The signing on October 10 of a letter of intent between Athens and Paris for the acquisition of two FDI frigates (Defense and Intervention Frigate), plus very probably the construction of two others in Greece, opened technical discussions for bring the FDI closer to the military needs of the Hellenic Navy. One of the probable hard points should be the number and choice of anti-aircraft missiles. The Greek navy relies in particular on several American-made anti-aircraft missiles and expresses the need to obtain air defense units well equipped with missiles through the IDF.
The surface fleet of the Hellenic Navy (Ελληνικό Πολεμικό Ναυτικό) today consists of 13 frigates distributed between the Elli class (9) – Dutch Kortenaer class (7) plus a subclass (2) – and Hydra ( 4). The latter are MEKO frigates (MEhrzweck-Kombination and deutet die Modularisierung Möglichkeiten : Versatile combination and indicates the possibilities of modularization) A200 HN (Hellenic Navy).
The anti-aircraft defense of these frigates is based for the Elli (9) on 24 missiles RIM-7M Sea Sparrow (not to be confused with the modernized version ESSM) installed in a quadruple Mk29 launcher, the rest of the missiles are in the hold. These missiles have a range of approximately 19 km and a speed of Mach 3,5+. They can be considered obsolete in the face of current threats. Modernization efforts relating toEvolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM). The Mk 29 launcher allows a salvo firing of eight missiles plus two other salvos after reloading. This cannot deal with a saturating strike.
The Hydra (4) silo 24 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) in a launcher Mk 48 Mod 2. ESSM missiles have a range of approximately 50 km and a speed of Mach 4+. This vertical launch system allows a salvo of 24 missiles if necessary. This missile is kept up to date with current threats by its future Block 2 version.
Let us add to fully understand the problem, we need to cite the details of the 19 fast missile patrol boats of the same surface fleet:
The most recent of them are the Roussen class (7) whose anti-aircraft defense is based on the RAM Mk31 Guided Missile Weapon System (GMWS). System consisting of a launcher – the Mk-144 Guided Missile Launcher (GML) – and 21 RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) which have an extension of approximately 9 km for a speed greater than Mach 2.
The oldest fast missile patrol boats belong to the Laskos (4), Votsis (3) and Kavaloudis (5) classes or respectively La Combattante III, La Combattante IIIa and La Combattante IIIb (Construction Mécanique de Normandie). They all lack anti-aircraft defense capability.
The Greek surface fleet is strong 32 units (13 frigates, 19 fast missile patrol boats), all are equipped with anti-ship missiles. Only 20 have anti-aircraft capabilities. But alone 11 buildings have modern anti-aircraft missiles. None of these buildings have capabilities allowing the air defense of a formed naval group. The Greek geostrategic need is to achieve and respond to the 16 new or modernized frigates to be owned by Turkey at the beginning of the 2030s while the Greek frigates are mostly out of age: 22,75 years for the Hydra class (4) and 38,3 years for the Elli (9).
La Letter of Intent signed on October 19 commits Greece to adopt the National Navy version (FDI) rather than the commercial version (frigate Belh@rra) For save time and studies necessary for the commercial version to be adapted to Greek military needs. Efforts will be limited to adapting the National Navy version. The DGA urges the Greek side to sign this agreement before 31th January 2020 according to several Greek newspapers in order to conclude supply contracts and leave the possibility for Athens to be able to set up the second FDI in Greece.
The structuring points of the Franco-Greek discussions are the need to move quickly because with a view to a potential order of four IDF long-term supply orders must be placed with the manufacturers concerned before January 31, 2020. And to move quickly within the framework of a financial exercise constrained for both parties, one of the most probable solutions is that Paris faces marginally evolve the National Navy version. Two of the hard points in the Franco-Greek discussions will most likely be number of anti-aircraft missiles able to equip the Greek IDF and the choice of these missiles.
The National Navy version of the FDI has two octuple launchers SYLVER (VERTical Launch System) A50 which can sile a mixture of 16 ASTER missiles (AeroSpatial TERminal) 15 or 30. The ASTER 15 has a range of 30 km against aircraft and flies up to Mach 3. The ASTER 30 has a range of 120 km against aircraft for a maximum speed of Mach 4,5. This system – PAAMS (PMain Anti-Air Missile System) in this case – is designed to be capable of dealing with current threats, that is to say ballistic missiles with a range of up to 600 km (1500 km for future ASTER B1 NT) and missiles maneuvering supersonic anti-ships (Mach 3 to Mach 5).
The French FDI has reservations allowing integration on the beach before two additional SYLVER which can be either A50 (ASTER 15 and 30) or A70 (MdCN). The French Navy was considering the opportunity to subsequently integrate two SYLVER A70s in order to provide these frigates with a strategic strike capability, like the six Aquitaine class frigates. The Greek Navy would like a configuration with three SYLVER A50 (24 ASTER 15 and 30 anti-aircraft missiles) and a SYLVER A70 (8 MdCN).
When the FREMM (European Multi-Mission Frigate) was desired and then proposed in Athens (2005 – 2018), one of the versions explored had a configuration with four octuple SYLVER A50 launchers, or 32 ASTER missiles. Plus three SYLVER A35 octuples (proposed version, never studied) that can accommodate 24 VL-MICA missiles (up to 20 km range) for a total of 56 missiles. Configuration most likely reworked to accommodate the Naval Cruise Missiles (MdCN) and therefore reduce the number of ASTER missiles.
One way to get around this limit of 24 ASTER missiles on the Greek IDF, potentially perceived as too restrictive by the Greek admiralty, would be to complete the endowment by short and very short range anti-aircraft defense systems. What options exist in this context?
One of them would be to integrate into the Greek IDF a American octuple launcher Mk 41 alongside three SYLVER (1 x A70, 2 x A50). This would open up the possibility of siloing ESSM by four (Mk 25 Quad Pack Canister) in each of the eight tubes: i.e. 32 ESSM in addition to 16 ASTER 15/30 and 8 MdCN.
It is unlikely that MBDA and Naval group will accept the intrusion of an element of the vertical launcher system on board the IDF since this would politically open the way to the integration of other missiles, such as the SM-2 MR that Greece wanted until recently. The supreme risk being to see the SYLVER replaced by the Mk 41, except for the embarkation of MdCN. Same logic regarding the anti-aircraft missile Be Acceptor can be quad-pack which is an MBDA product but not from the range developed for France.
France does not have no option perfect for the ESSM to offer. There is the launcher SADRAL (Light Anti-Aircraft Close Self-Defense System) equipped with six MISTRAL 3 missiles (Light Anti-Aircraft MISSile TRAnsportable) with a range of 6 km for a maximum speed of Mach 2,7 +. The SADRAL systems are falling into disuse in the French Navy because they will soon only equip the three La Fayette class frigates to be modernized, replacing the CROTALE system. And the range of the MISTRAL 3 does not fall into the same category as the ESSM.
Missiles VL-MICA could have been an alternative with a range of around 20 km and a maximum speed slightly above Mach 4. They cannot be siled in this way (quad-pack) due to the slightly larger dimensions of the missile (rudders) and very probably especially due to the absence of a request from the French Navy and therefore of funded studies. Could this be a defect (rudders and absence of a boost) taken into account for the MICA-NG program ?
The VL-MICA has advantages over the ESSM ensiled in a Mk 41 launcher because its integration is easier, particularly on light vessels since it imposes fewer structural constraints, less bulky systems and it pairs easily with a combat system.
The MICA missile is “ fire and forget » (the launch platform does not have to ensure the tracking and driving of the missile to its target), the ESSM will only be in its next version (Block 2). Its infrared guidance mode is deemed superior to that of the ESSM and other characteristics ensure the MICA of better interception characteristics facing very maneuverable targets, or even stealthy or in an operational environment polluted by electronic warfare capabilities, especially adverse ones.
The other option would be for the Hellenic Navy to limit itself to the configuration that can be quickly satisfied: four SYLVER (1 x A70, 3 x A50) or 8 MdCN and 24 ASTER 15 and 30. The major issue is the number of buildings. To compete with the Turkish Navy's 16-frigate format, the 13 Greek frigates that are obsolete, obsolete or in the process of being obsolete must be quickly replaced. And the Turkish Navy will not have any air defense frigates until the mid-2020s.
A middle option would be to propose to Greece to distribute efforts over time, that is to say to develop two versions of their frigates. A first with the configuration that can be quickly adopted without costly study costs or political-commercial imbroglio. A second version could be integrated into each frigate a RAM Mk 31 GMWS system (21 RIM-116 RAM) or study a module allowing silage two or even three MICA missiles in a SYLVER A50 launcher. Consider a configuration with, for example, 8 MdCN, 16 ASTER 30 and 16 to 24 VL-MICA. Or to develop the SYLVER A35 for integration along the aeronautical hangar, i.e. 8 MdCN, 24 ASTER 15/30 and 24 VL-MICA.
The stakes of this potential Greek request to increase the number of IDF anti-aircraft missiles raise many questions. For the Greek navy, this would be to optimize its existing structures (systems, spare parts and professional sectors) around the ESSM and RAM-116 missiles. The ESSM will remain in service on the four Hydra frigates, that is to say probably until the early 2030s. And Athens is a member of the ESSM consortium of eleven countries, which establishes an operational community offering extensive feedback where the number of navies using the VL-MICA is significantly smaller. For French manufacturers, the capacity to offer alternatives could be a way to get involved in other programs to benefit the anti-aircraft capabilities of the Greek fleet, today a captive market for American manufacturers. A hypothetical successor to the SADRAL would be of interest to both the Greek Navy and the French Navy, while an equally hypothetical development of the SYLVER A35 would be of interest to future projects of fast missile patrol boats.