Model Fleet

German Bremen Class Frigate in Plymouth Sound

Posted by Don Murphy on July 3, 2014, 10:34:40

While visiting Plymouth I was able to witness the German frigate Lubeck as it was coming in to port for a visit. Here she is coming in to the sound. The ship has some pretty nice lines and the late time of day made for some great photographs of her as she transitted in.

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Here's her crest. The class comprised of eight ships but only four remain in active service. They are primarily anti-submarine escorts but have some general purpose weaponry. They are based on the Dutch Kortenaer class but have some different pieces of gear.

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She is armed with a Dutch Oto-Melara 76mm gun forward and an American MK-29 Sea-Sparrow launcher that fires American Sea-Sparrow missiles for anti-air defense.

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Dutch STIR radar provides guideance to the gun enabling it to engage surface or air targets. The gun has a modest rapid fire capability.

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Here's a close up of the American RAM (rolling airframe missile) launchers. RAM is a short-range missile with the performance envelope similar to the Sidewinder missile. It is a last-ditch self-defense weapon optimized for anti-missile use or anti-air/helicopter.

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The ship carries two torpedo tubes and eight reload torpedoes but I didn't see them topside so they must be either aft on the helo area or hidden behind a sliding door on the lower hull. Notice the ships bell above the head of the sailor furthest to the left.

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Underneath the second bridge window, there's a sailor standing near a crew-served weapon. It appears to be a 7.62mm FN-type machine gun. One deck above him to the left, near the ships' sign, there's another weapon which looks to be an American 12.7mm Browning H2 machine gun based on the shape of the shields and mounts fitted to American and other NATO ships.

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Sailors congregating near/under the empty rails for Harpoon missile canisters. Each ship can carry eight missiles which are capable of taking out or sinking a ship at 60 nautical miles. Harpoon can be guided by the ship or the two Lynx helo's.

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Heading on it's way to a port call. Well deserved with the crew able to watch world cup soccer in the local bars.

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A stern view showing the hanger for the Westland Lynx general purpose helicopter. The ships of the class carry two helicopters each. Note the two RAM (rolling airframe missile) launchers.

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Cheers,

Don

Holy SH**...!

Posted by Matty on July 4, 2014, 11:24:31, in reply to "German Bremen Class Frigate in Plymouth Sound"

You know, used-to-be a "Frigate" was somewhere between a Patrol Craft and a Destroyer in size - in other words: a Destroyer Escort. NOW somehow a "Frigate" has become at least as large as a Destroyer Leader - if not a Light Cruiser (or even a Heavy Cruiser)! Particularly with that array of surface-to-anything missiles, which can blow anything out of the sea or air.

Also, I am yet again struck by how Dutch ship design looks almost exactly halfway between German and American. (Especially in this case, with several USN weapons mounted.)

In any case, GREAT pics and details, Donny - Thanks for a great post, buddy!

Cheers,

- Matty

The idea was Cold War frenzy...

Posted by Don Murphy on July 4, 2014, 19:04:56, in reply to "Holy SH**...!"

get as many ships in the water as possible and as cheap as possible. So the idea behind the Kortenaer Class was a building-block massed produced design that each nation could build and tailor to their individual needs. Thornycroft did the engines from the Amazon Class that everyone loved so much. French Thompson SONAR was picked as well. Habitability came from Germany with A/C and heat facilities and high efficient batteries, etc.

Weapons would be an individual thing. Those oweing favors to the USA purchased Sea Sparrow. Those wanting to actually shoot something down could use Italian Aspide or German Skyflash missiles. Pretty much everyone - having no marines - felt that a 3 inch Dutch Oto-Melara gun was sufficient. The Spanish and Germans took American Harpoons while the Dutch and others used Exocet and or Sea Eagle.

The builder's intention was that the design could be modified on the fly to provide a larger ship. No one needed it as the Cold War ended. Last-ditch defense was provided by either American Phalaynx, Dutch Goalkeeper or Spanish Meroka. Lately, all have gone to American RAM.

Cheers,

Don

Snarking Sea Sparrow (LMAO!)

Posted by Matty on July 4, 2014, 23:28:32, in reply to "The idea was Cold War frenzy..."

I had forgotten to ask: if the air-to-air Sparrow was so notoriously rotten, how could the Sea Sparrow have been any good - but I guess you answered that!

Speaking of sh** blowing up: things are still continuing to pop, all around my neighborhood here - Happy Fourth, Donny!

- Matt

The newer block C Sparrow isn't too bad...

Posted by Don Murphy on July 8, 2014, 8:16:39, in reply to "Snarking Sea Sparrow (LMAO!)"

but it was still a beam-riding weapon meaning the firing ship had to "paint" the target and remain in the area. As opposed to firing the missile and then maneuvering out of the way. No one really knew it was shit until the Vietnam war. By that time the Basic Point Defense Missile System (BPDMS) had been installed on a number of ship classes. Once Sparrows reliability - or lack of - became widespread, mods were done (Improved Point Defense Missile System)(IPDMS) which addressed some of the problems but it was still a buggy missile.

One of the ships tested AMRAAM out of the same launcher, which is 900% better. But by that time, vertical launch had taken over the Spruance Class and the Knox Class were being retrofitted with CIWS. AMRAAM can pretty much be fired by any aircraft so every plane on the carrier became a virtual fighter. So a lot of the carriers started just phasing out the IPDMS systems. A lot of the carriers and LHA's/LHD's have SeaRAM in their place. Notably Enterprise. Coral Sea just had CIWS on it's own; no BPDMS or IPDMS.

Cheers,

Don

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