MSPO 2015: TKMS Unveiled a New Variant of MEKO A-100 PL With Energy Saving Hull Design

: Posted On Friday, 04 September 2015 14:39

Naval Industry News - TKMS at MSPO 2015

MSPO 2015: TKMS Unveiled a New Variant of MEKO A-100 PL With Energy Saving Hull Design

At MSPO 2015, the International Defence Industry Exhibition in Poland which took place in Kielce from the 1 to 4 September 2015, German naval vessels designer ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) unveiled a new variant of the MEKO A-100 PL with a unique "Energy Saving Hull Design".

The generic MEKO A-100 corvette design (scale model at the bottom) and the new variant with energy saving hull design (image at the top).

Poland has expressed a future need for six Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) in two configurations: a mine warfare configuration and a coastal defence variant (three vessels in each variant) with significant combat capabilities in all four domains (anti-air, anti-surface, anti-submarine and electronic warfare).

The new MEKO variant shown by TKMS' Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) represented an example of the mine warfare configuration to answer the Polish Navy need. (This hull design is available for all variants however).

Talking to Navy Recognition, a TKMS representative explained that the new "Energy Saving Hull Design" allows the vessel to go 1.5 knots faster compared to the regular hull (at equal power output) which translates in a 5% increase in speed approximately. They insisted on the fact that this is not an inverted bow (like Ulstein X-Bow). Dimensions of the hull should otherwise remain quite similar to those of ORP Slazak or generic MEKO A-100 design. Poland recently launched the Slazak OPV, its first naval vessel launch in years, which is based on the MEKO A-100 design. TKMS representative explained that their Polish partner for the six OPV tender is Naval Shipyard Gdynia S.A.

The new MEKO A-100 design unveiled at MSPO 2015. The variant shown here is the Mine Counter Measures (MCM) one.

TKMS representatives stressed that final weapons and systems fit depends on customer requirements, but the 3D image on display at MSPO showed the following equipment:
A BAE Systems Bofors 57mm main gun, 2x Rheinmetall MLG27 remote weapon stations fitted on each side of the bridge, 2x Oto Melara MARLIN WS 30mm remote weapon stations on each side of the helicopter hangar, 2x 12.7mm manned weapon stations behind the bridge, 1x MBDA SIMBAD-RC short range anti-air self defence system fitted on top of the helicopter hangar, 2x Rheinmetall MASS decoy launchers. Sensors include a Thales SMART-S Mk2 radar, a Thales Kingclip hull sonar, a Thales STIR 1.2 EO Mk2 fire control radar, and a MIRADOR electro-optical observation and fire control system.

The stern of this new design is quite interesting: The helicopter platform was raised to make room for some mission modules or standard ISO containers (here for mine warfare missions). A crane has been fitted to deploy and retrieve UUVs and ROVs. There appears to be a door system (and maybe a ramp) at the stern to launch and retrieve RHIBS even tough there are davits with RHIBS on each sides of the vessel.