Combat Suites aboard Surface Vessels MEKO 100

1. Peacetime Employment:

   • maritime surveillance

   • fishery patrol

   • protection of offshore resources

   • law enforcement tasks

   • support tasks: disaster relief, medical evacuation, search and rescue

2. Time of Tension:

   • reconnaissance and surveillance patrol

   • investigation and interdiction of surface contacts

   • escort and protection of coastal shipping

   • limited protection of offshore resources and infrastructure

   • seaward defence of ports

   • support of land force operations

• medium-sized surface combatants:

  • OPVs, corvettes, frigates

• speed boats armed with small-calibre guns or missiles

• land-based attack aircraft armed with small-calibre guns or missile

• land-based defence systems:

  • medium-calibre guns or small-calibre missiles

• based on: area of operations, tasks, threats

• define a number of reference scenarios

• select a proper simulaton device for functional chains

• evaluate efficiency of weapons and sensor-weapon combinations under consideration

• select sensor-weapon combination with respect to

  • efficiency in the different reference scenarios defined

  • number of anticipated sensor-weapon combinations / functional chains

  • avaible funding

• determine intended weapon/target intercept range

• determine necessary weapon release time

• add weapon preparation time from target indication until ready to fire

• read out the necessary target acquisition range of the weapon guidance sensor

• add time for command team decision making and tracker designation/weapon calculation

• read out necessary surveillance sensor’s confirmed track range

• add time from first detection until track established

• read out necessary surveillance sensor’s detection range

Advantages of fire control radar:

• long detection and tracking range

• automatic target acquisition

• low weather dependency

Disadvantages of fire control radar:

• disclosure of presence due to transmitted energy

• multipath effect when tracking low-flying targets

• glint effect in case of vast targets

• more expensive than EO director

Advantages of EO director:

• most of the time passive operation (laser ranger only used for short time)

• optical target identification possible

• less multipath effect when tracking low-flying targets

Disadvantages of EO director:

• shorter detection and tracking range

• target acquisition requires operator support

• strong dependence on weather conditions

• primary functional chains

  provide maximum accuracy and the largest operational range

• scondary functional chains

  provide capabilities similar to those of primary chains but have limitations regarding operational sectors and/or accuracy and/or reaction time

• emergency functional chains (casualty)

  provide limited weapon capabilities with considerably reduced accuracy and/or reaction time