Shipbucket

Older generation of AAW Destroyers serve with Royal Hellenic Navy is a ship entirely of my own design.

A bit history

RHN in 1961-62 looked first in Charles F.Adams Class and then the Australian Brisbane (which was based on Coontz Class) and came close to order the latter, but finally a domestic designed vessel was chosen. Six ships built, all named by ancient Hellas admirals and generals, from 1964 to 1981. First ship commissioned in 1971, named "Kimon", had the electronics of German Lutjens Class DDG but with Contraves Sea Hunter FCS and Exocet MM38 anti-ship missiles. The result is a heavily armed destroyer with very distinctive silouette and large hangar for 2 medium naval helicopters. Initially, RHN looked in the AB-204 ASW, but instead ordered the twin engine AB-212 in 1973, of which 2 could be accommodated in the hangar. In theory, there is space for 3 Alouette III, but never carried more than 2. Fourth ship (RHS Themistocles) was the first ship of RHN armed with Sea Sparrow missiles (actually Italian Aspide) and in 1984 Themistocles was fitted with Triton 1 ASW missiles and Turbo Exocet missiles, pioneering back-to-back missile configuration. In late 1980's to early 1990's all 6 ships of class were upgraded to NTU upgrade into their first MLU. In early 2000's they were fitted with one ARIS VI missile CIWS and twin Mk48 mod 1 VLS, plus ESSM missiles. Drawing shows D 220 Formion in her latest spec.

Note that the ship structure is strong enough to support the much larger Super Puma on the helipad, despite the fact that hangar height is not enough, because it was designed for AB-212.



Specifications

Builder : Neorion Shipyard & Elefsis Shipyard
Planned : 6
Active (2017) : 4
Retired (2017) : 2

Ships in Class

D 218 Kimon
D 219 Nearhos
D 220 Formion
D 221 Themistocles
D 222 Aristides
D 223 Miltiades

Classification : DDGH (Guided Missile Destroyer Helicopter)
Displacement : 5330 tn (standard), 6450 tn (full load)
LOA: 518 ft 11 in (158.21 m)
Beam (max): 53 ft 10 in (16.42 m)
Draught (hull) 17 ft (5.2 m)
Propulsion : 2 X Rolls Royce Olympus TM1A (30,000 hp) + 2 X Rolls Royce Olympus TM3C (55,000 hp)
Screws : 2, variable pitch
Max speed : >34 kn (36,5 kn on trials)
Range : 6500 nm / 16 kn and 2200 nm /30 kn
Complement : 270 (+25 Command officers)

Armament

1 X 127mm OTO Melara 127/54 Compatto
2 X 2 X 35 mm Oerlikon GDM-A mod (AHEAD capable)
2 X RWS 14.5mm (HDSO Y1965 HMG*, 14,5 X 114 mm)
2 X RWS 30mm (Nexter M791, 30 X 150 mm)
1 X Mk13 Mod4 GMLS (34 SM-2MR & 6 Harpoon or RIM-66F2)
2 X 8-cell Mk48 Mod1 GMLS (ESSM capable), 32 missiles maximum
16 X SSM (8 X HSSM-3 Sarisa I + up to 8 X HSSM-4 Sarisa II or up to 8 HCM-2 Chimera)
2 X 3 X Mk32 torpedo tubes
1 X ARIS VI missile CIWS (16 missiles)
Aviation capabilities : Helipad 25.8 X 16 m, hangar for 3 SA-319 Alouette III or 2 X AB-212A2 + 1 X SHAF P-2 UAV helicopter

Sensors & Electronics

Combat Direction System : ISI HCDS IV
FCS : 1 X Mk74 mod 15
1 X Delta Electronics Sea Arrow 2A LR
1 X Delta Electronics Sea Arrow 2B LR
2 X AN/SPG-51D
Triton Underwater FCS (domestic system, digital Mk114)
Radars : HML MkXIV 3D LR AESA
HML MkXVI 2D LR AESA
HML MkXV navigation radar
Sonar : AN/SQS-26CX(H)
ESM : DARE-S Integrated EW System (RWR, Jammer and Countermeasures)
EW Countermeasures : 2 X DL-24 (missile decoys), 2 X 12 CM-127 (127mm chaff launchers)
Torpedo Countermeasures : AN/SLQ-25 Nixie and a domestic system

Communication Systems

2 X IntraSat Satcom for HelSat
Links : 11,14, 16 & DHCL (Domestic Hellenic Communication Link)

Please look also in previous page the updated cruiser and the last post.

* The HDSO Y1965 (Y from the hellenic word "Υπόδειγμα", means "Model") was designed to use the Soviet 14.5X114 round (which is manufactured in Cyprus under license since early 1960's) but is much different from KPV. It is more close to the Oerlikon FF/FFL/FFS 20mm in working principle.

Something I am sure you wondering about is the variations of FCS Arrow.

First variant is a license made Contraves Sea Hunter 4 (same with that originally fitted in Alvand Class frigates (real life Iran) and later variants are a derivative of the Contraves TMX-CW FCS, which was developed for the Sea Guard CIWS. Also, has similarities with the Skyguard FCS, which was also built under license in Hellenic Kingdom.

Sea Arrow 2A and 3 have TV camera, laser distance meter and FLIR.

The Sea Arrow 2B is however a domestic derivative with a targeting radar below, more close with Japanese FCS 2-12 instead of the Dutch MW "egg", being somewhat a parallel design. Targeting radar antenna has a bit different shape from the FCS 2-12.

The Sea Arrow 3 does not has SARH and smaller range (15 km) instead of 30 km provided with Sea Arrow 2. Upgraded Sea Arrow has range of 20 km and 40 km respectively and can guide ESSM as well.



The Japanese FCS 2-12:

A former destroyer class of Royal Hellenic Navy was the Nestor Class. Originally design in 1939, Nestor Class were destroyer leaders, built from 1940 to 1946. Their original armament were in theory a balance between anti-aircraft and anti-submarine/anti-ship warfare, but their domestic sonar device was inferior from the British ASDIC. After WW2 ended the ships remained inactive moored in Souda bay for some years, when Navy decided to refit them.

The refit was extensive with new weapons and for the first time a effective sonar. But their major weapon was the HSSM-1 Artemis, an early anti-ship active radar guided missile analog with Swedish Rb08. Artemis origins were in late 1930's and through WW2, among several studies for powered weapons made in Hellenic Kingdom in that period. Among them was also a pulsejet missile, with a domestic designed engine. Progress was slow, because of numerous technical problems. During WW2, hellenic secret services had managed to source limited info about V-1 and Argus AS 014 engine and after the War shared and received more info with Allies. From original design the pulsejet was installed behind the missile, like in the Swedish Rb 315. Finally, Artemis missile entered service in 1964 on Nestor class destroyers and also coastal battalions were created. Original HSSM-1A (pulsejet) was short lived, soon replaced with a turbojet derivative, the HSSM-1B, lived until early 1980's. Note that Artemis coastal battalions were also installed to Cyprus and there were the last of their kind in 1987, when they where replaced with Exocet MM40.

The ship now:

Specifications

Builder :
Planned : 8
Built : 6
Cancelled : 2
Active : 1 (as museum ship)
In commission : 1942/1960-1984

Specifications (still WIP)

LOA : 123.9m
Beam : 12.5 m
Draught : 5.4m
Displacement : ~ 3,500 tn full load (after refit)
Propulsion : 4 boilers, 600 psi, 2 geared steam turbines by METKA, 60000 hp, 2 screws
Speed : Original 38 kn, after refit 33+ kn
Range : 5,000 nm /18 kn
Complement : 320

Armament (after refit)

2 X 2 X Pyrkal 120/45 HA M1938/52
1 X 2 X Bofors 57/60 M1950
1 X 4 X 375mm Bofors anti-submarine mortar
2 X 2 X 40mm Bofors 40/60 Mk5 (British built)
6 X HSSM-1 Artemis (single rail, 6 reloads)
2 X 3 X 550mm torpedo tubes (no reloads)

Nestor Class were the second and last RHN ships with the Bofors 57mm/60 M 1950 and the only surface units of RHN with 550mm French torpedo tubes. They were ships with odd electronics and weaponry, main guns were rebuilt WW2 built units. In total, about 60-70 Pyrkal 120/45 M1938 turrets built and 5 are in Strait of Otranto bottom, on the sunken CAA Smyrni, which sunk during the AU Battle of Otranto Strait, fought between Royal Hellenic Navy and Regia Marina in 22-23 November 1940.



FCS on board now are US Mk56, but generally I am not sure about what electronics and radars use on them, can someone help please?

maybe take a look at the halland class, which is about the same size and has a similar set of weapons on board, IIRC?

_________________
Drawings are credited with J.Scholtens
I ask of you to prove me wrong. Not say I am wrong, but prove it, because then I will have learned something new.
Shipbucket Wiki admin

Actually Nestor size is between T47 and Halland. Halland did had a version of the Dutch "egg" if remembered.

Excellent work!

Do we know what other classes of ships Artemis SSM was equiped?

This was the only one. It was thought to equip a cruiser as well, the predecessor of Nikiforos Fokas Class, but those were fitted with MM38.

Good work Ody! You're thinking these trough, so why not to add underwater hull? Steal one. Come to the Dark Side...

I have something in mind, for instance for Nestor I will modify one from French T47 destroyer, for Kimon I am sure there is something available in other AUs. I will add credits if neccesary however.

Added underwater hull to Kimon Class.