Main Overhaul 2022
During 2022, the frigate F341 has undergone a significant update — stability has been improved and close-in defence capability has been enhanced with the installation of a Laser CIWS.
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Stability Improvement
After examining the original stability tests, it was clear that stability needed to be improved. The main batteries have been replaced from 4 × 51 Ah NMC cells to 4 × 12 × 3.2 Ah NMC 18650 cells, allowing them to be placed right down at the keel.
Ammunition is then placed along the entire keel to lower the centre of mass. The ammunition is spent casings from cal. .22 as well as 9 mm from a shooting range — used because lead has a suitable grain size and high density.
Afterwards the ship is completely stable.
Stability test without stabilisation fins (click for video)
Ballast material — cal .22 spent casings
Ballast placed midship
Laser CIWS
Denmark is known for having one of the absolute best companies that designs and develops high-quality laser components, therefore it is obvious that the F341 is updated with a laser defence weapon — Laser CIWS (Close-In Weapon System).
In Denmark we do not manufacture high-power laser weapons, but only the laser unit itself. The chosen laser is a medium-power 30 kW laser with a coherence length of > 30 ship lengths. If the target is moving at low speed, the laser can be used at up to > 50 ship lengths.
The actual laser is a red 650 nm semiconductor laser. In real life I would choose a low-noise, narrow-linewidth 532 nm laser from NKT Photonics (fibre laser modules with close to diffraction-limited beam quality) with a power amplifier from Rheinmetall in Germany. The selected laser has a total efficacy of more than 30% — for every 1 kW electrical input power, the laser generates more than 300 W single-line optical light power. Because of this, a very compact and agile system is implemented.
Laser CIWS — 3D design (click for video)
Laser CIWS installed on the F341 model