RSN Formidable Class Stealth Frigates
 

The Formidable class stealth frigates are much advance than any La Fayette class frigates in service with the French, Saudi and the Taiwanese navies.
The RSN ship are further shaped to be stealthier due to advance in ship building technologies and they as the most mobile of its class as compared to the rest.The operational range of Formidable class frigates is 7,200NM and not 4,000NM. The Herakles radar is rated as long range multi function new generation ship based radar that was selected by the French navy for her FREMM frigates.There were speculation going around that the RSN may operate up to 18 stealth frigates including the Formidable class.The RSN is also looking at possibilities to procure Aster 15/30 PAAMS system for all these ships as well as integrating them with SCALP cruise missiles.
Future procurement include LHD,stealth corvettes to replace the PVs, new generation SSK submarines, long range MPA, additional S70B platforms or other derivatives, USV and UAV.These procurements are neccessary as the RSN together with the SAF is evolving to achieve a 3G fighting force.
Once completed the RSN will have the technological might to even counter larger naval forces within the Asia Pacific region including China, India and Japan. Below are the speculation of the RSN inventory within the next 3 years.
1. 18 stealth frigates
2. 12 stealth corvettes
3. 2 LHD
4. 4 LST
5. 6 MCMV
6. 6 SSK Submarines
7. 6 Long Range MPA
8. 24 ASW/ASUW Helicopters
9. 40 LCAC
10. Unspecified number of missile armed USV/UAV and replenishment tankers.

I think Herakles is a little overrated. I'm not a fan of combining both the task of air search and target data uplink to missiles into one radar. But, feel free to correct me here.

1. That means ordering, building & getting into service 12 new ships, in addition to current purchases. Not exactly realistic.
2. Again, 12 new ships in too short a time - and what's happened to the current 6 non-stealth corvettes?
3. Have to move bloody fast to get LHDs built & in service in 3 years.

Even if the ships could be built in time, where are you going to get the crews for so many new ships in such a short time?

Also, I doubt the Formidables have a range of 7200 nm. They're a bit too small & heavily armed for that, & I refer you to the RSN website - http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/min...s/vessels.html

What is the source of this info? It seems like a huge fleet.

Cheers

:eek2

+12 frigates, 12 Stealth Corvettes, 2 LHDs, +18 Helos, 40 LCACs and replenishment tankers!

Where is Singapore going to get the money and manpower for all these "within the next 3 years" or even at all? Bear in mind that there are 2 other combat arms that also need to be maintained and upgraded for this 3G transformation thingy ...

I am curious as to the source of this "speculation" and find it quite unlikely that Singapore and the RSN will attempt to position itself as a maritime power to "counter larger naval forces within the Asia Pacific region including China, India and Japan." I can picture the RSN as a participant in a coalition (eg FPDA) against a threat but certainly not as a unitary defender of a free SEA, let alone the Asia Pacific ...

Given that the RSN currently operates 4 classes of surface combatants ...
1) Formidable Stealth Frigates
2) Victory Class Corvettes
3) Seawolf Class MGBs
4) Fearless Class PVs.

And that the Formidables are a replacement for the Sea Wolfs, that leaves 16 Corvettes/Patrol Vessels, all of which are only 8-16 years old.

I find it incredulous that the RSN will either
i) willingly retire such relatively "new" assets and replace them with 12 frigates and 12 corvettes or ...
ii) operate the 24 new stealth platforms in addition to the above ...

and yeah ... all in 3 years too ;)

1. 18 stealth frigates
2. 12 stealth corvettes
3. 2 LHD
4. 4 LST
5. 6 MCMV
6. 6 SSK Submarines
7. 6 Long Range MPA
8. 24 ASW/ASUW Helicopters
9. 40 LCAC

----------------------------
overexaggerated, even should singapore possess the budget to procure such a large fleet, where are they gonna get the manpower? and maintainence could be another major headache.
Besides possessing such a large fleet will eventually effects political stability and upset her neighbours.


The RSN is also looking at possibilities to procure Aster 15/30 PAAMS system for all these ships as well as integrating them with SCALP cruise missiles

this is the only statement which i view it as having a high possibility
of an acquisition

hahaha thats a good one, so from ur sources, are we getting any carriers any time soon? :D

That is exactly what's done by the SPY-1. Multi-function radar is the way of the future, if you have have made even a cursory observation of the trends in naval radars. In future, horizon search, periscope detection etc will all be done in addition to the two tasks you mentioned, all on the same radar.

hahaha thats a good one, :onfloorl: so from ur sources, are we getting any carriers any time soon? :D this reply superceeds my previous post.

I have to join those who find the speculated fleet just that - speculation. I can see no way, even if the budget was provided, that Singapore could acquire twelve new frigates in a three year period to go with the 6 Formidables which are only now being introduced into service. This sort of growth would challenge well established navies like the RN. Recruiting and training the personnel, would, IMHO, be an impossibility in the time suggested.

The Republic of Singapore Navy in its government website says:

http://www.mindef.gov.sg/navy/assets.html

As the navy believes this I can't see that they would attempt an expansion program that could not be adequately manned.

I am a huge admirer of the way in which the Republic of Singapore Navy has grown into a potent high tech force and I am sure it will continue to grow in the future. However, the fleet suggested by Gambit79 could not, IMO, be achieved in ten years, yet alone three.

Cheers

Repectfully, I think that more or less sums up the context of that post.

Anyway, it is not really so much of a matter of manpower. Singapore is small but not that small and with proper deployment, it is very possible and sustainable. The newer ships also have smaller complements with more autonomation. The Endurance class LPDs, for example, have a crew of 60 men per ship.

The issue is what exactly neccessitates such a large build-up. I think none. I think we will be getting more capable ships and invariably larger ones in the future. But not in the numbers as mentioned by Gambit. So, I have a different view there.

We need the navy to protect the sea-lanes and perhaps participate in coalition efforts in the future. We will definitely need them in some power management and balancing issues in SEA versus greater powers. But we will do that in concert with other SEA nations; and hardly alone.

Personally, I would think it is definitely the case that the Victory class will be replaced by larger vessels; frigate sized combatants like the Formidables or slightly larger ones to accommodate an AAW role. Maybe, an indigeneous design from ST Marine? The Fearless class patrol vessels would probably be replaced by new and larger off-shore patrol vessels. The 4 Endurance class LPDs are relatively new and will be around for a long time to come. We would probably get a squadron of new subs; especially since regional powers have increased thier submarine numbers. There are already reports of our collaboration with the Swedes in this regard. And that would be about it.But all this will probably take a decade(at least)or so of gradual but systematic changes.

I would expect the RSN to worry less about in-shore patrols as the Coast Guard takes more of that role as what is happening now.

Numberwise, I would expect the RSN to maintain the number of surface combatants and not increase it. It may well be lesser vessels but larger and more capable ones.

You make some good points here Red. The low personnel requirement (70) is one of the things that, IMO, makes the Formidable class such a good choice. They provide tremendous capability for a ship operated by a crew of this size.

This seems a sensible approach. Based on the way that Singapore has been developing the navy I am certain that it will continue to be a high tech force where all units will have the greatest capability possible. Larger units like the Formidables offer far more capability than corvettes and with the use of technology keeping manpower requirements to a minimum it seems logical that Singapore would move to this type of vessel.

It must be an exciting time to be involved with the Republic of Singapore Navy.

Cheers

I become more impressed with the Singapore military each time I look at them. And it isn't just their systems but the way they have taken the best of the Euro-Yank complexes, importing the best of our doctrine and training, honing it in 1st world exercises, then finding a way to put their stamp on it. Buying these Formidables is another case in point.

This is a remarkable country. One would be hard put to find a military force put together with more intelligence.

wow, I really wonder what's the purpose of MK-99 then if SPY-1D is so powerful. You know, DDG-51 have different types of search radars doing different types of searching and tracking.