Sweden’s Stealth ship at
London Docklands: 5-Dimensional Warfare

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The primary attraction at the DSEi show in mid September 2007 was the debut public showing of the Swedish Navy’s stealth warship. Anika from Defenceintegration.org is pictured alongside the Nyköping, Visby Classe Corvette, the towering angular façade of the Nyköping is a clear indication of its primary design function to avoid detection from all kinds of radar.

The Swedish stealth ship is designed to avoid detection by absorption of incoming radar into the surface material of the vessel. The subtle angular geometry of the ship’s sides ensure that any radiation emitted outwards is not done so in the incident plane. The ship itself is constructed from PVC ((poly)vinylchloride) and is reinforced with carbon fibre making this an entirely plastic ship. Evading radar detection is only one of the stealth functions, it can also mask its own electro-magnetic (EM) and infra-red (IR) signatures. Dealing with each in turn; EM emissions are reduced by passive sonar capabilities in all theatres of war; air, land and sea. Infra-red detection caused by heat can be evaded as a result of the inch thick composite hull. Unlike metals the synthetic polymers in the composite hull prevent the conduction of a thermal signature inwards and outwards. This provides an additional capability to approach side on to a blazing fire at sea as the interior surfaces of the hull remain insulated. Perhaps it is for this reason that the Swedish Navy stealth ship is also tasked with responding to civilian emergency situations. The thermal signature of the vessel is masked by sea water cooling of on-board systems clearly evident during our inspection of the propulsion systems; comprising of two diesel engines to provide thrust up to 15 knots, switching to four gas turbine engines to generate thrust in excess of 35 knots with an unspecified upper speed. The draft of this 73 metre long plastic stealth ship is a mere 2.4 metres despite a displacement of 640 tonnes. It was rumored at the DSEi that during the forward propulsion, via the two massive water jets at the rear, this draft may reduce considerably, though it cannot be verified.

The stealth ship is designed for five dimensional warfare; land, sea and air, electronic and stealth warfare. As one might expect there are general rules in naval encounters going back centuries to the time of Lord Nelson who changed naval strategy forever by sailing his fleets straight through his opponents rather than standing off broadside at a distance. The dynamics of positioning have been critical since that time leading to the rule that the first to fire has often won. Of course firing requires locating your opponent first. During the tour of the stealth ship we were told that the stealth function provides the opportunity to shoot two or three times during the openings of an encounter – before the opponent can correctly position the stealth ship - offering clear advantages. During the DefenceIntegration.org tour of the stealth ship whilst photography was forbidden we think we can paint a picture with words and describe to the reader just how different a five-dimensional warfare stealth capable warship can be. On the bridge an unidentifiable, polarizing film shrouded the interior windows. Strange futuristic looking chairs either side of the main control console gave both operators a panoramic view. Within their reach were the equally strange round controls for the stealth forward propulsion system, operating through two huge nozzles protruding from the rear of the ship, as shown. One could imagine that the whole inclination of the vessel shifts into a planing position, like a motorboat once the forward propulsion via water jets is engaged. This would explain an absence of an unspecified speed limit. The radar signatures of the two protruding water jets at the rear of the vessel would be lowered to around or below the water line, making accurate radar or sonar detection most difficult. Herein may lie the secret of the stealth propulsion system. In a planing vessel with the propulsion at the water line, and only stealth material above, there is no object to detect under the surface.

 

  
 
13th November 7:30pm Freelander2 Midland's Technical Lecture at Coventry University in the Goldstein Lecture Theatre. Presented by Al Vines Freelander 2 Program Manager. We aim to have a vehicle outside the building for viewing.
Attendance is Free
SAE-UK.org
 

The stealthy slopes on the angular sides of the vessel make pilotage difficult in dock. Side mounted cameras and crew lookouts aid the process of parallel parking by use of the maneuverable jets. Three decks below, presumably located at the water line for minimal roll, the combat information centre (CIC) is another marvel of engineering. Five dimensional warfare capability is achieved thus: there are no standalone systems on the Swedish ship: All are networked in a LAN type configuration. Further, most terminals are one of a kind allowing the user to log in as a particular role at which point the terminal becomes dedicated for that purpose. This is an extremely versatile method for waging war providing a redundancy of systems which can never be achieved by analogue systems found universally elsewhere. The universal terminals were the first flat screen CIC equipment seen on any tour at DSEi and were produced by SAAB. Dedicated terminals were provided for the deployment of remote unmanned underwater vehicles and navigation. Even the deployment of the UUV was via a stealth sloped hole of the under side of the vessel.

Even the systems with bespoke terminals are all fully integrated into the onboard network. At the flick of a switch the CIC can transfer from operation to simulation – just one of the advantages of using a ship-wide networked solution. This functionality enables small training groups to practice set maneuvers without the need to leave port. A crew of just 21 can wage 5 dimensional warfare with 16 sailors conscripted to serve 1 year tours of duty on board. Normally a crew compliment of 45 would be found on board.

After a brief ascent by ladder we entered a stealth concealed armory integrated into the upper deck. Not yet fully kitted out this room will be home to the RBS-15, a radar homing subsonic anti-ship missile. A curious looking projectile with a bonnet like air intake situated on the underside of the rear, the RBS-15 missile is launched from a canister assisted by solid fuel boosters detaching after launch, which for the remainder of its trajectory is powered by turbo jet. Type 45 torpedoes take care of submarine threats and the stealth encased automatic gun above deck provides air cover. Towed sonar can be deployed beneath the keel or in a towed array. Trailing a sonar bouy behind the ship can remove interference effects from the ship which can act on sonar systems enhancing the range and clarity of signals received from the vessel, helping with the multiple roles of the ship in minehunting for instance.

Throughout the ship there was evidence for the obvious advantages of the internal network; switch board control stations and full information relay between the bridge and the CIC being just two examples.

In all, the Swedish stealth ship is a huge leap forward in maritime technology providing five dimensional warfare capabilities; air, land, sea, electronic and stealth all within a single stealth vessel capable of evading detection from the air, land or sea based radars. Meanwhile an American version awaits financial approval on Capitol Hill.

This Exclusive Report was created for DefenceIntegration.org and the entire magazine may be read for free by anyone. Just another service to the Mobility Industry provided by the Society of Automotive Engineers, SAE-UK.org


Dr. Anthony Mc Donagh-Smith
Editor Defence Integration.org