Last week HMS Defender was accepted back into the fleet by Commodore Wood, Commander of the Portsmouth Flotilla after successful completion of post-refit sea trials. HMS Defender deployed to the Gulf for nine months in 2015 after which, she entered an 18-month major refit in Portsmouth conducted by BAE Systems.
Shaman
HMS Defender is now the described as “the most capable Type 45 in the Fleet.” The main upgrade in capability was the installation of the Shaman communications electronic support measures (CESM) fit to used to gather signals intelligence (SIGINT). The AS-4692 VHF/UHF tapered slotted array direction finding/acquisition array is fitted on the upper part of the pole mast. The AS-4293A VHF/UHF omnidirectional acquisition arrays are fitted half way up the foremast and on the hangar roof. Small HF antennas can be seen mounted on the deck edge amidships, two each port and starboard, just above the retractable companionway ladders.
Shaman is based on the US Navy’s AN/SSQ-130(V) Ship Signal Exploitation Equipment (SSEE) Increment F cryptologic exploitation system. 7 sets have been purchased from the United States at a cost of around $90M and will eventually equip all 6 Type 45s, plus a set for shore-based training. Also included are spares, training packages and support equipment. US personnel were sent to Portsmouth to assist in the initial stages of this sensitive project.
In simple terms, CESM allow the passive interception of adversaries transmissions across a broad part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The system can analyse, geolocate and in some cases may be able to decode encrypted communications. In a naval context, a warship may loiter off a coastline and be able to record signals from mobile phones and military and government radio communications. At sea, intercepts may provide critical detail and forewarning about the actions of adversary’s naval units. It is probable that the communications and capabilities of even our closest allies are also monitored to some extent.
The precise details of this sensitive subject are obviously highly classified but the exploitation of the electromagnetic spectrum by both states and non-state actors is a rapidly evolving art. Continued investment in a broad range of intelligence collection and analysis assets are critical to UK defence. Intelligence gathered at sea may provide part of the picture and be passed to military intelligence agencies and GCHQ that can assess capability and intent by potentially hostile actors.
Installation of Shaman has been slow, a foreign military sales (FMS) license was granted by the US government back in 2011. Its arrival in the fleet finally addresses a significant gap in capability which was lost when the 4 Type 22 frigates were axed in 2010. The Type 22s were equipped with COBLU (Cooperative Outboard Logistics Upgrade) a SIGINT system also jointly developed with the US.
The use of SIGINT in naval warfare is nothing new and goes back to WWI. Interception and decryption of German Enigma traffic played a crucial role in the allied victory of WWII, and in particular during the decisive battle of the Atlantic. In the Cold war, NATO and Soviet warships and submarines made considerable efforts to intercept each other’s communications. Several of the relatively spacious Type 22 frigates were prime platforms for this tasking, being fitted with CESM gear and carrying specialist operators. (Royal Navy submarines are equipped with periscope-mounted ‘Eddystone’ CESM antenna.)
Propulsion
Routine maintenance and repairs were conducted and the ship also received two new gas turbines. HMS Defender has not yet received the major Propulsion Improvement Package (PIP) which is scheduled to begin with the first Type 45 next year. It is relatively easy to change the compressors of Gas Turbine ships which are designed with access routes for their removal for regular refurbishment and replacement. Removing the entire WR-21 Gas Turbine installation itself would be an enormous task and the PIP will instead remove and replace the diesel generator sets. (Full details in an earlier article here) As a newly refitted ship, HMS Defender, along with HMS Dauntless currently refitting, are likely to be the last Type 45s to undergo the PIP at Cammel Lairds yard in Birkenhead. In the meantime, HMS Defender and the other Type 45s are still able to be deployed globally using various temporary fixes and operating restrictions.
The ship is now alongside in Portsmouth for the Summer leave period but will conduct Operational Sea Training, prior to achieving her Fleet date when she will be declared ready for operations.
‘It is probable that even the communication capabilities allies are also monitored to some extent’.
Yes, I can just see them intercepting the following.
Barnier to Juncker: ‘ when will our British friends come up with a realistic plan regarding post Brexit relations’
Juncker to Barnier: ‘Ja ja, don’t worry Michele, reality is beginning to bite as the date of departure beckons. The contradictory bravado and begging in equal measures eminating from London suggests they’re getting nervous.’
Barmier to Juncker: ‘if only they’d invested in and retooled their industry to serve an export orientated economy instead of spending money on useless military equipment and race to the bottom privatisation under that witch Thatcher, they might have been more resilient in negotiating with us. 27 to 1 are bad odds to start with.’
To note: during the Cold War, the Soviets arguably had the best esponage system in the world, given the nature of their regime. However, regardless of how many industrial secrets they stole from us, their economy was so underdeveloped and ideology very naive (fit only for University student union debating and not real life) that they could never exploit these commercially. I hope we don’t go the same way with our jingoistic British exceptionalusm.
That was funny.
I think it’s the intention that all the ships of the Type 45 class will be fitted with a set.
Our allies are probably eavesdropping on our communications too. It’s stock in trade of international diplomacy.
Ah Iqbal, which one are you? got your name right today? you really must utilise the same name when you have so many Iqbal “bots” posting piffle on these and other websites. But we do understand, that your controllers efforts at moving up the social chain, to Russian middle class, and its extra bucket of mouldy potatoes and the extra 2 litres of diesel per month, is worth the 16 hours a day looking at a PC Screen.
??? UK is a world leader ( top 3 ) in Financial services, media, aerospace, tech, defense, insurance, Pharma etc etc Thanks to Thatcher stopping the UK becoming a socialist wasteland.
Race to the bottom privatization ? Facts not your personal marxist lunacy please.
Good for you Tim!
Are you in denial the uk & allies whether politically joined OR otherwise will twist your reality to defend our nation & those of Christendom.
Sincere Regards
kdagPlymouthUK
2024June22nd
Yet another excellent & informative article. I spent many years serving on Type 42’s so it’s good to see that they are keeping the capabilities up to date.
They can’t add all of that electrical consuming equipment. Any strain on the power supply before the PIP will cause it to lose power. This was a bad idea.
Shaman is a passive system, the power requirements are relatively small.
The IEP system manages electrical load. A T45 has electrical power far in excess of what is normally needed. The electrical load on the system was never the issue as that is controlled by software. The issue has been the recouperator core degrading which caused the WR21s which are actually electrical generators, to trip.
So, the recouperator core will still degrade but the now boost only GT’s will be used less frequently so the problem will appear to go away?
Unless the ship has to exceed 18 kns on a regular basis.
Not totally convincing, is it?And why does the whole system trip,leaving the ship without any power?I suspect that we haven’t been told the full story .
The IEP software has been modded since the blackout issue arose to stop the TLFs happening.
The GTs are not boost. They are, when configured as per the normal operating procedure for electrical power generation. If you have one on load and need more power the IEP system should manage where the power is going( Shafts, Weapons, Vent, Shedables) and bring on the other GT if its required.
The DG sets are there for high risk evolution such as RAS or restricted waters navigation. They where supposed to kick in only in an emergency if the GT alternators tripped out.
Because of the recouperator issues the GTs tripped a lot and the DGs where being used almost constantly, something that was not planned for in their use.
Mods to the IEP software and the recouperator core improvements have meant that nowadays a T45 sails around on the GT alternators for the majority of the time. They very rarely use the DGs.
The new DGs will give more redundancy because there will be three of them and are of a more modern design meaning more efficient and cost effective to operate.
Ezer good
Where does the data from Shaman get processed? I served on a Batch 2 Type 22 and we had heaps of Comms Technicicians (aka Secret Squirrels) on board as the amount of data generated by ‘Outboard’ was vast. Even then the data didn’t seem to belong to us; there was a dedicated satellite comms link to GCHQ. Is this still going to be the case with Shaman?
Just for interest here is a video of her sister shop HMS Diamond leaving Aberdeen harbour on 14/8/20
https://www.facebook.com/Aberdeenboattours/videos/2195169730727948/
After troubled early years the T45s are turning into quite an operational, if not strategic, asset; more befitting the title of Cruiser than Destroy. If they were subsequently to be fitted with either a depth land attack capability (e.g. Mk 41/ TLAM) or a hard kill ABM capability then they’d likely have the potential to significantly alter the balance of power in medium sized conflicts.
Steel is cheap! So lets do something different and create a anti air battle cruiser. OK so how, you take a T45 and remove the helicopter hanger and replace it with Aster 15/30 missiles and a Mk41 launcher. So weapons done. Then you give a layered horizontal protection of 9 inch armour backed with a gel layer and then finish of with Kevlar. the decks would have a 6 inch armour plate. with gel and Kevlar backing. This should cover the magazine area, CIC and engine room. A 6 inch tube for the wave guide would protect the radar. To keep the speed an increase in power output is needed but that should not be a problem. Yes the T45 would be 3,000 tons heavier but as a carrier escort and or Amphibious escort try sinking it. So we need four one for refit. A harpoon cant and even a hypersonic missile will have an issue.
So is this a idiotic idea, you could say yes however the cost would be an extra 250 million but the increase in fire power is an extra 48 Asters, and 24 Mk 41 capable missiles, plus a passive defence of take me on if you think you can, Yes steel is cheap!
OK it means 1.25 billion for a anti air cruiser, but if you think about the possibilities of a carrier escort to these specifications and the defence of a carrier battle-group tell me that I am wrong.
Curious about the propulsion improvements. It takes a lot of digging on the internet to find out about the initial phase of the Project Napier, the EIP part. So before cutting the hulls, the work that’s being done of replacing gas turbines/recuperator/other improvements were to bring the Type 45 to its original required spec. I suspect this means that the “catastrophic failure” becomes it’s planned “gradual reduction”. I’d be curious to see how many type 45’s have had the work done now as I’ve read that it can be carried out during normal maintenance schedules, ie between deployments.
To me these engine improvements alone take the Type 45 (before the additional diesel is added) back to being a fully capable and reliable deployable ship.
How is it we have six of the most advanced warships in the world, that are always riddled with failures. Incompetence from the MOD leaves us short every time.
I mean theses idiots decommission our aircraft carriers before the new come unto service.
MORONS ARE US