Sigma class Corvette - Design
The Sigma design uses standard, 7.2-meter-long (24-ft.) sections separated by bulkheads with watertight doors throughout the ship. By varying the number of sections, a ship can be stretched or shortened. The Indonesian corvettes have 12 sections; two of the Moroccan ships have 13, and the third Moroccan ship has 14. The length of the sections was set at 7.2 meters because of an international requirement that 6-meter-wide damage be survivable. Based on the 7.2-meter-section principle, such damage will result in a maximum of two sections being flooded, which is survivable. The section dimensions also provide an extra margin to accommodate standard 20-ft. containers. Thin-hulled ships such as the Sigmas use 5-mm. steel rather than the 6-12-mm. steel used for patrol ships of the Dutch navy or Swedish coast guard.
Apart from the standardisation, the quality and competitiveness of the SIGMA series are further enhanced by Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding extended experience in applying a clever mix of commercial and military standards. This experience has been built up in the RNN's innovative programs over the last 25 years. This approach is now being applied onto the SIGMA series and allows the client to make a balanced selection of commercial and/or military standards and specifications, that matches his operational requirements.
SIGMA DESIGN APPROACH
Royal Schelde presents its new range of Naval
Patrol vessels based on its unique and highly innovative Ship
Integrated Geometrical Modularity Approach, in short 'SIGMA'.
The driving factor behind the SIGMA-approach is to respond to the
world market's demands of today and the next decades, emphasising
notably the following two aspects:
- Flexibility in establishing the optimum arrangement of the customers' current operational requirements, whilst maintaining the possibility to implement the changing needs of tomorrow, which may require modifications or upgrades, thereby avoiding premature obsolescence of the vessel;
- Affordability, by a balanced trade-off between required capabilities on the one hand and initial procurement and subsequent life cycle cost on the other hand.
To achieve this goal the SIGMA-approach is in essence customer-oriented:
- It provides a wide selection of basic versions with a vast range of options to enhance and customize the vessel without deviating from the proven product composition;
- It allows a competitive price and speedy delivery.
GEOMETRIC MODULARITY
Modularisation in naval shipbuilding is usually limited to using
standardised pallets and containers. However, the associated
advantages of this building method (risk reduction, shorter building
time) can better be achieved otherwise. Royal Schelde chose to go a
radically different way, by defining a set of geometric parameters,
which are now applied throughout the entire SIGMA-range, thus
providing a repetition of identical units, both in the dimensioning
of the ship's spaces and in the lay-out of systems.
PROVEN DESIGNS
To validate the geometric modularity applied to the hull in the
SIGMA-approach, a large number of tank tests has been conducted in a
joint research program, conducted by the Marin institute and Royal
Schelde's engineering department. The prime aim of the research was
to establish to what extent it is possible to apply geometric
modularity to hull shapes by applying parallel mid ship sections -
and this without compromising the hull's hydrodynamic highspeed
displacement characteristics. The tank tests resulted in the
dimensioning as specified in the tables below, with a basic series
covering patrol vessels in the range of 52 m to 98 m length over
all, with displacements ranging from 440 tonnes to 1930 tonnes. In
the Schelde Naval Patrol-series, each specific configuration is
indicated using a four-digit number, designating its approximate
length and breadth overall in meters.
The Schelde Naval Patrol-series marks a breakthrough in ship design and sets the trend in naval shipbuilding today and tomorrow.
COMBAT SYSTEMS OPTIONS In the SIGMA design approach the mission of the ship such as "Customs / Police", "Coast Guard / Offshore Patrol", "Littoral Warfare" or " Blue Water" mission profiles, determines the Combat System configuration, the ship's speed, the maximum range, the crew size and the mission time. These elements in turn determine the ship's hull and topside. Royal Schelde cooperates with all reputable combat system and weapon suppliers and can configure and deliver on a turn-key basis the optimum combat system, that matches the ship's mission profile. |
| BALANCING MILITARY AND COMMERCIAL STANDARDS Standardisation apart, the quality and competitiveness of the Naval Patrol series are further enhanced by Royal Schelde's vast experience in applying a clever mix of commercial and military standards and specifications, which it has built up in Royal Netherlands Navy innovative programs since the late eighties. The four Royal Netherlands Navy Air Defence Command Frigates are designed and built by Royal Schelde using navalised commercial equipment and techniques made suitable for naval application. Yet these Frigates meet the most demanding operational and technical requirements. This approach is now projected onto the Schelde Naval Patrol vessels and allows the customer to make a balanced selection of commercial and/or military standards and specifications, that matches his operational requirements. |
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| PROPULSION OPTIONS Propulsion options include twin screw controllable pitch propeller or twin water jets, driven by two or four diesel engines and twin screw fixed pitch propellers or twin water jets, full electric driven by four to six DG-sets. Other options, e.g. including gas turbines, are available. |
| HULL FEATURES
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ROLL REDUCTION SYSTEM OPTIONS:
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VULNERABILITY REDUCTION OPTIONS:
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INTACT & DAMAGED STABILITY:
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