Canadian River Class Destroyer Megathread

[oldcpu]

I note a recent article in various navy news sources (such as MSI wins £29.7m German frigate gun contract - IN Defence ), stating that the German navy plans to procure the 'seahawk' (also known as DS30M 30mm naval gun) for four F128 frigates.

Further, I read on Naval news claims that the MSI-DS DS30M is offered by MSI in three different turret configurations, dubbed DS remote, DS A1 and DS A2, depending on the sensor and fire control. From what I can tell, the USN (and likely RCN for River Class) is acquiring the MSI-design under the designation Mk 38 Mod-4 (which has the 30mm Mk44 Bushmaster II), which I believe corresponds to the DS A2 variant. The DS A2 variant features a dedicated, off-mount Electro-Optical Director (EOD). The sensor head is decoupled from the mount structure, allowing up to 360° independent surveillance and target tracking (dependant on mount location) while feeding fire-control solutions to the mount's ballistic computer.

Nominally I have believed that the RCN would procure the Mk48 EOSS for the MSI-DS DS30M (30mm) off mount fire control, and that the Mk48 EOSS would also be integrated into the RCN River Class SPEIR as an NFOV. That can still be the case, but I do note that I am not 100% positive here, as I assume it's possible a different EOSS device could be the SPEIR NFOV, and hence potentially a different firecontrol for the RCN River class Mk38 Mod-4 30mm gun. I am curious to read if any future official information updates will make this more clear.

One interesting aspect re the German F128 (based on a Meko 200 design) for the 30-mm Seahawk (which may be the same as the RCN Mk-38 Mod-4 30mm gun), is that the Meko 200 design in some configurations will carry 3 x Vulcan Phalax (or 3 x Sea Zenith CIWS) per ship. In the case of the German F128 (also known as a Meko A-200).

Along these lines, I noted a Naval new article that stated Germany has thus far ordered quantity four F-128s and also has ordered quantity twelve 30-mm Seahawk presumably for those F-128s. That suggests the F-128 may actually have quantity 3 Seahawk per ship (consistent with the Meko 200 that has three CIWS guns per ship). I found one (nebulous) render of the F-128 that illustrates on the German F-128 two 30mm guns aft (one port, one starboard (both at the hanger) and one 30mm forward of the bridge (aft of a VLS). The sketch is low quality and based on that sketch I can't speculate as to what the German navy may use for firecontrol for their 30mm Seahawks.

For the RCN I am still speculating (where RCN River Class renditions depict only two 30mm guns aft, one port and one starboard beside the hanger). And further, as to the firecontrol, I speculate even more for the RCN that it could be one or more (or none) of the following for firecontrol:

• TBD (1 or 2) Mk-48 Mod-2 EOSS aft, located on hanger top? Quantity one on each side? [possibly same equipment as SPEIR NFOV]
• SPEIR NFOV aft (1 or 2), located on hanger top? Quantity one on each side? [possibly the same equipment as Mk-48 Mod-2 EOSS]
• NGSSR (possibly AN/SPS-73(V)18) for surface gun fire control information
• AEGIS (speculation for this use) for anti-air drone fire control information

There is a lot of speculation by myself in this. I suspect it may be some time before more known.

 

[oldcpu]

I read up a bit on this gun.

From what I read, the Mk38 Mod-4 (30mm) and the older Mod-2 and Mod-3 variants differ primarily in their weapon system, mounting lineage, and sensor/fire-control integration.

I don't believe I posted yet a link to this youtube video on the 30mm Mk38 Mod-4 gun:

I still have not read anything official to confirm this is the gun, although everything (many different news sources/defenseforums) seems to point to that as being fact.

 

[oldcpu]

One interesting aspect re the German F128 (based on a Meko 200 design) for the 30-mm Seahawk (which may be the same as the RCN Mk-38 Mod-4 30mm gun), ...

This had me curious ... what other nations might be procuring the Mk-38 Mod-4 30mm gun (or an earlier variant, such as the 25mm). My rather tentative list ( where I could have errors or omissions):

USN

• Arleigh Burke Flight IIA and III
• FF(X) frigate (exact variant TBD)
• potential (speculation) upgrade to Mk38 mod-4 from earlier Mk38 variants on Aircraft carriers and Amphibious assult ships (CVN, LHA, LPD, LPD)

US Coast Guard
- Polar Security Cutters (TBC)

Germany

• F127
• F128 (referred to as MSI Seahawk 30mm - so possibly different variant)
• F123B (referred to as MSI Seahawk 30mm)

Other nations DS30M gun family users (ie different variants before the Mk38-Mod-4) in different nations navies:
- Royal Navy (Type-26, Type-23, River-class Patrol vessel-batch-2), Oman, Malaysia, Brazil, Iraq, Thailand, Bahrain, Chile

Canada
- River Class (stated in different news sources)