Malaysia Becomes DCNS’ 1st Customer for Gowind Ships

Gowind Family

In October 2010, Malaysia’s Boustead received a letter of intent from their government for 6 “second-generation patrol vessels.” In January 2012, South Africa’s DefenceWeb reported that DCNS and its local submarine & surface ship partner, Boustead Naval Shipyard, had won a contract worth $2.8 billion to supply 6 Gowind family ships to Malaysia, which would have been the type’s 1st paid order.

To win, DCNS reportedly beat Dutch firm Damen, whose scalable SIGMA ships have been purchased by neighboring Indonesia; as well as TKMS of Germany, who supplied Malaysia’s 6 existing MEKO 100 Kedah Class OPVs and its 2 Kasturi Class light frigates. Now these Gowind ships’ exact configuration, and equipment set is more certain – and they have grown into full frigates.

Submarines for Indonesia

KRI Cakra
(click to view larger)

Indonesia sites astride one of the world’s most critical submarine chokepoints. A large share of global trade must pass through the critical Straits of Malacca, and the shallow littoral waters around the Indonesian archipelago. That makes for excellent submarine hunting grounds, but Indonesia has only 2 “Cakra Class”/ U209 submarines in its own fleet, relying instead on frigates, corvettes, and fast attack craft.

South Korea’s Daewoo, which has experience building U209s for South Korea, has been contracted for Cakra Class submarine upgrades. Even so, submarine pressure hulls have inflexible limits on their safe lifetime, due to repeated hydraulic squeezing from ascending and descending. The Indonesians have expressed serious interest in buying 3-6 replacement submarines since 2007, with French, German, Russian, South Korean, and even Turkish shipyards in the rumored mix. Other priorities shoved the sub purchase aside, but a growing economy and military interest finally revived it. South Korea was the beneficiary, but further orders may be in store.

Ula-Tech: Norway’s Next Submarine Fleet

S304, KNM Uthaug

Norway’s 6 Ula Class/ U210 diesel-electric submarines were commissioned from 1989-1992, and play an important role in their overall fleet. The 1,150t design combined German design, sonar, and torpedoes with a French Thomson-CSF (now Thales) Sintra flank array sonar. Integration happens through a Norwegian Kongsberg combat system, which has become a mainstay for German submarine types. The U210s are a bit on the small side compared to more modern diesel-electric boats, but they remain well suited to Norway’s long coasts and narrow fjords.

The Ula Class has received a number of upgrades since 2006. A new combat system, added cooling for warm water operations, upgraded periscopes, sonar improvements, TADIL-A/Link 11 communications, etc. Even so, the continuous cycle of compression and release inherent in submarine operations will make operations past 2020 a risky proposition. Norway wants to keep a submarine fleet, and is trying to decide what to do.

France’s Future SSNs: The Barracuda Class

SSN Barracuda cutaway

In December 2006, France’s Defence Ministry awarded a contract for nuclear-propelled fast attack submarines to state-owned warship builder DCN and nuclear energy group Areva-TA. The contract’s total value could be as high as EUR 8.6 billion, and it is set up as an initial EUR 1.0-1.4 billion contract (reports vary), followed by 6 options (tranches conditionnelles) to cover development expenses, the production of more submarines, and through-life support during their first years of operational service.

All ships wear out over time, and the repeated squeezing and relaxing experienced by submarine hulls make their replacement times less negotiable. The USA began introducing their new-generation NSSN Virginia Class fast attack boats in 2004, and Britain’s problem-plagued SSN Astute Class followed in 2010. Now, it’s France’s turn to renew its SSN fleet, as DCNS works to supply 6 Barracuda Class submarines between 2016-2027.

EUR 221M to Maintain CVN Charles de Gaulle, 2012-2016

De Gaulle battlegroup

In late 2012, DCNS signed an EUR 221 million contract with the French Navy’s Fleet Support Service (SSF) for another 4 years of support services to France’s lone aircraft carrier, the nuclear-powered FS Charles de Gaulle [R 91]. The ship is currently deployed in the Mediterranean, where it has been conducting exercises with the Italian and British navies, and qualifying the AM39 Exocet anti-ship missile on France’s Rafale fighter.

The contract period until mid-2016 will be busy, including 3 layups for maintenance and refits. The ship completed its major overhaul in 2007-2009, including its mid-life reactor refueling, but less drastic overhauls are still required periodically. The DCNS contract is based on firm commitments to service quality and technical performance, including contract guarantees for the availability percentage of specific shipboard systems. DCNS.

Taiwan’s Frigate Corruption Investigation: Full Steam Ahead

Kang Ding w. SH-60
(click to view all)

In 1991, Taiwan’s $2.8 billion buy of 6 Kang Ding Class multi-role stealth frigates from France, purchased the navy’s current high-end surface combatants. These ships are derivative of the Lafayette Class, which has been used as the base platform for several nations’ frigate designs – but they have critical weaknesses due to technologies not transferred to Taiwan.

That’s not the only weakness associated with this purchase. A major bribery scandal involving hundreds of millions of dollars has percolated for several years – and is also associated with a murder. It’s now associated with a demands for around $950 million in fines, most of which is already owed by Thales and the French state under international court rulings. The rest is tied up in a 2nd lawsuit, against DCNS.

• The Scandal
  
• Key Events & Timeline [updated]
  
• Additional Readings
  

Maintaining France’s LaFayette Frigates

FS La Fayette

DCNS recently announced a EUR 60 million (about $80 million) contract for through-life support (TLS) services from 2011-2015 to the French Navy’s 5 La Fayette Class frigates: F710 La Fayette, F711 Surcouf, F712 Courbet, F713 Aconit, and F714 Guepratte.

The new TLS contract will come into effect in spring 2011, when the FS Surcouf is laid up for a scheduled refit…