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| Halifax-class frigate | |
|---|---|
| Class Overview | |
| Class Type | Guided missile frigate with helicopter (FFH) |
| Class Name | The city of Halifax |
| Launched | 1992–1996 |
| Preceded By | Restigouche-class destroyer escort |
| Succeeded By | N/A, latest frigate class authorized |
| Ships of the Class: | Halifax, Toronto, Vancouver, Ville de Québec, Regina, Calgary, Montréal, Fredericton, Winnipeg, Charlottetown, St. John's, Ottawa |
The Halifax-class Multi-Role Patrol Frigate (hull designation FFH) is a class of Canadian Navy frigates launched between 1992 and 1996 to replace the aging Restigouche-class fleet of Destroyer Escorts (DDEs).
HMCS Halifax was the first of an eventual twelve Canadian-designed and Canadian-built guided missile helicopter-carrying frigates. They combine traditional anti-submarine capabilities with systems to deal with surface and air threats as well. The Halifax class are the work-horses of the Canadian Navy task group concept. All ships of the class are named after major Canadian cities, with at least one from each province (Ontario and Quebec, the most populous provinces, have two each). They are sometimes referred to as "City-class" vessels.
Weapons Systems
The ship's surface-to-surface missile is the Boeing Harpoon Block 1C. The two quadruple launch tubes are installed at the main deck level between the ship's funnel and the helicopter hangar. The Harpoon missile uses active radar homing to deliver a 227 kg warhead to a range in excess of 130 km.
The Sea Sparrow vertical launch surface-to-air missile uses semi-active radar homing to deliver a 39 kg warhead at speed Mach 1.6 to a range of 15 km. The eight-cell launchers are installed port and starboard of the funnel.
The main gun on the bow deck is a 57 mm 70 Mark 2 gun from Bofors. The gun is capable of firing 2.4 kg shells at a rate of 220 rounds/min at a range of more than 17 km.
One Raytheon/General Dynamics Phalanx Mark 15 Mod 1 close-in weapon system is mounted on the roof of the helicopter hangar. The six barrels of the Phalanx provide a firing rate of 3000 rounds/min. The Canadian Navy has ordered upgrade kits to convert to the Phalanx Block 1B. The Block 1B upgrade includes a Thales Optronics HDTI5-2F thermal imager, improved Ku-band radar and longer gun barrel with a dual firing rate of 3000 or 4500 rounds/min.
The ship's two twin 324 mm Mark 32 Mod 9 torpedo tubes are installed at the bow end of the helicopter hangar. The torpedoes are the ATK (Alliant TechSystems) Mark 46 lightweight anti-submarine torpedo. The torpedo has a speed of 45 knots and is equipped with active and passive homing and a 44.5 kg warhead.
Flight Deck
The ship has a helicopter deck with a single landing spot. The deck is fitted with a RAST (Recovery, Assist, Securing and Traversing) system supplied by Indal Technologies of Ontario, allowing the launch and recovery of helicopters in up to Sea State 6. The hangar can accommodate a 15t helicopter such as the Sikorsky CH-124A Sea King.
Countermeasures
The ship's decoy system comprises four BAE Systems Shield Mark 2 decoy launchers which fire chaff to 2 km and infrared rockets to 169 m in distraction, confusion and centroid seduction modes. The torpedo decoy is the AN/SLQ-25A Nixie towed acoustic decoy from Argon ST (formerly Sensytech) of Newington, Virginia. The ship's radar warning receiver, the Canews (Canadian Electronic Warfare System), SLQ-501, and the radar jammer, SLQ-505, were developed by Thorn and Lockheed Martin Canada.
Sensors
Two Thales Nederland (formerly Signaal) SPG-503 (STIR 1.8) fire control radars are installed one on the roof of the bridge and one on the raised radar platform immediately forward of the helicopter hangar. The ship is also fitted with Raytheon SPS-49(V)5 long-range active air search radar operating at C and D bands, Ericsson HC150 Sea Giraffe medium-range air and surface search radar operating at G and H bands, and Kelvin Hughes Type 1007 I-band navigation radar.
The sonar suite includes the CANTASS Canadian Towed Array supplied by General Dynamics - Canada (GD-C), formerly Computing Devices of Canada and GD-C AN/SQS-510 hull mounted sonar and incorporates an acoustic range prediction system. The sonobuoy processing system is the GD-C AN/UYS-503.
Propulsion
The Halifax class is powered by a CODOG (combined diesel or gas) system with two GE LM2500 gas turbines and one SEMT-Pielstick 20PA6 V280 diesel engine. CAE provide the Integrated Machinery Control System.
Specifications
- Type: Guided Missile Frigate with Helicopter (FFH)
- Displacement: 4,770 tonnes (full load)
- Dimensions: 134.1 meters length x 16.4 meters width x 4.9 meters draft
- Armament:
- Missiles: 8 x MK 141 Harpoon SSM; 16 x Sea Sparrow SAM/SSM
- Torpedoes: 4 x MK 32 torpedo launchers
- Guns:
- 1 x Bofors SAK 57 mm (220 rounds/minute to 10nm)
- 1 x Phalanx CIWS (Block 1)
- 8 x .50cal Heavy Machine Guns
- Decoys: 24 shield Chaff/infrared decoys (flares)
- Sensors:
- Propulsion: Twin CODOG
- 2 x General Electric LM2500 gas turbines producing 47,500 shp
- 1 Pielstick v20 cruise diesel producing 8,800 shp
- Speed: 29+ knots (54 km/h)
- Endurance:
- 7,100 nautical miles (13,000 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h) (diesel)
- 4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h) (turbine)
- Complement: 225 (including air detachment and firefighting unit).
- Range: 9,500 nautical miles (18,000 km)
Plans are underway to replace the Sea Sparrow missiles with the Evolved Sea Sparrow, upgrade the towed sonar arrays and fit newer propellers and anechoic tiles to reduce noise emission. HMCS Montréal has already been upgraded in the latter regard. Of note in the structural design of these ships is the distinctive funnel housing, designed to diffuse the vessels' heat signature.
Ships in class
There are twelve Halifax-class ships in Canadian service:
External links
Official ship websites:
"Halifax class frigate"