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The Dominion of Westralia
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Author:  Hood [ June 27th, 2018, 8:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The Dominion of Westralia

That's a very nice design.

Author:  Rhade [ June 27th, 2018, 9:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The Dominion of Westralia

Very handsome lines.

Author:  eswube [ July 1st, 2018, 7:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The Dominion of Westralia

Well done drawing!

Author:  MihoshiK [ July 3rd, 2018, 7:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The Dominion of Westralia

Very nice looking ships, the Esperance class. Of course your biggest problem with failing to give them a SAM and a gun system is that you're trying to make them perfect.
Simply replacing the entire gun system for a sixteen round Mk13 launcher would fit with the trend of seeing guns as increasingly outdated and superfluous to missiles around the time these ships were launched. The USA and GB floated several designs that were cannonless, although they did realize later on that that was a mistake.

Why not make the same mistake? It even makes it harder to upgrade your ships as there is no viable missile system to take the place of the Mk13 once it becomes obsolete.

Author:  thegrumpykestrel [ July 5th, 2018, 4:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The Dominion of Westralia

I certainly see where you're coming from there, and I have a half finished drawing using the Mk13 in place of the gun, but I didn't particularly enjoy it compared to the versions you see here. Maybe the RWN saw the need for shore bombardment following operations in the Malay peninsula? Besides, I wanted an avenue that allowed some parts to be recycled between the Esperance and Broome class. I might finish the missile-only version, but that's not a guarantee. Thanks for your input :)

Author:  Skyder2598 [ July 9th, 2018, 5:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The Dominion of Westralia

Nice work here ;-)

Author:  thegrumpykestrel [ November 7th, 2018, 2:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The Dominion of Westralia

I'm thinking of doing a full re-tread of this AU, considering how far my skills have come in terms of drawing since I began it. Everything bar maybe the frigates will be redone, and organised more logically I should think. Anywho, before I do that, I figured I let loose for judgement a redo of the Perth class air defence frigates (try and guess where I got my inspiration from ;) ):

PERTH CLASS FRIGATE
After the RWN decommissioned the Guided Missile Destroyers Perth and Kalgoorlie in the early 1990s, Westralia was without any form of naval area air defence for a considerable period of time. Over a decade after their retirement, in 2005, the Navy instituted a program to restore that lost capability. Solutions and proposals were examined from all manner of directions; whether it being fully indigenous design and build, indigenous design but foreign build, foreign design and indigenous build, or a complete foreign purchase. Ship designs such as the Sachsen, LCF, F100 and Type 45 were all considered. Preference was, however, given to indigenous design and builds, as it was seen as a method of assisting in the retention of technical skills in the shipbuilding workforce, avoiding a 'valley of death' that could impact the burgeoning Westralian shipbuilding industry. As design requirements evolved, the RWN began to emphasise certain design elements. Significant RCS reduction was high on the wishlist, as was use of the then still under-development Westralian designed 'Kingfisher' NADR AESA radar paired with an AEGIS combat system. Provision for the future integration of the Tiger Shark supersonic multi-role cruise missile, at that point undergoing initial prototyping and testing, was also a requirement of the design. In 2008, three designs were shortlisted for the program: a new, stealthy member of the Concorde series of frigates (Concorde 140) from National Westralian Shipbuilders private-arm; a larger clean-sheet design from relatively new-comer Campbell Maritime Services (simply dubbed 'Air Defense Frigate' by the company); and a variation of Navantia's F100. In late-2009, NWS was announced the winner of the program with their Concorde 140 frigate design.

The chosen design, christened the Perth-class, clearly demonstrated its design lineage from the earlier Broome-class. Most evidently, it utilised the same weapons module in its forward superstructure construction, modified to increase the number of Mk41 VLS cells to 48. This would technically allow all the frigates in the RWN to share modules through refit, though this 'interchangability' was not something easily done, the modules more intended to aid in easier refit and maintenance rather quick weapons changes. The reduced RCS focused design resulted in the large reduction in deck area, however, and left no room for the large box launchers required for the Tiger Shark missile expected to come into service in the 2019-2020 timeframe. Instead, an additional 8-cell Mk41 VLS was fit in forward of the hangar. Heavy automation was utilised in the design, reducing crew size to a relatively tiny 117.

Construction of the vessels began in 2011, in the government owned NWS yards in Henderson. However, progress was intentionally slowed under a controversially 'stretched' shipbuilding program that was intended to fully fill the skills-related 'valley of death' until the next major shipbuilding project, with this also allowing the installation of newer technologies such as Cooperative Engagement Capability that were not part of the original design. Costs understandably increased, though at a controlled pre-planned rate thanks to the intentional nature of the extended build. The first vessel, Perth, was launched in 2016 and commissioned into the RWN in 2018.

[ img ]

Length: 143m
Displacement: 6160 tonnes
Speed: 31kts
Range: 7000nm at 15kts
Complement: 117
Armament: Zuytdorp Munitions 127mm gun (ZM L62N), 2 x Millennium Gun 35mm CIWS, 2 x M2 .50 BMG with Zuytdorp RWS fitted, 48 + 8 x Mk41 VLS firing SM-2, SM-6, ESSM and Tiger Shark cruise missile, MU90 Lightweight Torpedo
Sensors and Systems: 'Kingfisher' NADR (Naval Air Defence Radar), Sharpeye, Vampir NG, Ultra 2500, Thales Kingklip Hull-Mounted Sonar
Aviation and Boats: Up to 2 x Leonardo Wildcat, able to accommodate helicopters as large as AW101 in hangar, 2 x RHIB

Author:  Hood [ November 7th, 2018, 6:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The Dominion of Westralia

A very interesting design and a nice addition to this AU.
It looks a capable design and for a stealthy design it looks pretty good artistically.

Author:  erik_t [ November 7th, 2018, 8:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The Dominion of Westralia

Very interesting, very attractive. I must note, though, that the main radar's field of view aft will be quite poor when the ship is pitching in a seaway. I think a single Millennium Gun, centered atop a less-than-full-width hangar, is a better plan.

Author:  RegiaMarina1939 [ November 7th, 2018, 9:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The Dominion of Westralia

A unique approach for sure, great work!

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