Indons can built a stealth littoral combat trimaran, and we buy shit from others? WTF

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

So here's the difference between the Formidable Class stealth frigates the French conned us into buying and the way the Indonesians do business. In the case of our 6 stealth frigates, the we build the last 5 after the French build the first one. Because the Indonesian stealth trimarans are build by an Indonesian company with sizeable input from Saab Sweden, this company can manufacture and sell the boat to foreign countries, hence earning money for the Indonesian company. ST Engineering Marine can't do that because they don't have a licence for manufacture from the French.


An Indonesian Combat Trimaran Designed In Sweden

The X3K was built by Indonesian-based Swedish boat builder North Sea Boats, and designed in part by renowned exotic boat builder LOMOcean Design LTD. The goal was to build a very stealthy, high-speed, multi-role missile boat that could dominate the complex littorals around Indonesia while still being affordable to procure and operate.

At 63 meters in length, the X3K is no small patrol boat, but with her trimaran wave piercing hull and twin MJP 550 water jets, she can keep up with much smaller boats and even follow them into areas where there is just six feet of water. She is powered by four MAN12 diesel engines that put out 1,800hp each, that can propel her up near 40 knots during sprints. She cruises leisurely in even rough sea states at 16 knots, and has a range of over 2,000 miles.

The X3K is said to have an extremely stealthy design, with its two sets of four-tube anti-ship missiles launchers shrouded behind flat panels above and behind the bridge. Eight Chinese built C-702 anti-ship missiles can be carried for use against medium and small sized targets, or against larger targets, if fired as a salvo. Alternatively, four deadly Saab RBS-15 Mk3 advanced cruise missiles can be carried for attacking both large ships and land targets at long ranges.

The ship's rear boat launch ramp and enclosed housing can launch and recover up to an 11 meter high-speed rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) with ease. A 40mm advanced Bofos cannon is fitted atop her bridge for surface and air engagements, including being the ship's primary close in weapon system (CIWS). It is rumored that torpedoes and a anti-aircraft point defense missile system can also be accommodated, all shrouded behind the ship's stealthy skin.

Her weapons are directed by the highly capable Sea Giraffe 1X 3D radar which is able to conduct air and surface surveillance. SAAB's CEROS 200 fire-control director is also mounted above the bridge, and this system is capable of directing gunfire or providing targeting solutions against marauding aircraft. This unique, elevated sensor and gun configuration provides an enhanced line-of sight for the ships sensors and a better firing angle for the ship's cannon.

All these systems are tied into Saab's 9LV Mk4 series "open architecture" combat management system, which the X3K's command crew can interface with just behind the state-of-the-art bridge, in a mini combat information center. In total this highly automated ship is crewed by about 21 sailors and officers, and another 9 persona special operations contingent can be embarked even on long duration missions.

The X3K's whole package adds up to an incredibly powerful yet elegant and futuristic design that was tailor built to dominate her unique combat environment while providing 'balanced' signature control, combat punch, and survivability against cost.

Missions for this radical ship design include counter-piracy, drug interdiction, coastal security, special operations, surface attack, counter-terrorism, surveillance, area sea control and fishing regulations enforcement. Additionally, the ship can be outfitted to carry out other missions, such as mine clearing, which her composite hull is highly adapted to.

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/dea...949163/+travis


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