Union class heavy aircraft carrier
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| Profile (n/a) | |
| Union-class | |
|---|---|
| Design details | |
| Type | Heavy fleet carrier (CVBN) |
| Hull type | Trimaran |
| Manufacturer | Royal Shipyards |
| Design No. | |
| Unit cost | $64 billion |
| Service dates | |
| General characteristics | |
| Crew | 5736 + air group |
| Length Waterline: Overall: |
524.86 m 548.44 m |
| Beam Waterline Overall: |
110 m 160 m |
| Draught | 18.65 m |
| Displacement | 572,747 t |
| Propulsion | |
| Powerplant Main: Secondary: Auxiliary: |
3 × INNEC RA(PB)-6 4 × IMW MTG-12F 8 × IMW MMD-44 |
| Drive Internal: Azipods: |
12 propulsors 8 4 |
| Bow thrusters | 4 |
| Speed | 32+ knots |
| Range | |
| Platform | |
| Flight decks | 3; 2 at 10.5°, 1 at 8.5° |
| Elevators | 8 rated at 120 t |
| Catapults | 8 EMALS |
| Arrestor wires | 3×4 EARS |
| Protection | |
| Main belt | 46 cm |
| Flight deck | 35.6 cm |
| Bulkheads Tranverse: Longitudinal: |
68 6 |
| Armament | |
| AAW | GWLS.35, GWLS.66, GWLS.68, L41A3 30mm |
| ASuW | GWLS.58 |
| ASW | GWLS.60, 4×3 324mm TT |
| MCM | N45 30mm |
| Operators | |
| Jimnam, KLM, DSRK, ODR, UKIN, Sarzonia | |
Named for the union of the two kingdoms of Isselmere and Nieland, the Union-class will serve to reduce the number of vessels operated by the Royal Isselmere-Nieland Navy without incapacitating any of its warfighting capability.
Design
The Union-class has been in development for several years now, the lengthy design stage being necessary to minimise the safety issues that arise from the operation of multiple landing surfaces upon a single vessel.
All eight of the Union-class's aircraft lifts are well-clear of the landing areas, as are the six armoured ammunition lifts. The deck-edge lifts are located aft and the inboard lifts are located fore, aft of the forward flight deck.
Flight operations
The automated carrier landing system (ACLS) allows the Union-class to land conventional landing (CTOL) aircraft in rapid succession on its three landing areas. The two standard-length landing areas do not intersect one another. The broader extended length landing area, angled at 8.5° to port, partially intersects the standard-length landing area angled to starboard.
Two electromagnetic aircraft catapults (also known as electromagnetic aircraft launching system or EMALS) are positioned on each secondary hull sponson, with four EMALS, including two heavy systems, located on the forward flight deck.
The Union-class is equipped with two small islands — one on each secondary hull — for antennae and flight control observation that have been designed to minimise both the returned signature from electromagnetic devices (radar, infrared) as well as the air turbulence caused by such structures.
Ship's operation
In most instances, the Union-class is controlled from the command centre (CIC) using optronic information from eight remote piloting stations (RPS) and other sensor data "piped" down through EMP-hardened links to the "bridge", offering the ship's crew an all-encompassing, panoramic view of possible hazards. This network of systems permits the Union-class to be berthed from the CIC, although more traditional methods are generally used.
Armour
The Union-class has been provided with the heavy armour of its predecessors, enabling the massive vessel to contend with many anti-ship missiles as well as smaller battleships and cruisers should the need arise. The main strength deck, however, has been lowered to the hangar deck, owing to experiences with the Peel-class carriers. Though the decks had protected the carriers from harm, the damage required extensive repairs due to the transference of impact throughout the structure, more so than would have been required had the shipyard been able to simply replace the affected section. Future RSIN aircraft carrier designs will likely incorporate the same design philosophy as that implemented on the Union.
The armour scheme is a lighter version of that used on the Europa- and Jimnam-classes. The structural basis for the ship is of titanium-vanadium-aluminum (TVA) alloy to cope with the stresses large trimaran vessels must contend. The framework is supported by bulkheads reinforced by hardened crossbeams. The outer shell of the vessel is covered in insulating, fouling-preventative laminated ceramic tiles, upon which is laid an additional environmentally-friendly synthetic rubber anti-fouling surface. Behind these initial layers of protection are tubes of very high hardness steel (VHS) within kinetic energy resistant insulation (KERI) foam that are intended to attenuate the blast effects of any projectiles able to penetrate the first armour layers. Braces of TVA (spacers) between the outer and inner hull provide an additional layer of defence. The next layer of high strength steel is buttressed by further crossbeams in case of outer hull failure, as are the longitudinal and transverse bulkheads, followed by an additional void space filled with KERI foam before the secondary hull of high hardness steel (HHS). Another layer of KERI foam serves to provide some anti-spalling protection along with a sandwich of ballistic polymer fabrics and a honeycomb of high strength composite.
The Union-class's torpedo bulkheads are at twenty-to-thirty degree angles from the vertical, while the keel is provided with another layer of TVA armour to counter under-keel torpedo attacks.
Specifications
Displacement: 572,747 t (full load)
Dimensions: Length 524.86 m (wl), 548.44 m (oa); beam 110 m (wl), 160 m (oa); draught 18.65 m
Propulsion:
Drive: 12 propulsors (8 internal, 4 Azipods) with 4 bow-thrusters
Powerplant: CONAG-IFEP; 3 pebble-bed fission reactors (INNEC RA(PB)-6 (475MW)) and 4 gas turbines (IMW MTG-12 (50 MW)), with 8 auxiliary diesel-electric motors (IMW MMD-44 (5.12 MW)); 1425 MW + 200 MW = 32+ kts.
Crew: 5736 crew + air group (estimated 5648); capable of accommodating 12500.
Flight decks: port and starboard decks angled at 10.5-degrees, extended landing area angled 8.5° to port
Elevators: 4 deck edge (2 each p/s), 4 inboard (2 each p/s), all rated at 120 t.
Catapults: 8 low-emission EMALS (4 on p/s-sponsons, 4-f staggered)
Arrestor wires: 12, each rated for 120 traps; 3 low-emission EARS (4 wires per system)
Protection: flight deck: 35.6cm; main belt: 46 cm; missile magazines: 30.5 cm; hangar deck: 63.5 cm; (Engineering, munitions, and fuel): 61 cm.
Compartmentalisation: Double-bottomed, reinforced displaced keel, reactors in separate pairs, with 68 transverse and 6 longitudinal bulkheads.
Weapons
- AAW: 6 × 64-cell GWLS.35M2 (4 f/a-p/s, 2 p/s-am.), 24 × GWLS.66M2 (p/s), 36 × GWLS.68M2 (24 f/a-p/s, 12 p/s-am.), 72 × L41A3 (MCA.41) 30mm
- ASuW: 4 × 8-cell GWLS.58M2 (p/s)
- ASW: 24 × 8-cell GWLS.60M2 (p/s), 4 × triple 324mm TT (f/a-p/s)
- MCM: 8 × N45 (UCA.45S) 30mm RST (500 SCR/cannon)
Aircraft:
Can operate 220 crewed aircraft, or more in emergency situations.
RINN practice: 24 Scimitar F.2, 48 Spectre FA.1, 48 Spectre FA.2, 8 Banshee ADS.1, 4 Wraith EF.1, 24 Swordfish S.1, 8 Heimdall AEW.1, 8 Gannet C.1, 8 Cormorant HC.1, 24 Cormorant HM.1
Uncrewed Vehicles:
8 Parrot DES.1, 24 Thrush DFA.1
Electronics suite
- Computer complexes: MEI.5 Muninn (Integrated Shipboard Operations Management System); MEI.6 ODIN Operational Deployment Integration Network
- Threat management systems: MBQ.87 (CBRN detection), MDQ.261 (signature self-detection), MEQ.181 NAIADS (anti-air), MEQ.185 SELKIE (anti-torpedo), MSX.193 MITRE (target recognition)
- Radars: MRU.262 Hydra (multifunction), 2 × MRS.118 Kafka (fore and aft, air volume search), 3 × MRN.116 Beluga (navigation), 2 × MRS.164 Hofvarpnir (surface search), MRS.204 Wednesday (air traffic control)
- Optronics: 4 × MSS.127 Owl (surface surveillance), 2 × MSU.124 Adder (long range search and tracking)
- Combination radar/optronics: 2 × MSP.131 Friday (automatic carrier landing system), 36 × MSG.183 Gjallar (close-range fire direction)
- Sonars: MQU.264 Tanngnost (keel-mounted, low frequency), MQR.266 Tanngrisni (variable depth)
- ECM/ESM: MLR.165(V)2 (radar/signals emissions receiver and direction finder, complete system), MPR.184(V)2 Nott (laser warning receiver and direction finder, complete system), MEQ.188 Valtarn(V)2 (radar/signals emissions processor and retransmitter, complete system), MLQ.189(V)2 (jammer, complete system), 8 × MRD.199(V)2 (signals direction finder, complete system).
- Communications: 6 × JSC.196(V)3M (encrypted burst communications transceiver, command version), JSQ.117(V)2 Godi (Link 17.2; secure datalink), 8 × MPC.190(V)2 (laser communications transceiver, command version), MRC.178 (secure communications system), 12 × MSP.123(V)2 Gna (Link 17.2D; secure drone control datalink), 4 × MSW.125(V)2 Ran (Link 17.2G; secure missile guidance datalink), 8 × NQC.128(V)2 Dvalin (Link 17.2U; encrypted acoustic modem), 4 × NSC.121 Alvis (secure satellite communications system)
Countermeasures: 24 × 16-cell MLE.140 MUSE (for 384 multi-spectral anti-missile decoys), 4 × MLQ.135 lines (for 12 MLQ.135 Mackerel anti-torpedo decoys), 4 × ULQ.136 ports (for 12 ULQ.136 Remora anti-torpedo decoys)
Cost: $64 billion
Production time: 10 years
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