Bani Yas is a multi-mission stealth corvette built by Naval Group providing multiple simultaneous capabilities and designed to achieve, with the highest level of performance, the full spectrum of naval defence operations and maritime security roles. In 2019, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ordered two Gowind corvettes to be built in France. The first corvette, Bani Yas, was launched in December 2021. The second one, Al Emarat, was launched in May 2022 at the Naval Group shipyard in Lorient.
The program illustrates Naval Group’s capability to deliver state of the art capabilities to meet specific requirements of its customers with the integration of diversified sensors and weapons through its SETIS Combat Management System (CMS). The ship has length of 102 meters, width of 16 meters and displacement of 2,800 tons at full load. The maximum speed is 25 knots, while the maximum range is 4,500 nautical miles at 15 knots. It can accommodate an AS.565SB Panther helicopter from the UAE Naval Squadron, and one UAS in its hangar, while it carries two RHIB.
The UAE Gowind corvette features the innovative Panoramic Sensors and Intelligence Module (PSIM) integrated mast that includes almost all the sensor systems of the ship such as radars, optronics, electronic warfare suite, communication antennas, ship weather systems, etc. The electronic equipment includes a Thales NS110 surveillance radar with integrated IFF, a STIR 1.2 EO Mk2 FCR, a new integrated R-ESM/C-ESM system by Elettronica (Elt) Roma, a HGH IRST system based on two SPYNEL-X 8000 electro-optical sensors fixed on either side of PSIM, four up-link antennas and transmitter for the guidance of SAM, Thales KINGKLIP Mk2 HMS and CAPTAS-2 VDS, TDS, and two navigation radars. French company iXblue will supply its Marins navigation systems and Netans data distribution and processing units for these UAE Navy corvettes. Integrated with PSIM are a pair of hanging remote-controlled dual head Glamox CL25 searchlights featuring white HMI and UV lights.
The HGH IRST system is a fully passive infrared surveillance system able to automatically and simultaneously detect, track and classify air and surface threats, including hardly detectable targets, coming from opposite directions and through all types of inclement weather. SPYNEL IRST combines the high performance of two passive wide-area surveillance SPYNEL-X sensors with CYCLOPE Hypervisor‘s data fusion technology creating a 360° protective bubble around the ship.
The author believes that the R-ESM/C-ESM system is a new product by Elettronica (Elt) Roma that allows the coexistence of R-ESM and C-ESM antennas sharing the same volume and minimizing electro-magnetic coupling thanks to a novel system architecture. antenna allows to reduce weight and size of the system, with state of the art electromagnetic performances. It is fitted also on the two Musherib-class FACM of Qatari Emiri Navy which were commissioned in 2022. The new sensor was presented for the first time by ELT-ROMA executives in 2019 PhotonIcs & Electromagnetics Research Symposium – Spring (PIERS-Spring) in Rome, Italy.
The weapon systems suite consists of:
- An OTO 76mm SR gun with STRALES system (and DART guided ammunition) main gun
- 16x VL MICA (VL MICA NG in the future) SAM
- 8x MM40 EXOCET Block 3C SSM in two quadruple launchers amidships
- two triple torpedo launchers for MU90 lightweight torpedoes
- 21-cell RAM CIWS
- 2x remote weapon stations (RWS)
- Several machine gun mounts
Naval News learned during IDEX 2023 that the RWS will be the 30mm R400 Marine (M) by Australian company EOS. This weapon system that was launched at a special event held at the INDO PACIFIC 2022 International Maritime Exposition. Naval News understands the UAE Navy is the first customer of this new naval RWS which is derived from a land based system.
The decoy launching systems (DLS) are two Rheinmetall MASS and two Naval Group 6-tube CMLS for CANTO anti-torpedo decoys.
Based on a scale model showcased on the UAE Navy booth during NAVDEX 2023, the Bani Yas-class will feature two LIG Nex1 12-tube multiple rocket launchers for coastal fire support and counter swarm attacks. These will be installed forward, on each side of the SAM VLS. This weapon system equips already a number of light assault and patrol craft of the UAE and Saudi Arabia navies.
As we previously reported, the two Gowind corvettes were initially set to be fitted with Raytheon’s ESSM but will actually be fitted with VL MICA surface to air missile (SAM) from MBDA.
The Gowind type corvette is in service with the Egyptian Navy (El Fateh-class), has been selected in Malaysia and Romania and is a candidate for the Hellenic Navy corvette program.
