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Australia Considering Modular C-Dome For Arafura OPVs
Illustration of Arafura-class OPV fitted with C-DOME
“Normally when a navy acquires a new ship, they want it to be as capable as possible. Not so the Royal Australian Navy, which has down-designed the Arafura class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) so that they can no longer support the weight of a helicopter on the large rear deck.”
The article goes on to criticize this and other decisions regarding the ship, but there may be method to this madness.
I would assume the Australian Navy is putting some thought into these decisions and it may be related to my observations in a post only two days ago, “When is a Flight Deck Not a Flight Deck?”
The intention may be to save topside weight so that an additional load or loads, heavier than an 11 ton helicopter, can be placed high on the ship.
A helicopter deck must be very strong everywhere, because it may be required to take high dynamic loads concentrated on just a few square inches, that may occur unpredictably, almost anywhere on the deck. By contrast even a large load like SURTASS-E, that spreads the load over a much larger area, requires less deck strength.
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SURTASS-E. (U.S Department of Defense)
It may be that the Australian Navy has decided to use the “flight deck” as a mission load area where they anticipate placing heavy loads. The weight savings from weakening the flight deck may also permit additional topside weight for other systems, like weapons, if it is not required for loads on the flight deck.
