BAE unveils General Purpose Frigate concepts
BAE Systems Naval Ships has lifted the lid on its initial thinking regarding the UK's projected General Purpose Frigate (GPFF) programme, revealing two export-derived concept designs positioned to address different points on the cost/capability curve.
Plans to acquire a new class of more affordable and potentially exportable light frigate were announced in November last year as part of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR15). While the new Type 26 Global Combat Ship - eight of which are now planned - will primarily support carrier task group operations and provide protection for the UK's strategic nuclear deterrent, the GPFF is to be rolled for a range of less high-tempo tasks.
While neither key user requirements nor an acquisition strategy have yet to be finalised for the GPFF project, there is already a growing expectation within industry that cost and programme constraints will condition the procurement of an essentially military off-the-shelf (MOTS) design solution. With uncertainty as to the balance of cost and capability required, BAE Systems has over the last six months worked up two different ship concepts - each an enlarged and modified version of a previously built MOTS export design - that map onto different ends of the requirements spectrum. In each case, the company has sought to retain as much as possible of the existing detailed design.
The first concept, known as Avenger, is a 111 m design that builds on the pedigree of the existing 90 m Amazonas-class/River-class Batch 2 (RCB2) offshore patrol vessel (OPV) and very much plots onto the lower end of the solution space. However, while the parent design is largely built to commercial standards, the Avenger embodies improved resilience and survivability; for example, being designed to more stringent naval standards and introducing greater redundancy in main and auxiliary machinery arrangements.
