From: Ad 

http://www.janes.com/defence/news/idr/idr061204_1_n.shtml

"The stealth upgrade will involve the design and implementation of the
"ultimate configuration" for a variety of sensors, lights and
other fixtures that are now mounted on the mast aft of the bridge or
elsewhere on the superstructure and that are in a less than optimal
position in the context of the overall stealth profile of the ship.

As an example, the Terma Scanter 2001 surface search radar, for the time
being mounted outside on the very top of the mast, will be relocated from
this interim location to probably two positions inside the forward and aft
parts of the superstructure (mounted on retractable arms that can fold out
if the radar needs to be operating and that can be retracted if the ship
needs to assume its full stealth posture).

Mats Elofsson, FMV programme manager for the Visby corvette programme, told
Jane's: "Everything that is now sticking out will be folded into the
ship so that it is no longer compromising the optimum stealth design.”

Jane's understands that another item under consideration is to add a
stealth railing around the elevated deck aft of the bridge, in which
certain retractable pieces of equipment (including remotely controlled
weapon stations or traditional machine-gun mounts for ship self-defence
against asymmetrical threats) could be incorporated.

Even without the stealth optimisation planned for the SP project, Elofsson
added, it can be said that the signature reductions achieved on the Visby
class have been impressive. "The crew of Helsingborg experienced this
during their transit through the English Channel when they were contacted
by the UK radar surveillance centre at Dover who picked up the ship's AIS
transponder signal, but did not see the corvette on radar despite the fact
that Helsingborg did have some radar reflectors deployed to artificially
enhance its radar cross-section." In order not to compromise safety,
the ship decided to put up additional radar reflectors, Elofsson claimed,
while Dover issued a radio warning to all ships in the area about the
presence of the stealth ship. "


Adam

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