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SUMMARY of the PALLAMARAN 93rd RIJKSZEEMACHT CONFERANCE:
Faced with too many projects and a hopelessly crowded building queue, several decisions have been made in relation to the future of the RZM. Some of these decisions are painful as they force the early retirement of cherished vessels that have become virtual icons within the RZM, but advances in technology since the end of the Cold War have forced the Rijkszeemacht to restructure its procurement plans accordingly.
The biggest class of vessels on the chopping block are the six Dido Klass CGs. First coming into service in the early 1980s, their radar and electronics suites are totally inadequate for 21st century threats, and the cost of upgrading them isn't seen to generally be worth it, given that they would be up for replacement in another 10 years anyway. Starting in 2012, the first unit of the class, the RZMS Dido will be decomissioned and donated to the National Maritime Museum. Following that, each year, another two vessels will decommission, as they are replaced with Cybele Klasse Air Defence Frigates.
The Haai Klasse SSKs will also be decomissioning, as they will be replaced with AIP vessels of the Type 212/214 Klasse. All boats will be structurally evaluated and the best one will be kept in limited service as a training boat. Other units may be offered for sale to friendly nations such as Taiwan.
Three, and eventually six of the nine Astarte Klasse Corvettes will be transferred to the Active Reserve Fleet to provide training to the reserve forces. These vessels contain a variety of systems despite their small stature, and are convenient for this purpose. All of the class will stay in active service, manned by rotational crews.
The Dido Replacement, originally intended to be a DDG, possibly "supersized" into a CG is officially cancelled except as relates to a study for a future class of vessels, not to be built before the 2020-2030 timeframe.
The Cybele Klasse, originally intended to be a twelve strong class of Frigates is being reduced to eight vessels, meaning there will be two per carrier group, and a couple of vessels to act in the National Defence Role, with an increased armament of SM-3 ABMs. The other four planned vessels will instead be built as Amphitrite Klasse General Purpose/ASW frigates.
With the addition of the above vessels, the Amphitrite Klasse will be 12 strong, giving each carrier an escort group of four such frigates.
Studies will be made into producing a cheap patrol frigate to replace the Medusa/OHP Klasse frigates currently utilized in that role. Such vessels will be be relatively stealthy and make use of such technologies as drowned exhausts. These vessels are to act independantly of the main battlefleet.
The three original Ondine Klasse SSNs will be given a Life Extension Upgrade to allow them another 10 years of service, before retirement. Chiefly, these upgrades will focus on making them quieter boats, and improving fire control systems.
Three more Bellona Klasse Corvettes will be constructed with upgraded radar, which will eventually be retrofitted to the six existing vessels.
The Gaia Klasse carriers will recieve catapaults and will eventually ship F-35C, rather than the B version whose future is uncertain. Currently, the vessels are fitted for, but not with catapaults as they mainly embark Harrier VTOLs at the moment.
The Thales Herakles radar will not be shipped on the Amphitrite Klasse FFGs as originally expected, as this system has proven too difficult to integrate with American Missiles and other equipment. Instead, such vessels will recieve the above mentioned radar, an advanced Phased Array Radar specifically designed for Frigates and Corvettes. Such a system will be Aegis based, built with modularity and upgradability in mind, and will include digital beamforming.
The new Otomach Mk II missile has been modifed to be launched from Mk 41 VLS cells rather than needing a bulky, box launcher located in some other part of the vessel. Stealth features have been added, as the missile will utilize a stealthy subsonic approach, before initiating a supersonic "dash" for its final approach. The missile outranges Brahmos and is faster in its final dash mode. The box launchers developed for earlier versions will be retrofitted to smaller vessels such as the Bellona Klasse corvettes, though the number of missiles carried will be reduced.
These changes will reduce the building queue and number of concurrent projects while still allowing for the growth of the fleet as a whole.
_________________
We can't stop here--this is Bat country!
If it's close enough to cast a shadow, I think the flying house wins initiative.
Bronies are like the Forsworn. Everyone agrees that they are a problem but nobody wants to expend the energy rooting them out.
"That is a very graphic analogy which aids understanding wonderfully while being, strictly speaking, wrong in every possible way."
Last edited by Obsydian Shade on June 5th, 2011, 8:07 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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