced signature-reduction measures. The project--which had FMS (Foreign Military Sales) funding, with Lockheed Martin to provide combat system design and integration--was suspended within six months.

Romania Set to Purchase Royal Navy Broadsword Frigates

Romania is set to acquire the former Royal Navy Type 22 Batch 2 frigates HMS Coventry and HMS London at a cost equivalent to $140 million. The Coventry was decommissioned in 2001 and the London two years earlier. The sales are subject to an intergovernmental accord. Two of three other vessels of this class, the former HMS Beaver and HMS Boxer, are scheduled to be expended as targets.

Romania wants to acquire the ships as part of the country's NATO membership plan, but the ships will require substantial upgrading. The contract includes provisions for a refit, which will be carried out by BAE Systems Customer Solutions and Support Business, which is the lead contractor for the disposal of former Royal Navy ships as well as for refitting and upgrading them.

The ships will have their Marconi Type 967/968 search radars and Type 911 weapons-control radars replaced by more modern sensors during the refit, along with their Ferranti CACS 1 combat-management system and, probably, their electronic warfare systems. The Romanian Navy decided not to retain the BAE Seawolf point-defense missiles and as a replacement has selected the MBDA VL Mica, with two eight-cell launchers installed in place of the Type 911 trackers.

The two frigates also are scheduled to be armed with Oto Melara 76mm Super Rapid guns but it is unclear what surface-to-surface missile will be selected. It is understood that there has been no selection of electronic systems, but approaches have been made to AMS and Thales Naval Nederland.

As much as possible of the modernization program, including all later stages of the upgrades, will be carried out in Romania, and an agreed industrial offset package will involve Romania in a range of manufacturing programs. If the purchase goes ahead the Romanian Navy will have two modern warships with expected service lives of 20-30 years.

Related Note: The third ship of the class, HMS Sheffield, was decommissioned on 14 November and it is reported that Chile is negotiating her purchase. It is possible that two Type 23 frigates may become available for sale next year and these also would be a potential acquisition for Chile. *