French shipbuilding company Naval Group has unveiled a new surface concept ship that incorporates high-tech and environmentally friendly features.
The new concept ship Blue Shark was shown at defence event Euronaval 2022. Its name refers to its potential: Blue for high environmental technologies integrated and Shark because it is first and foremost a combat ship, meeting the mission profiles of a frigate.
The design is composed of a main hull and two floats to ensure a ship resistance reduced by half, maximized stability and a low level of acoustic signature. The ship is 160 meters long with a maximum width of 37 meters.
The use of composite materials on the structure is expected to enable significant functionalisation of the walls, improving the integration of communication means: low latency, high available and wide bandwidth.
Blue Shark also incorporates operational capabilities such as high combat performances, assured sea readiness, high radar stealth and projection capability through a fleet of unmanned vehicles onboard.
The engineers have considered the ship’s impact on the environment, from the design to its life cycle. It reduces CO2 emissions by at least two times compared to current frigates, according to the company.
Yesterday, Naval Group signed a preliminary consortium agreement for the European modular and multirole patrol corvette (MMPC) with Navantia, Naviris and Fincantieri.
The objective of the consortium’s proposal is to maximize synergies and collaboration among European shipbuilding industrials. By developing together a new ship, the EPC, they aim to ensure the European position in the naval shipbuilding sector.