The Sigma class is a Dutch-built family of modular naval vessels, of either corvette or frigate size, designed by Damen Group.
Video Sigma-class design
Modular design
The basic design of the Sigma Patrol Series can vary as the hull segments are designed as components. Ships can vary in the number of hull segments and in the order in which they are placed. Sigma stands for Ship Integrated Geometrical Modularity Approach. The ship's main dimensions are named in the types itself, SIGMA 9113 stands for 91 metres (298 ft 7 in) long and with a beam of 13 metres (42 ft 8 in). Likewise, the SIGMA 10513, is 105 metres (344 ft 6 in) in length with a beam of 13 meters.
The design was derived from the earlier High Speed Displacement hull form by MARIN Teknikk AS in the 1970s.
Maps Sigma-class design
Users
- Indonesia (TNI-AL) has four SIGMA 9113 Diponegoro-class corvettes in active service from 2009. In August 2010, Indonesia signed a deal to build Martadinata-class frigates based on the SIGMA 10514 in PT PAL Shipyard at Surabaya, Indonesia. A second contract was signed in February 2013. Eventually six ships will be built. The first ship, KRI Raden Eddy Martadinata (331), was commissioned on 7 April 2017 at Tanjung Priok. The second ship, KRI I Gusti Ngurah Rai (332), was commissioned on 10 January 2018.
- Morocco has ordered two 9813 class heavy corvettes (with VLS) and a light 10513 class frigate based on a modified design.
Under construction
- Mexico has ordered 1 Sigma 10514 LRP based upon the Indonesian variant with different weapon systems and different role. The Mexican navy will use its Sigma corvette as a long range patrol vessel. The keel was laid on 17 August 2017, with launch planned for 2018 and service to begin in 2020. The ship will be built in six modules, with two of these modules built by Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding in Vlissingen in the Netherlands, and the remaining four by the Mexican Navy shipyard in Salina Cruz under the supervision of Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding. The Sigma will replace the four Allende class (ex-USN Knox class), and two Bravo class (ex-USN Bronstein class) of frigates, so as many as six Sigmas may be built.
Potential operators
- Poland - Damen Schelde submitted its SIGMA PL 10514 in two variants for the competition to supply the Polish Navy with options for their Miecznik & Czapla programmes. Miecznik will be a coastal defense ship and Czapla a patrol ship.
- Peru - The Peruvian Navy plans to acquire between three and six ships, with a displacement of 3,000 to 4,000 tons. During the 6th International Exhibition of Technology in Defense and Prevention of Natural Disasters (Sitdef 2017) Damen Group offered the Sigma-class design to the Peruvian Navy. It believes that the variety of models of frigates offered by the Sigma series allows to fit without difficulty to the requirements of the Peruvian Navy.
- Colombia - The Colombian Navy wants to buy new ships, which will replace the Almirante Padilla class. Damen is one of the potential candidates to build the ships for the Colombian Navy.
- Romania is planning to purchase four corvettes in the upcoming seven years, which have to be built and equipped in a Romanian building yard. Previously, in December 2016, the Romanian government decided that Damen Group would build four Sigma light frigates for a total of 1.6 billion euro at the Damen Gala?i Shipyard. However, the new Romanian government is repealing this decision and will re-open the procurement again. Nonetheless, Damen Group is a top contender for the job, since it has the only shipyard in Romania that has recent experience with building new naval ships reasonably fast and at a competitive price.
Failed bids
- Malaysia Damen Schelde participated in the competition to supply the Royal Malaysian Navy with six frigates under the Second Generation Patrol Vessel program. It lost to the French Gowind class. The other competitor was the MEKO A200.
- Egypt Damen Schelde was in competition for four Sigma corvettes (+ two options) for the Egyptian Navy. The French Gowind-class corvette won this bid. The other competitor was the TKMS MEKO A200.
- Philippines Damen Schelde bought bidding documents but did not submit an offer.
- United Arab Emirates Damen had submitted an offer (likely the Sigma 9813 or Sigma 9814) for the Abu Dhabi-class corvettes. It lost to a corvette based on the Italian Comandanti class.
- Oman had an interest in buying four Sigma corvettes/frigates in March 2011. The Dutch queen Beatrix planned a state visit to Oman, one of the reasons for the visit being the potential sale of the ships to the Royal Navy of Oman. The official visit was cancelled due to the unrest in Oman at the time, although the queen did go to an unofficial dinner with the Sultan of Oman. The official visit took place later in January 2012. During the first visit to Oman, the Royal Netherlands Navy sent its air defence warfare frigate HNLMS De Ruyter to Muscat. In April 2012 it was announced that they lost to the Singaporean Al-Ofouq-class patrol vessel by ST Engineering. Damen had offered the Sigma 7513.
SIGMA 9113
The Indonesian variant is based on the Sigma 9113 design. Work on the first of the class, KRI Diponegoro, began with the first steel cutting conducted in October 2004. The ship was christened on 16 September 2006 and commissioned on 2 July 2007 by Admiral Slamet Soebijanto, Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff.
Options for two other units were exercised in January 2006 with the first steel cut commenced on 3 April 2006 in Damen's Schelde Naval Shipbuilding yard, Vlissingen-Oost yard and not in Surabaya stated earlier.
On 28 August 2007, Jane's Missiles and Rockets reported that Indonesia was having problems securing the export license for the MM-40 Exocet block II and are considering Chinese made C-802 anti-ship missiles as alternatives. However, the ships have already been delivered with the Exocet missiles.
SIGMA 10514
On the 16 August 2010, Indonesia Defense Department, signed a deal with PT PAL Indonesia and Damen Schelde to build a 105-meter frigate in Indonesia based on Damen Schelde Sigma 10514 design. For the first ship, five modules for the ship will be built in Indonesia and the Dutch manufacturer Damen Schelde will build 2 modules while for the second ship the Indonesians will build six modules and Damen Schelde will build one module. The first hull will only be equipped with guns (without major weapons) and the second hull is complete with major weapons such as 76 mm main cannon, 12 MICA vertical launch air defence missile, MM-40 Exocet block III, Torpedo, and SMART-S MK2 radar system. The Indonesian Navy announced that it will build two destroyer escorts referring to the SIGMA 10514. On the Indo Defence 2012 exposition a model was revealed showing the phalanx and ASW mortar replaced by a single 35 mm Oerlikon Millennium Gun system, also the 76 mm had a stealth cupola. Some reported that the VLS missiles will be Aster-15 instead of MICA, due to these changes the ships role also changed from ASW to AAW.
On 1 February 2013 it was announced that a second unit will be built by Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding and PT PAL Surabaya, the second contract includes torpedo tubes, combat control room and a couple of surface weapons. As of December 2015, the first ship, KRI Raden Eddy Martadinata (331), was 85% complete and the ship was launched on 18 January 2016. On 7 April 2017 the first ship, KRI Raden Eddy Martadinata (331), was commissioned at Tanjung Priok. The second ship, KRI I Gusti Ngurah Rai (332), was commissioned on 10 January 2018.
On 6 February 2008, Morocco signed a USD$1.2 billion contract with Schelde Naval Shipbuilding for two light frigate SIGMA 9813 and one light frigate SIGMA 10145, which are modified versions of the existing Sigma-class design.
A subsequent contract was signed on 1 April 2008 with Thales Nederland for the supply and installation of the command and control and sensor package for the ships. The package included TACTICOS combat management system, SMART-S Mk2 surveillance radar, LIROD Mk2 tracking radar, Thales KINGKLIP sonar system, IFF system, Integrated communication system comprising external communication system and FOCON internal communication system, two Target Designation Sights, VIGILE ESM system, SCORPION ECM system, and the integrated navigation system.
The first frigate for Morocco, Tarik ben Ziyad, was launched in July 2010, began sea trials on 6 May 2011 and was delivered on 12 September 2011. The second ship was launched on 2 February 2011, with sea trials planned for late in the year. The third ship was planned to be launched in September 2011.
In November 2016 the Romanian Navy indicated that Damen Shipyard's Sigma-class design had been selected to supply four vessels, to be locally constructed at the Damen Shipyard in Galati. Romania will order four multi-role corvettes for a total of 1.6 billion euros including training, spare parts and ammunition. The first ship is planned to be delivered within 2.5 years after contract signing.
The Romanian Navy has studied the SIGMA 9813 and SIGMA 10514 with the 10514 meeting most of the requirements. No official confirmation has been given on what variant of SIGMA will be ordered.
On 18 August 2017, Damen announced the keel laying for one SIGMA 10514 Long Range Patrol (SIGMA 10514 LRP/ SIGMA 10514 POLA) at Damen Schelde Naval Shipyard in Vlissingen for the Mexican Navy. The vessel will be constructed modularly in six modules, two modules are to be constructed in Vlissingen and the other four modules in Mexico. According to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency Major Arms Sale notification on 5 January 2018, the primary weapon systems for the Sigma class will include RGM-84L Harpoon Block II, MK 54 Mod 0 lightweight torpedoes with two (2) MK 32 Surface Vessel Torpedo Tubes (SVTT) triple tube launchers, Block II Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) missiles and Bofors 57 mm gun. In April 2018 Damen Group contracted Spanish defense technology company Indra to equip the Mexican Navy's new long-range offshore patrol vessel (POLA) with its RIGEL electronic defense system.
Ships of class
Indonesian Navy / Sigma 9113 design
Indonesian Navy / Sigma 10514 design
Moroccan Navy / Sigma 9813 & 10513 design
Note: 613 now shows on AIS as Sultan Moulay Ismail.
Mexican Navy / Sigma 10514 LRP design
Sigma versions
There are three types of Sigma combatants
- Sigma frigate
- Sigma corvette
- Sigma fast attack corvette
Simplified comparisons between the different Sigma models.
There are multiple new Sigma designs released in early 2015 of which little is known, these are the:
Sigma 8313 / Sigma 8011 / Sigma 7613 / Sigma 6610
They are likely to be part of the Compact SIGMA series, a new series small sized combatants with shorter range and up to 2 weeks mission endurance with the same combat systems as the larger Sigmas.
See also
- List of naval ship classes in service
- Martadinata-class frigate (an Indonesian frigate class based on the Sigma 10514 design)
References
External links
- SIGMA Class Frigates (FMMM), Morocco
- SIGMA 10513 Tarik Ben Ziad Frigate - Royal Moroccan Navy
- SIGMA 9813 Frigates Sultan Moulay Ismail & Allal Ben Abdellah - Royal Moroccan Navy
- Sigma 10514 PKR Frigate - Indonesia Navy (TNI AL)
- Commonality and similarity in DAMEN SIGMA designs
- SIGMA corvettes
- SIGMA Frigate
- SMART-S Mk2 Medium to Long Range (S-Band) Solid State Surveillance Radar
Source of the article : Wikipedia