Shipbucket

the focused mission local area combatant (FMLAC) was the low end of the COEA series, corresponding to the smallest of a possible family of ships (concept 3D2, the Tailored Maritime Support Ship). it was essentially a frigate, a perry replacement; it can also be thought of as an american equivalent to the French Lafayette class stealthy frigate. in fact the french ship defined the level of signature control desired. as initially envisaged, it would have selectable modules: a 32 cell vertical launcher, area air defense capability, medium range gunfire support, a special operations support module, a humanitarian support module, a disaster relief capacity, and the capacity to support an armed helicopter. this concept is not too far from the current danish command/support ship, which is actually an modular frigate with similar capacities (except for area air defense). Unit price was set at 550 million in FY 95 terms. the ship was armed with NATO Sea Sparrow, initially in eight vertical cells (quad packed, for an total of 32) but ultimately in a 32 cell Mk-48 launcher, plus a 5-in./62 gun, two 25mm guns, and a helicopter. the short upper mast carries a TACAN and an IR search/track sensor. As in Lafayette, there is no hull sonar. the pair of SRBROC decoy launchers on the deck would be shielded from radar by bulwarks. unlike the other COEA designs, this one had conventional rotating radars (TAS Mk 23 and the NSSM director) they were enclosed type of low-cross-section mast (AEMS). the forward tower would have carried, from top to bottom, a sea sparrow director, a TAS Mk 23 search radar, an SPQ-9B horizon search radar, and the SLQ-32(V)2 ESM system. the short mast aft would have carried a second sea sparrow director(it was not an uptake). a larger version with variable depth sonar was offered. dimensions were 403.4(overall) x 45.9 ft, for an displacement of 4260 tons. like other COEA sketch designs, this one used integrated electric drive, with two PGM-1 plus a PGM-3 emergency generator. speed was 30 knots, and accommodation would have been provided for 212.

The 5" looks out of place for the hull size.