Rear Admiral (retired) Jonathan Kamerman, a Senior Naval Advisor at TKMS, told Naval News that the MEKO A210 was a natural evolution of the MEKO A200, which was itself an evolution of the MEKO 200. The MEKO 200 was also the reference design for the RANs Anzac class frigates which were originally acquired as a lower-end capability to supplement “Tier 1” warships, he pointed out.
The new design retains its predecessors Combined Diesel and Gas Water jet and Refined Propeller (CODAG WARP) propulsion system. CODAG WARP pairs up two diesel engines with two propellers, and the single gas turbine with a centerline-mounted water jet. This, Kamerman said, allows the MEKO A210 design to achieve high speeds when needed while retaining substantial redundancy.
What it does not retain, however, is its size. Whereas the A200 tops out at around 3,600 tonnes, the A210 displaces more than 4,700 as currently designed. It is also slightly longer than the A200, which allows it to accommodate 32 strike length Mk.41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) cells forward of the bridge.
Designed With The Future in Mind
In addition to the MK.41 VLS the design is also armed with 16 Naval Strike Missiles (NSM), a 127mm Vulcano main gun, multiple remote weapon stations, a conventional Close in Weapons System (CIWS), as well as a Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) in this case the MBDA-Rheinmetall 20kw Laserwaffendemonstrator (LWD).
To feed the LWD DEW the design has substantial power generation and storage capabilities. These, Kamerman said, exceed the demands of the 20kw system and are intended to keep the ship relevant into the future as more powerful DEWs come online.
As part of TKMS future proofing efforts the design incorporates a large mission bay, which can be used for uncrewed vessels, underneath the NSM launchers. It also has space allocated for ISO containerised payloads on top of the hanger, behind the CIWS. At Indo Pacific 2023, this space was used by two containers containing missile launchers associated with the Rheinmetall Skyshield short range air defence system (SHORAD). Naval News regular contributor Alex Luck believes these would be capable of deploying Iris T SLS or ESSM Block 2 missiles.
The design was also shown with a CEA CEAFAR radar, something which is nearly ubiquitous across the Tier 2 combatant competitors, as well as a towed array sonar. Kamerman told Naval News that the design, which has been in the works for “many months,” had progressed as far through the design phase as any design does before securing a firm order.
While the company wouldn’t be drawn on details of cost, schedule, and Australian industry involvement, it did confirm that it is in discussions with an undisclosed local partner around supporting a possible build.
Our interview with TKMS at Indo Pacific 2023:
