Intermediate sized frigates: The puzzle
Expected this month on the occasion of a Ministerial Investment Committee, the program launch of new frigates midsize should not ultimately intervene immediately. According to several sources, following the proposal submitted at the beginning of the summer by DCNS, the Defense Ministry asked the naval group to review its copy. Discussions buteraient especially on the cost of future FTI, it would significantly reduce to enter a relatively constrained budget.
A real headache for DCNS and other companies involved in the project, which are required to meet what some call "mission impossible". Clearly, design and implement five very economic future frigates and, at the same time, potentially over-equipped
Operational needs and industrial challenges
For the FTI, which are to replace the frigates type Lafayette from 2023, must meet a number of constraints. The Navy considers as a priority the anti-submarine warfare capabilities, meaning that future buildings must carry a hull sonar, a towed sonar and torpedoes. Meanwhile, Thales, to ensure the survival of the radar chain in France, in this program to place its new multifunction radar with planar faces SF 500. A tool that interests DCNS export face competition offering this type of sensor, called to succeed to the rotating radars. But with such antennas, capable of doing air surveillance and surface of the fire control and even defense against ballistic missiles, we must obviously adapted missiles. And here we logically orient towards the Aster 30 (completed or not to close the defense by Mica VL), to counter the proliferation of anti-ship supersonic missiles. And even the Aster Block 1, like the Italian Navy and arguably the Royal Navy, to ensure the future of BMD missions, for example to protect settlements or troop deployments in abroad against ballistic attacks. Moreover, the French Navy may be interested to have on these platforms, who attend regularly sensitive areas of naval cruise missiles. Especially since the reflections are continuing in the development of a multipurpose launcher can accommodate the Aster 30 or MdCN.
Like any frigate FTI necessarily will have artillery, anti-ship missiles and air power, not only with a helicopter, but also the ability to implement tactical UAV system for the Navy (SDAM), whose fleet French hopes to have in 2023, precisely when the seeded FTI program should be delivered.
As many capabilities as the FREMM but 30% lighter
In the end, the "ideal" building has equal capacities or even superior in some areas, the multi-mission frigates (FREMM), whose program was reduced from November to August units only in order to achieve a series of 5 FTI and and stick to the format of the last white on Defence (2013), setting the number of first class frigates to 15 (including the two air defense frigates of the Horizon type).
The problem is that the FTI should be substantially less than the big FREMM or 4000 tonnes instead of 6000. And at the same time, be less automated to have larger crews and less likely to be technical buildings more responsive to emerging or secondary navies.
Export Issues
Export is, moreover, the major argument for the development of FTI, announced in June 2013, to general surprise, by Jean-Yves Le Drian. The defense minister, who is keen to this program and expects to launch it before the 2017 presidential election, also intends to bring the workload to DCNS consultants Lorient. And thus offer the naval group a new product on the international market, between the corvette and the heavy frigate.
Remains to be seen if the budgetary resources are in line with industry issues and needs of the French Navy, engaged on all fronts and has absolutely need 15 multipurpose frigates.
Many programs to fund the next LPM
At the headquarters, it has so far, at least officially, very enthusiastic about the FTI, supporting this project dear to the Hotel de Brienne. But over discussions and financial difficulties which are likely to arise, some marine begin to doubt and fear a "poisoned gift", which would result in the end in a further reduction of the frigates lack of money format to produce a number FTI enough. Especially since most of the expense is deferred to the next military planning law (2020-2025), for which it will fund other urgent naval programs: the last two FREMM (with antiaircraft capacities strengthened), the program launch monitoring of buildings and offshore response (15 units hoped to succeed the patrol boats and sloops), the construction of three new logistics buildings, continued SNA program Barracuda, the rise of the development of the next generation SSBNs or, as some wish, the early studies for a second aircraft carrier.
The 2017 schedule
A significant budget bump is going to stand out, and after the elections of 2017, especially in cases of political power, it is not impossible that the FIT program is overhauled. In opposition, some believe already that it would be financially preferable to lengthen the FREMM series of at least 13 units, even developing a new version with the SF 500 (model moreover proposed for export), which also allow the navy, standardizing its fleet to save on maintenance, training and payroll as the crew is fewer.
Finally we recall that the choices made regarding FTI depend on the extent of the renovation project of the five Lafayette, commissioned between 1996 and 2001 and which need to be modernized in the coming years.
