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fir^6 ^r‘nc'Pe De Asturias (R-l 1), the j °‘ a new class of aircraft carrier, was unched at El Ferrol Del Caudillo in ^Western Spain on 22 May 1982. Her fusion and outfitting will continue ^ next several years, and then R-l 1 .1 join the Spanish Navy later on in this teCade. The Principe De Asturias will / am UP with the aging carrier Dedalo e*-USS Cabot [CVL-28]).
, ' 1 is designed to operate vertical/
c"0rt takeoff and landing (V/STOL) air- a 1 and helicopters in sea control and lu Wer Pr°ject’on missions. Her architec- follows the sea control ship design lch the U. S. Navy planned but never
'gure l jiie princjpe [)e Asturias built in the 1970s. Featuring a distinctive 12° upsweep on the bow commonly called a ski-jump, this carrier will not have catapults or arresting gear for operating conventional, fixed-wing naval aircraft. The Principe De Asturias is being built by Empresa Nacional Bazan. Figure 1 provides a layout and characteristics of the new carrier.
Air wing assets for R-l 1 will consist of AV-8A/B Matador fighter-attack V/ STOL jets, SH-60B Sea Hawk antisubmarine warfare (ASW) helicopters, and AB-212 utility (“Huey” type) helicopters. Delivery of the Spanish AV-8B is anticipated at about the same time as
R-ll becomes fully operational. At full load, between 15 and 20 aircraft can be operated from the flight deck and accommodated in hangar spaces. Air wing composition can be varied to fit the intended mission’s requirements.
An AN/SPN-35A approach control radar and AN/URN-25 tactical air navigation system will handle routine aircraft departure, approach, and navigation chores. These systems will be assisted by combat system sensors as required, and long-range air control and intercepts will be performed in the combat information center. Air controllers in the carrier air traffic control center will provide guid- bazAn
General
15,000 tons (full load) 640 feet 80 feet
22 feet (full load)
26 knots flank 20 knots cruise 7,500 nautical miles at 20 knots
Aircraft Accommodations
574 ft x 98 ft Enclosed normal load of 17 aircraft.
2 aircraft, 2 ammunition 12° inclined "ski jump" Launch ramp
Armament
Aircraft: 15 to 20
AV-8A/B Matador fighter/attack SH-3D Sea King ASW helicopter AB-212 utility helicopter Guns: 4 Meroka 12-barrel, 20-mm.
close-in weapon systems Chaff: 4 Mk-36 super rapid
blooming offboard chaff (SRBOC) launchers
Propulsion
177
feedings / March 1984
bat system, as well as for the FFG-7 co bat systems which the Spanish Navy " install in its three Oliver Hazard Pe^ class frigates. Under a foreign mill' sales contract administered by the
colt*'
U. s‘
ance to aircraft for approaches to and departures from the carrier. The control center will be housed in spaces adjacent to the ship’s control tower, and the two control functions will be managed as an integral unit.
The combat system of the Principe De Asturias has been designed for mission flexibility and to manage information derived from the ship’s electronic sensors. Combat system sensors will include radars for surface search, three-dimensional air search, and close-in weapons guidance; in addition, there will be electronic warfare and identification friend- or-foe systems. The ship’s entire combat system will be fully digitized and programmed to provide the following functions;
► Command and control for the task group
► Combat information management for the carrier
► Control of embarked and accompanying aircraft
► Routine operational, navigation, and training tasks
Perhaps in anticipation of Spain’s entrance into NATO, and to take advantage of existing naval system technology, the Principe De Asturias’ combat suite was designed to be fully integrated as a naval tactical data system (NTDS). Task force command and control functions will be carried out through Link-11 and Link-14 communication systems in NATO-common digital message formats. Three U. S.-designed Oliver Hazard Perry (FFG-7)-class frigates, which are also under construction at Bazan, will be among Spain’s Link-11/NTDS-capable units.
Integration of the system will be accomplished by a dual bay, AN/UYK-7 computer. Command and control functions performed by the computer will include Link-11 and Link-14 data transfer and message (in and out) processing. Automatic detection and tracking will be provided to the system’s operators via ancillary processors. Processed information will be displayed in the combat information center on OJ-194 and OJ-197 NTDS consoles.
Sperry Corporation is the system integrator for the Principe De Asturias’ com
Sea Systems Command, Sperry pleted a capital expansion of the Navy FFG-7 Combat System Test Si The addition is the Spanish Navy 3e.. and Integration Facility (SNTIF), and il located in Ronkonkoma, New York-
At the SNTIF, R-ll’s combat sysK" will be assembled and cabled for op® tions. The various computer progra will be checked out in a dedicated c° puter facility. When the entire system ^ in place and the programs are function ^ the tests of full system integration win completed. Extensive use of Simula* will facilitate operational system chec Simulation will provide data to genera realistic operational scenarios for the te ^ ing. The Spanish FFG-7 combat system test and integration will be performed part of the same overall effort at SNTIF.
Many Spanish Navy personnel are s tioned at the New York site to oversee t
New Frigates, Too
The Spanish Navy has begun construction of three Oliver Hazard Perry (FFG-7)-class guided missile frigates in the Bazan Shipyard at El Ferrol as a major part of its shipbuilding program for the 1980s. The Leon, the Navarra, and the Murcia will be structural and engineering duplicates of the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates (FFG- 36 version) which the U. S. Navy is building and operating. The Spanish have plans to construct two additional ships of the class.
Combat system capabilities of the Spanish frigates will be nearly identical to those of the USS Underwood (FFG- 36) and later FFG-7s. Combat system elements will be developed in major steps termed baselines. At Baseline 1, the combat system will consist of a naval tactical data system variant of the basic FFG-7 system. Baseline 2 will see the addition of electronic warfare and close-in weapon systems. Baseline 3 configuration will include light airborne multipurpose system (LAMPS) Mk-III and AN/SQR-19 tactical towed array sonar (TACTAS), which will complete the planned system.
An important element of the combat system’s capability is the NTDS Link-11 command, control, and communications (C3) feature. The FFGs, along with the new aircraft carrier Principe De Asturias (R-ll), will form the nucleus of a modem Spanish task group that will be fully compatible with NATO fleets. Link-11 will provide secure, common C3 for joint employment of fleet units in integrated task forces.
One significant difference in the Spanish frigates’ combat systems will be in the electronic warfare suites. Instead of using the AN/SLQ-32 system, the Spanish have elected to install the Italian-built Neptunel electronic warfare system. Its electronic support measures, electronic countermeasures, and electromagnetic intelligence functions are versatile and quite impressive, and the system will make use of Mk-36 super-rapid blooming off-board chaff, as does the AN/SLQ-32. The only other major difference from the U. S. frigate is that the Spanish-made Meroka close-in weapon system will replace the Mk-15 Phalanx.
Like the FFG-36, the Spanish ships will soon incorporate the LAMPS Mk-III and AN/SQR-19 TACTAS antisubmarine warfare (ASW) systems. The two SH-60B Sea Hawk helicopters and state-of-the-art electronics will give the Spanish fleet a significantly upgraded ASW capability- Aviation features of the ship associated with the LAMPS incorporation add secondary mission capabilities, and they expand mission growth possibilities for the platform.
Selection of the FFG-7-class vessel for updating their fleet has provided several benefits to the Spanish effort. First, the ship’s design has been thoroughly tested, and her operational record is already being established by both the U. S. and Royal Australian navies. Also, the Oliver Hazard Perry class offers warfare capabilities in all major areas, yet is economical to build and operate. Another benefit of selecting the FFG-7 class must be that it presented the opportunity for construction of the vessels in Spain.
Spain’s commitment to improving its armada’s capabilities is evidenced by its recent construction starts, plans to upgrade and improve existing ships, and future construction possibilities. Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates are a symbol of Spanish determination to have a strong and capable navy.
178
Proceedings / March
19S4
s ems engineering process and to man- §e the contract between Spain and tarv^ ^or integrating non-foreign mili- sv t Sa'£S subsystems into the combat the t^- ^*lese subsystems are primarily f taJian-built Neptunel electronic war- I e suite and the Spanish Meroka close- co WeaPon system.) Headed by a line Rimander, the Spanish Navy contin- also has an engineering duty com- fjcanc*er’ several engineering and line of- ers, and technical petty officers to the n>or chief (E-8) level. te Principe De Asturias’ combat sys- J” w'i* be shipped to Spain after testing, g ete it will be installed in the ship at 2an. Once the combat system is in ace and final outfitting of the ship is
complete, sustained operations should follow quickly. The Spanish have already started an aggressive training program for navy and industrial personnel at the SNTIF. This program is scheduled to continue and intensify, and the Spanish are receiving a combat information center team trainer, also under contract with Sperry. This team trainer will measurably enhance operational readiness for the carrier (and the FFG-7 frigates). In addition, air wing components are currently operational in the Dedalo, and they should remain as such until R-ll is completed.
Recent events have proven the Spanish decision to build a new class of carrier to be a sound one. With four close-in weapon system mounts and chaff, R-l 1 can defend herself against antiship missiles. Her air wing will be capable in all major mission areas, and the viability of V/STOLs has been firmly established.
When the Principe De Asturias is commissioned, she will be a formidable ship and the flagship of an impressive naval task group. R-ll represents sound technologies melded into a singular fighting ship by well-thought plans and programs. Her presence in the Spanish Navy will be important, and she will be a welcome addition to her country’s defenses.
Commander Purnell is a combat systems engineer with Sperry Corporation’s Electronic Systems Operation, headquartered in Great Neck, New York.
Kiel to Port Stanley: The Arms Sales Debate
■V ^°achim Krause and Gale A. Mattox
(W ^edera' Republic of Germany eest Germany) is the world’s fifth larg- in ,arrns exporting country. As a leading ustrial nation, the fact that West Ger- any has developed an armaments indus- is h hard‘y surPrising- What is striking ‘hat significant portions of those exports
“aval
the
especially to the Third World, are arms. However, it is possible that experience of the Falkland Islands onflict may mean a more cautious pos- re by West Germany in its future naval Sports.
a S'nce World War II, West German export policy has been clearly reactive, denying the purchase of weap- s by certain countries, such as the re. nt Saudi Arabian bid to purchase eopard II tanks. During this period, val sales appeared to avoid the close rutiny that other types of armament
sales received, and constituted by far the largest proportion of overall sales. In 1975-1980, approximately 88% of all arms sales (about $1.5 billion) to the Third World were naval vessels. This latter phenomenon is the result of both an unwillingness to involve West Germany in any possible conflict situation, and the desire to maintain a shipbuilding capacity for its domestic maritime and defense needs.
Three events hold potential significance for this export market and indicate a rethinking of the West German arms policy: (1) in April 1982, the Schmidt Government announced a revision of the 1971 arms export guidelines; (2) simultaneous with that announcement, the Falkland Islands Conflict between Argentina and Great Britain erupted and brought into question some long-held assumptions in German arms export policy with the Third World about the probability of naval conflict in the nuclear age; and (3) in October 1982, a Christian Democratic coalition government headed by Helmut Kohl replaced the Social Democratic government of Helmut Schmidt. These events have underlined the difficulties of constructing a coherent policy that answers both the historical constraints on West Germany’s arms policy, as well as the needs of the maritime and defense industries. To address these issues ade-
The Pisagua, pictured leaving Kiel last spring, is one of six “Type-209” submarines in the Peruvian Navy.
West German-built submarines have sold like Japanese cars, and they serve in many Third World navies.