Cerys Class Aviation Cruiser

Cerys-class Aviation Cruiser
Silhouette of a Cerys-class Aviation Cruiser
Class overview
Name	Cerys-class Aviation Cruiser
Builders	Federal Shipbuilding, Lynch & Murphy
Operators	Tír Glas, Glasic Navy
Class before	Macha-Class Aviation Cruiser
Cost	~$1,575,000,000 (2018)
Planned	8
Built	8
Building	0
Active	8
General Characteristics
Type	Light Aviation Cruiser
Displacement	28,000 tonnes (28,000 long tons; 31,000 short tons) (full load)
Length	251.65 metres (825.6 ft) (overall)
Beam	37 metres (121 ft) (waterline) 45.75 metres (150.1 ft) (flight-deck)
Draught	8.7 metres (29 ft) (mean)
Propulsion	Full-Electric-Propulsion
Power	116,000 shaft horsepower (87 MW)
Speed	>30 knots (56 km/h)
Range	7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km) at 20 knots
Capacity	1,250 permanent berths
Troops	560 maximum
Complement	340 core crew 350 air group
Sensors	• AMDR-S + AMDR-X • Sharpeye navigation radar • Silent Watch DAS • Gatekeeper EO/IR
Sonar	• PFAS-derived LF bow / flank-array • SQS-61-derived HF bow-array
ECM	• NOLQ-2-derived ECM/ESM system • AAR-54-derived MAWS • CIRCM • 2x Centurion dispensers
Armament	• 2x SAMOS Gun-Missile CIWS • 2x Sea-Sabre launchers • 48x Strike-length P82 VLS cells
Armour	limited splinter protection
Aviation & Flight Deck
CV Type	STOVL
Usable length	248.5 metres (815 ft)
Usable width	38.75 metres (127.1 ft)
Angle	12°
Area	9,350 square metres (100,600 sq ft)
Elevators	Two 21m x 15m centreline
Fixed wing aircraft	Multi-Mission - Sea Control 12x Goshawk CA.2 / CA.2T Multi-Mission - Anti-Submarine 8x Goshawk CA.2T / CA.2T
Helicopters	Multi-Mission - Sea Control 10x Merlin FH.2 / LH.3 4x Wildcat IH.1 Multi-Mission - Anti-Submarine 14x Merlin FH.2 / LH.3 4x Wildcat IH.1

The Cerys-class light-aviation cruiser or Patrún 12IA is a class of eight aviation cruisers procured as direct replacements for the Macha-class of the Royal Glasic Navy. Initially six vessels were schemed to be built, a reduction of two compared to their predecessors, growing uncertainty about the security of trade routes in the face of the increasing instability of Fyrland and the desire to maintain a credible two-ocean deterrence a further two vessels were ordered to replace the Macha-class in its entirety. The names for the two additional ships were chosen by public poll with Niamh and Scáthach being the two stand-out names. In Glasic service the class are referred to as aviation support ships (Loinge Tacaíochta Eitlíochta) partly referencing the broad variety of roles entrusted to the type but also avoiding the politically unpopular aircraft carrier designation. The lead ship, LC Cerys was launched in 2013, entering service in 2015 immediately replacing the outgoing Macha-class vessel LC Muadnait.

Origins

With the Macha-Class the Glasic Naval Service had found an acceptable middle ground between the big, expensive fleet aircraft carriers and the relatively limited-capability escort cruisers of the 1960s. Throughout the early and mid 1970s a series of designs were formulated with what would become the design of the Macha-class being selected in 1976. Whilst substantially smaller than the fleet carrier the advent of STOVL aircraft allowed for the smaller ship to possess a relatively effective fixed-wing capability on a ship not that much larger than the escort cruiser. Improvements in submarine technology and in the range of submarine-launched weapons meant that for much of the time the class would be employed in the escort cruiser role of anti-submarine pickets utilising their fast jets primarily against patrol aircraft but the ability to operate a squadron or two of fast jets had sewn the seeds that would shape future Glasic naval planning.

Characteristics

At nearly 250m in length and 28,000 tonnes Cerys and her sister ships are the largest surface combatants in the Royal Glasic Navy. More-so than Macha, radar and infra-red signature reduction were driving factors in the design resulting in the somewhat angular appearance and enclosed boat-bays. Deck equipment and life rafts are concealed behind the ship's superstructure panels and panelled railings where possible giving the impression of quite a bare ship. As with most STOVL ships a ski-ramp adorns the bow, 62m in length and 5.8m tall the ramp is substantially larger than that of the the Macha-class allowing for higher take-off weights to be achieved than would have otherwise have been possible. A pair of lifts along the ship's centreline lead to the relatively large hangar of 170m x 25m x 7m. Weapons lifts and refuelling gear to both the hangar and flight-deck allow for aircraft to be prepared in both areas simultaneously.

Aircraft

The class usually carry up to 28 aircraft and helicopters with further aircraft being able to be accommodated via deck park for surge operations. Ostensibly a mix of ASW helicopters and STOVL aircraft are the norm. For other operations, up-to 560 troops and their vehicles. The flight deck has five helicopter landing spots that allow for simultaneous launch and recovery of aircraft to occur. Whilst not routinely carried the class can accommodate and operate Chinooks and Ospreys as-required as well as the Sea Apache and Ninja.

Capabilities

Anti-Air warfare

The Cerys-class possesses a greater air-defence ability than its predecessor not least by the inclusion of AMDR and SM-6 in both its MR and ER forms. The inclusion of Sea-Sabre further extends the air-defence bubble of the ship. The combination of Sea-Sabre, Sea-Spear and SM-6 allow for a well defined layered defence to be formed with early warning bubble being further extended by AEW-tasked Merlins.

Anti-Submarine warfare

Whilst the Macha-class featured a keel-mounted sonar identical to that found of contemporary frigates the Cerys-class feature a substantially more capable suite of senosors than any lesser surface combatant. The suite consists of forward and sideways looking conformal arrays derived from those in use by the Glasic submarine force, notably the ultra-thin PFAS system. Additionally a high-frequency bow array above the main array is provided for green-water operations and mine/ obstacle avoidance. The introduction of Sea Lance posed issues with the Macha-class with their launch systems being unable to use the larger weapon, this has been remedied with the Cerys class which operate with both the Sea Lance standoff weapon and Mosquito high-speed multi-role missile.

Anti-Surface warfare

Much of the anti-surface capabilities of the Cerys class come from the embarked fixed-wing aircraft in the form of the Goshawk supersonic STOVL aircraft. The Goshawk is capable of operating out to 630 nmi (1167 km) from the carrier with a 2,500kg war-load on a hi-lo profile, normally this would involve the use of the Skua or Mosquito. Additionally however the Cerys-class routinely operate with a number of Mosquitoes for deployment themselves. These missiles are capable of delivering a 450kg warhead out to 500 nmi (925km) in just under six and a half minutes, representing a highly effective time-critical weapon. Additionally the class are capable of employing the Shillelagh long-range cruise missile as-required which while substantially slower than the mosquito possess much greater range enabling the destruction of targets far inland or for complex flight patterns.

Construction

Cerys was laid down by the Federal Shipbuilding Company in March 2012, and was launched from Federal's Shark Island shipyard near Avoca, on 20 August 2013. Sea trials began in December 2014, and she was officially commissioned 23 March 2015, working up to full operational capability (FOC) by 12 June 2016. Since her completion a vessel a year has been launched alternating between Federal Shipbuilding and Messrs. Murphy & Lynch. The final two vessels, Niamh and Scáthach being accepted into service in 2019.

Service history

In 2015, not long after achieving IOC LC Cerys was dispatched to the Dalkey Isles as part of Glasic relief efforts after Typhoon Yagi. In 2018 LC Clíodhna and LC Cailleach took part in the search for survivors from the MT Long Point and MT Broad-tower, two oil tankers which had foundered in a storm off the coast of Inishmore. Goshawks from both ships were later tasked to destroy the two vessels to prevent further oil contamination of the waters off Inishmore.

In 2019 four of the class were deployed to the Sodor Firth to support the invasion of Vyzhva. LC Cerys, Carman, Eibhlin and Iosóid operated off the coast of Tír an Crainn and the Vyzhvan exclave of Targan for three months with Cerys and Carman remaining on station until the end of summer after undertaking over 2,000 combat sorties between them.

Ships in class

Pennant Number	Name	Builder	Commissioned	Status
IA.35	Cerys	Federal Shipbuilding	23 March 2015	Active
IA.36	Carman	Lynch & Murphy	3 May 2016	Active
IA.37	Eibhlin	Federal Shipbuilding	28 April 2016	Active
IA.38	Clíodhna	Lynch & Murphy	28 June 2017	Active
IA.39	Iosóid	Federal Shipbuilding	14 July 2017	Active
IA.40	Cailleach	Lynch & Murphy	24 October 2018	Active
IA.41	Niamh	Federal Shipbuilding	23 May 2019	Active
IA.42	Scáthach	Lynch & Murphy	22 September 2019	Active

Operators

• Tír Glas
  • Royal Glasic Navy (Cabhlach Ríoga de Tír Glas)

See Also

List of active Royal Glasic Navy ships