Type 05 corvette

The Type 05 corvette is a prolific escort in service with the Royal Navy that has gone through three distinct variations in its long, but distinguished career of service. Although set to be replaced by the next generation of corvettes, the latest versions remain in front line service with the Royal Navy and allies of the United Kingdom.

Classification

According to the classification system of the Royal Navy, the Type 05 is a corvette, in that it is an ocean-going escort vessel not capable of long-endurance independent operations. Many other navies, however, would more commonly classify the ship as a frigate; that is to say an escort primarily tasked and equipped to deal with submerged threats.

Batch I

The Batch I, or Claymore class, was designed to fulfill a Royal Navy operational requirement for an ocean-going A/S escort, and was so equipped with a heavy torpedo armament of six 533 millimetre launchers with a total of twenty-four torpedoes. To increase the reach of the ship, Carson & Wolff provided a hangar facility for embarked ASW helicopters as well as two sixteen-cell Mk.84 VLS blocks, the load out accepting usually rocket-assisted long-range torpedoes though the versatile nature of the system allows for a surface-to-air battery as well. Rounding out the offensive armament are two four-cell Harpoon launchers and two JGUM Mk.III close-in-defence systems.

Batch II

After a short period in service with the Royal Navy, the limitations of the Batch I appeared in confrontations with various small naval forces throughout the Pacific. Before exercising the option for a follow-up batch to the original 45 vessels, the Director of Naval Construction requested the design be revisited to provide what became known as the Improved Lethality Package.

To incorporate the requested weapon and sensor systems, the hull was lengthened by fifteen metres, the internal volume provided allowed the Batch II to incorporate a new variable-depth asdic set for enhanced anti-submarine capabilities while also adding two more four-cell Harpoon launchers amidships, for a total of sixteen anti-ship missiles in addition to the unchanged Mk.84 arrangement. Aft, the hangar facility was enlarged to accommodate three Sea Nymph drones provided by the defence firm Roland.

Batch III

Further battlefield experience showed that while the Batch I and II were highly proficient at combating submarine forces, the Royal Navy, as a whole, lacked sufficient air defence escorts to help neutralise massed missile strikes. With combat attrition requiring near immediate replacements, the Admiralty approached Carson & Wolff to use the Batch II as a baseline with which to enact modifications to allow, principally, for an increased surface-to-air missile battery.

To meet the Royal Navy's requirements, the Batch III was designed with a new AESA multifunction radar. Original modification designs also called for a volumetric aerial search radar, but the aft superstructure was of insufficient strength to support the envisaged system and after two whole designs, the design had risen from 5700 tonnes to 6600.

Torpedo systems were removed as were two of the four-cell AShM launchers. The space created and by moving compartments under the forecastle amidships, albeit in cramped conditions, allowed for the installation of two 64-cell Mk.84 VLS systems.