Modular and multirole patrol corvette

The outcome should contribute to:

• a joint procurement of a cutting-edge modular and multirole patrol corvette class;
• a widened level of communality, interoperability and standardisation of the variants, maximising their integration at fleet level;
• strengthening the European industrial ecosystem by means of common methods, standards, rules and interfaces;
• enhancing the EU naval sector competitiveness, innovation, efficiency and technological autonomy, while promoting a wider cross-border cooperation in particular as regards SMEs and mid-caps;
• reinforcing trust as regards security of supply in the naval sector by shaping an initial nucleus of a truly European supply chain;
• the EU Green Deal and climate objectives.

Naval combat platforms and systems are essential assets to ensure maritime surveillance and presence at sea where needed with deterrent effect to grant maritime security, the respect of International Maritime Law, the defence of the sea lines of communications, and protect the interests of the EU, its Member States and EDF associated countries (Norway).

The main objective of this topic is to generate a new multirole and modular “second line class of vessels”, able to increase current EU Member States and EDF associated countries (Norway) navies’ interoperability and capabilities mainly in terms of maritime situational awareness, surface superiority and power projection. Such units are due to carry out a large spectrum of naval operations ranging from peacetime and crisis time actions up to wartime operations.

The ambition is to drastically increase the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of that class of vessels, based on a reference core ship (baseline), while addressing the common requirements of the supporting Member States and EDF associated countries (Norway), and the specific requirements of their variants.

Specific objective

The goal of this topic is to pursue the work already addressed in the EDF 2021 work programme under the call topic multirole and modular offshore patrol vessel (EDF-2021-NAVAL-D) aiming, this time, to complete the Critical Design Review (CDR), and start the development phase with the production of, at least, the platforms of several variants as prototypes and, at least, one per version.

The proposals should leverage the progress made in the context of the above-mentioned action aiming in particular, at building and structuring a common industrial working environment, and studying and reaching an initial design of the common baseline of the vessel.

Two different versions are considered:

• Full Combat Multipurpose (FCM) corvette equipped with a variety of systems to ensure adequate self-defence in all warfare scenarios and capable of integrating specific additional capabilities based on modular configurations;
• Long Range Multipurpose (LRM) corvette, with an extended endurance (compared with FCM) and equipped with a variety of systems to ensure adequate self-defence in specific warfare scenarios and capable of integrating specific additional capabilities based on modular configurations.

The main result should be the design of the two above-mentioned versions based on a common mono hull platform (reference core ship), and the integration of a combat system, specific for each variant, to enable the prototyping and testing activities.

The proposals must aim, based on the work addressed in the EDF 2021 work programme under the call topic multirole and modular offshore patrol vessel (EDF-2021-NAVAL-D), to:

• implement, maximise and strengthen the progress made in the context of the preceding above-mentioned action, in terms of common rules and standards;
• reach a mature and detailed design for each variant based on a common baseline (reference core ship) of this innovative class of warship to address the common requirements of the supporting Member States and EDF associated countries (Norway);
• provide digital models of the reference core ship and the two versions (FCM and LRM) with the possibility to add specific variants;
• develop, at least, the platforms of several variants as prototypes and, at least, one per version;
• perform initial trials and testing activities related to each prototype.

Types of activities

The following table lists the types of activities which are eligible for this topic, and whether they are mandatory or optional (see Article 10(3) EDF Regulation):

The proposals must cover at least the following tasks as part of the mandatory activities:

• Studies:
  • technical feasibility studies, if needed, to complete the initial design of the common platform;
  • technical feasibility studies related to the integration of the respective combat system including, but not limited to, sensors, processing and effectors, considering physical, combat management, and command and control perspectives in a multi-domain interoperability scenario, while designing a reference core ship as wide as possible;
  • industrial plan, encompassing the full production strategy for all variants.
• Design:
  • integration in the ship design of the technological bricks selected by supporting Member States and EDF associated countries (Norway);
  • detailed design of the reference core ship, platform and combat system integration, addressing the common requirements of the supporting Member States and EDF associated countries (Norway);
  • definition and detailed design of the two versions and specific variants in order to fulfil the needs and requirements of the supporting Member States and EDF associated countries (Norway). These designs will be completed to enable the production of FoCs of each variant within the class of vessel;
  • design of the prototypes;
  • digital model of the variants.
• System prototyping:
  • produce, at least, the platforms of several variants as prototypes and, at least, one per version.
• Testing:
  • of components and system integration of the reference core ship;
  • initial trials of prototypes in harbour and, desirably, at sea.

The proposals may also cover the following tasks:

• Qualification:
  • qualification of the design of the reference core ship in its two versions to ensure consistency with the requirements of the supporting Member States and EDF associated countries (Norway).
• Certification:
  • certification activities of the detailed design of the reference core ship.

Moreover:

• projects addressing activities referred to in point (d) above must be based on harmonised defence capability requirements jointly agreed by at least two Member States or EDF associated countries (or, if studies within the meaning of point (c) are still needed to define the requirements, at least on the joint intent to agree on them)
• projects addressing activities referred to in points (e) to (h) above, must be:
  • supported by at least two Member States or EDF associated countries that intend to procure the final product or use the technology in a coordinated manner, including through joint procurement

and

• • based on common technical specifications jointly agreed by the Member States or EDF associated countries that are to co-finance the action or that intend to jointly procure the final product or to jointly use the technology (or, if design within the meaning of point (d) is still needed to define the specifications, at least on the joint intent to agree on them).

Functional requirements

The proposed developments for the reference core ship and its variants should meet the following functional requirements:

• the collection and analysis (technical-operational and value analysis) of each end-user’s operational requirements (CONEMP) to define the needs, including the ones related to the integration of the combat systems for all the variants;
• the demonstration of the completion of a detailed design and the integration of the relevant ship elements including the respective combat system through, for example, the production of technical documentation, drawings, or 3D digital models;
• the detailed design should be approved by classification societies;
• based on the designed reference core ship as a common baseline for the class of vessel, the differences between variants should be minimised as much as possible through innovative solutions like, for instance, the use of flexible areas and modular architectures. As well, in order to increase commonality between variants and to reduce non-recurring costs, the on-board systems should have, as much as technical and economically feasible, standardised functional and physical interfaces, with indication of buffer tolerances in terms of weight, dimensions and features for embarking specific systems or equipment;
• the physical and functional interfaces should be compliant with standards widely used in the naval domain (e.g. NATO STANAGS);
• provide advanced Human Machine Interfaces (HMI) supporting the operators in all their operational, technical and training tasks;
• green aspects should be properly considered to minimise the environmental impact (e.g. reduced global gas emissions, waste disposal) and be compliant with the requirements of most advanced legislation on environmental protection and prevention of pollution from ships.

The platform should:

• integrate innovative solutions, technologies or systems to enhance efficiency and the capabilities of the vessel at sea;
• provide an overall expected displacement of around 3 000 tons, with a draft enabling the ship to operate from minor/tender ports;
• provide a design able to integrate different combat systems for the different variants.

The integration of the combat systems should:

• be based on definition of common interfaces, when possible, between the platform and the combat system of the different variants;
• give due consideration to cybersecurity aspects;
• aim to optimise design, production and in service support costs;
• be able to easily integrate additional capabilities, manage weapon system configurations, interface with external systems through standardisation, and favour reconfiguration and continuous modernisation throughout the ship life-cycle;
• embrace the integration of different unmanned vehicles through standardised systems providing interfaces for sharing information in a collaborative way and based on standards widely used in the naval domain (e.g. STANAG 4817 on Multi-Domain Control System);
• enable the integration of systems to collect and manage information coming from local sensors, cooperative sources and, when applicable, non-cooperative sources.