A paper presented at the 2024 RINA Warship conference in Australia heard an analysis of how the Royal Australian Navy might meet a requirement for greater fire power and more missile-armed vessels.
The Royal Australian Navy’s surface fleet is well-equipped in sensor and combat management systems but lacks the ability to deploy sufficient effectors, but a class of vessels could be constructed based on existing high-speed vessel designs to act as ‘missile magazines,’ Gareth Arnold, in the Naval Construction Branch told the conference.
Mr Arnold said the vessels could provide enhanced lethality to the Royal Australian Navy in a relatively short timeframe, with small crew requirements and could be built by Australian and/or allied shipbuilders based on existing designs. The question, said Mr Arnold, is ‘How do we best increase the surface fleet’s strike and air warfare effectors in the shortest possible time?’”
Mr Arnold said there are three obvious solutions to providing the fleet with more effectors are to increase the effectors carried by each surface combatant, to acquire additional vessels, or to convert non-combat platforms to carry effectors.
Due to the intended role of accompanying major surface combatants, names such as the ‘Partner Ship’ or ‘Ship Mate’ were considered before the concept was christened ‘Mate Ship’ as a play on the traditional Australian value of ‘mateship,’ that is, companionship or friendship between men.
Having ruled out existing major surface combatants and ‘off-the-shelf’ designs, Mr Arnold noted that the recent Surface Fleet Review had suggested the acquisition by the Royal Australian Navy of six ‘Large Optionally Manned Surface Vessels (LOSVs).’
“The LUSV appears to have range capabilities in line with Mate Ship
Requirements,” Mr Arnold said, but crucially, it does not provide the quick addition of lethality that the Mate Ship could provide.
A concept that could meet the need for a Mate Ship is building vessels derived from the HSV-2 Swift and the Spearhead-class, he concluded. The Royal Australian Navy could then use the platforms as test beds to determine whether to integrate such a capability into the fleet and whether aspects of the Mate Ship concept – such as higher speed and organic defences – should be included in the LUSV designs. More details can be found in the October 2024 issue of Warship Technology.
