Missile armed Fearless Class Patrol Vessels .
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I understand that there are 12 Fearless PVs , 6 are optimized for Anti-submarine operations while another 6 are built as a patrol craft.
There is alittle confusion over here , there are sources that i know ( navaltechnology.com , hazegray web and Tim Huxley's Defending the lion city )susgesting that the other 6 PVs are fitted with Gabriel Missile or at least can be fitted with Gabriel Missile . However after a small research on the web plus a reminder from another forum , i found out that the RSN official web nv state that on the PV's spec....
I had seen pictures of PVs without the torpedoes nor the Gabriel missile on board , however y in the world will Singapore navy wanna deploy 6 PVs that are lightly armed to patrol our SLOC?? Arent the coast guard adequate?? Or at least to mi , a missile armed PVs will increase firepower for an efficent SLOC patrol.
Can anyone here help to clear that.... -
Currently 6 of the PV were fitted with Gabriel launchers(to install missiles....well ....matters of minutes i guess
).....the other 5 PV are not fitted with such launchers yet they do have 6 X 324mm ASW torpedoes tubes. -
I dunno whelther is that an 'urban legend' , if its true , isnt it a bonus..... Anyone here can confirm it....?Originally posted by HARIMAU:Currently 6 of the PV were fitted with Gabriel launchers(to install missiles....well ....matters of minutes i guess ).....the other 5 PV are not fitted with such launchers yet they do have 6 X 324mm ASW torpedoes tubes. -
SorryÂ… correct me if IÂ’m wrongOriginally posted by HARIMAU:Currently 6 of the PV were fitted with Gabriel launchers(to install missiles....well ....matters of minutes i guess ).....the other 5 PV are not fitted with such launchers yet they do have 6 X 324mm ASW torpedoes tubes.
as IÂ’m not really good in our warship system or those equipment that fixed onboardÂ…
First of all, for Gabriel missiles, I think we need to have a ‘ROBOT’ type of equipment which needed to guide the missiles right? Sorry, I actually get to know this long ago while I attach to MGB… and I find that equipment that fixed at the UPPER deck was damn CUTE and if I can remember correctly… that guy that told me that CUTE robot that use to guide the missiles was the GY!!! errrrr. I don’t know he told me the truth anot…. But, if his telling the truth… then… why there isn’t any robot being fixed at the APV?
Another issued, I think MGB got 3 BALLS right? The side one I think I cant tell whats the purpose Â…. As that was what he told me alsoÂ…. but the CENTRE big ball was the FIRE CONTROL RADAR right? I think its World War 2 radar!!! And its use to CONTROL the missiles at the LAST STAGE of missiles flight timeÂ… soÂ… if these two things must be there before a Gabriel missiles can take offÂ….. then do you think those gunner can get all these two thing being fix up in such a short notice? As for the missiles standÂ… I know Â… its simple just welding and if there are some PRE- INSTALL cable down thereÂ… everything is solveÂ…. ButÂ… for the system itselfÂ… do you think its so simple? Â…Â…Â…. SorryÂ…. Just my personal point of view 
maybe those are confidential or top secret stuffÂ… which the MGB GY cant reveal to meÂ…. -
The "GY" that you are talking about is some sort of optical director. I think you need to point the director at the target.
The operator need to point the optical director (got powerful telescope) at the target. The fire control radar will be aligned together with the optical director and point at the same bearing. It will then emit electronic signal towards target.
The Gabriel missle will launch and will be a "beam rider" and follow the electronic signal at the target.
The Gabriel has a two-stage guidance system, beam rider at the inital phase, then at the terminal phase it will switch on its on-board radar at the nose to "seek out" the target, correct itself and hit the target.
This above actually very very primitive. this is because In the past, electronics and computers not so high tech.
The radar at the missle's nose is small and can only be used at short range. So the missle need to be guided initially. Nowadays, they will " program" the missle and which will fly a "pre-programed" path and when the missle is at the point of the programmed path where it is expected that the target is near the target the radar on the missle will switch on, find the target and home in. There is no need for initial guidance liao.
The above not classified info. I think I read it many years ago in a book about SSMs.
Although I am not sure, I don't think the PVs are armed with teh Gabriel. That is a very very old system. It is one of the first generation SSM. Think of it as a "Westernized" Silkworm still being used by the PLAN.
I think the RSN will just let it die off when the MGBs retire. No point hanging on to it. -
Thx Spencer , NDU and Harimau ..... i think i get the picture....
But it is strange that Tim Huxley's book state abt the Gabriel.... -
To try to answer your question about our "over-size" "Patrol Vessel".
The other of our Patrol craft are only armed with 40mm or 76.2mm gun.
I think the RSN have requirements for 6x ASW PV and 6x PC/PV (to complement and maybe utlimately replace the existing Patrol craft.
Instead of getting two different types of vessels for the same role, they use a single basic design/ hull /Engine to fulfill both roles.
They produce 12 similar ships but with two sets of roles. Although the PVs may seems over-armed, it might actually be cheaper than getting a seperate smaller type of vessel as a PV but have larger maintenance requirements.
I think RSN quite smart in this regard. Very efficient. -
Also, this will give us greater flexibility.
If we get a more advanced ASW vessel in the future (eg the planned OPV), we can remove the sonar from the ASW-Fearlesses, retire one class of the old patrol craft and operate 12x Fearless class PVs.
If we want to have a more numerous ASW force (to counter our neighbour built-up of submarines), can re-arm the PVs to ASW Vessel and buy another class of PVs.
So really give us a lot of flexibility.
But I have a feeling that operationally, the RSN didn't really differentiat between the two as much.
For eg the Courageous which crashed was a ASW vessel but by patrolling around Pedra Branca is more fulfilling a PV's role. -
I will rather see a plateform with short/medium range SSM onboard so that our PVs will be able to conduct coastern patrols and coastern defence.
Shore based radar will be able to pick up intruders and then small interceptions will be made by police patrol boat. If its a military intrusion , i believe the PVs will be too lightly armed to make an interception ........MCVs , MGBs , MPA and Fighthers will do it...
Of course we need 'foot soldiers' to patrols our water , but it will cheaper for our small police patrol boats to patrol our homeground and it better for well armed PVs to patrol the borders if we have to deal with armed intrusion??
To summarise it , our PVs are in the middle . Too well armed and expensive for small smuggler-like intrusion , too lightly armed for a military intrusion......
*of course the Navy have her reasons for it , im not in position to question the navy much.....anyway , thx spencer.. -
haha Fox bring it here ar??
Anyway everyone thx for the answers and comments 