Lockheed Martin (LM) CSC Type 26 Frigate Design | Page 9 | World Defense

Lockheed Martin (LM) CSC Type 26 Frigate Design

GRANNY001

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GRANNY001

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Canadian Surface Combatant Visualization Technology

How Canada got to the point of selecting the BAES Lockheed Martin (LM) Type 26 Frigate as the successful bidder for the RCN’s new Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) fleet will not be discussed here. What will be discussed is how the ‘paper-ship’ design of the frigate was selected and why the visualization design was so integral to Canada’s decision. Significant investment in computer technology was made to support the detailed design and production of the CSC frigate. Computer-Aided Design (CAD) systems have been in use for many years and Virtual Reality (VR) software is now core to any design process. We will focus on the use of this new technology and the detailed design work. Although the design is now mature, work continues to fine-tune some aspects and support the build phase to adapt the Type 26 for Canadian requirements.

Industries use a system called Visionary Render 2 (VR 2) which takes CAD files and brings them to life in three-dimensional (3D) VR. BAES started using VR 2 for warship design in 2015 and embedded the system into its design. The complex Type 26 Frigate took the potential of VR-assisted design much further, now fully integrated into the design process. The capabilities of VR 2 continue to improve with a program of incremental software updates. The technologies used are not entirely new, but this is the first time immersive VR has been used as a comprehensive design verification tool in warship design worldwide.

In the development of previous generations of warships, plywood mockups were sometimes constructed to help refine the design, test the ergonomics and familiarize crews with compartment layouts. This process was laborious and changes had to be sent back to the designers with new drawings produced. CAD systems started to replace physical drawings in the 1980s and by the 21st century, 3D viewing software linked to CAD systems started to be used. VR 2 technology is now in daily use and fundamental to the development of the Type 26 design.

By using VR 2, it is now possible to ‘walk-around’ the entire virtual ship and examine it in minute detail. Design changes can be quickly made and computer models updated. The ability to perform digital ‘prove-out’ ahead of any commitment to physical building saves time and money. The system also allows compartments to achieve safety sign-off before construction. Features that might present a danger to crews can be evaluated before construction. As an example of the benefits, using CAD data it took two days to analyze the proposed configuration of Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) equipment in one compartment. The same task can now be done in 45 minutes using VR 2.

The complete Type 26 Frigate CAD model runs to many terabytes of data but the VR 2 system is able to use a lightweight version that requires just 3 gigabytes. This allows the system to be run on high-end desktop computers, and an operator can be trained quickly in the basics of using the system. VR has now been taken a step further than just a design tool. Many design/systems engineers are now employed on the UK’s City-class Type 26 program and VR provides a means for them to collaborate. Design teams can work together in real time with suppliers and manufacturers at dispersed locations to view and develop the design.

After the design sign-off, the VR 2 system then works with the build stage. Data from the design is used to decide quantities and specifications for materials. This improves the ability to generate orders from supplier bases. Once complex and mission-critical parts for the CSC have been constructed, it is now possible, using cameras and laser-measuring tools, to compare the compartment with the original design checking for anomalies and meeting specific tolerances. The computer VR 2 model will be updated with software through the life-span of each CSC and used to de-risk potential upgrades and design changes before they are made. This is especially important as technology and threats are always evolving, which demands flexible ways to accelerate the upgrade process.

The VR computer model of each CSC will continue to support the ship in service as a tool to train crews and rehearse equipment installation or maintenance before the work is done for real. As an example, a VR 2 training tool was developed to help sailors learn their way around the interior of HMS Queen Elizabeth long before she resembled a complete carrier. In training scenarios, students could select from different paths and click on any part of the ship and see additional information and images in pop-up windows. Canadian customers were shown around the ship virtually before they decided on their specific design. This also helped to deflect some of the criticism that the Type 26 was ‘not mature’ in comparison to other designs that were already at sea.

LM/BAES opened Canada’s first Visualization VR 2 Suite for the CSC in Ottawa in November 2020. This visualization technology will change the way Canadian warships are designed and built in the future. It is possible that the VR-based CSC design/build phase will lead to savings, however, the real benefits of these new techniques are more likely to be seen in the quality of the CSCs, reduced through-life costs and more rapid deployment of new capabilities and upgrades down the road.

To conclude, the CSC Type 26 Frigate is being designed to meet Canada’s needs, and this visualization technology could promote efficiency, quality and safety in the build program. Across the three Type 26 programs in Canada, Australia and the UK, these 3D visualization suites are transforming how future naval ships are designed.

 

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Here are a couple of articles from a reporter for the Ottawa Citizen recently that gives one pause on the CSC Frigate costs and direct and indirect benefit jobs in Canada. Perhaps also a dig on Lockheed Martin and their apparent monopoly on the CSC Frigate program and the silence of our government.:


 

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Interesting read on the Australian Hunter class Type 26 Frigate just cutting steel now on the Prototype Phase. First real steel cut will begin in 2022:

 

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Here is a very interesting article in the Esprit de Corps Canadian Military magazine written by Alan Williams on the Life Cycle coats of the CSC Frigate program over the next 30 years and what we got right (or didn't ). It is both eye-opening and shocking:

 

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The USN will deploy it’s first High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) integrated on an operational Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer (DDG) of the Navy (possibly USS Preble (DDG-88) this year (2021) for shipboard testing integrated in the Aegis Weapons system. This is a Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) system from Lockheed Martin that has been successfully tested against missiles, drones and small craft over the last few years. Also being developed this year is a Solid-State Laser – Technology Maturation (SSL-TM), Ruggedized High Energy Laser (RHEL), and the Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy (ODIN) program. Would any of these systems be supportable by the CSC Frigate program integrated into the CMS 330 system architecture? The HELIOS system could be an excellent replacement for the CIWS system to augment both ESSM (Extended Range Sea Sparrow Missile) and CAADS (Sea Ceptor). Could any of these DEW systems be a future fit for the CSC Frigate (fitted for but not with port/stb’d midships where Sea Ram may have been fitted)? At this point, we do not know but would appear to be an excellent fit for integration into the Type 26 CSC Frigate.

 

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Interesting read from Canadian Naval Review Webmaster. Is Canada sinking into a deep quagmire of quicksand it cannot get out of?

 
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Interesting read from Canadian Naval Review Webmaster. Is Canada sinking into a deep quagmire of quicksand it cannot get out of?


What is stopping this from moving forward? I am dead sure money is not an issue for Canada. There must be other reasons don't you think?
 

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What is stopping this from moving forward? I am dead sure money is not an issue for Canada. There must be other reasons don't you think?
In a nutshell Lieutenant, the Canadian government is mostly to blame here! There is also blame to go around with Lockheed Martin and the design process which is still on-going and may not conclude until late this year. Far, far too long!! The contracts to build the CSC Frigate "monster" should have been signed by now and first steel cut this year, but government secrecy is also partially to blame. These frigates are looking to be on steroids and will probably out-perform both the British Type 26 City class and Australian Type 26 Hunter class, but at what cost? The PBO report to be out by 26 Feb 2021 will most likely indicate a total cost of $72-75B CAD for all 15 Frigates with Life Cycle Costs (LCC) of between $215-220B CAD! We probably should have attached our coat-tails to the US Constellation class and be done with it, but, we have "made our bed" and now have to "lie in it". What a mess!!!!!
 

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Here is an Article from Sea Power magazine as to where the SP 7 V 1 radar will be installed.

 

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A CTV News article from retired Vice-Admiral Mark Norman over CSC Frigate delays and costs:

 

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The Parlimentary Budget Office (PBO) has just released it's report 24 Feb 2021 on the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) Frigate program costs and the results are "eye-opening" to say the least. They estimate that the costs in 2021 CAD will be roughly $77.3B for all 15 ships. If further delays happen within the next 2 years, costs could rise to over $80B CAD. Interesting read:

 
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