Faolchu-class Fast Attack Craft

The **Faolchu-class Fast Attack Craft** is Silverport Dockyard's answer to missile cruisers and other enemy capital ships: Small, agile, heavily armed with six anti-ship missiles and with the capability to lay naval mines.

In 2010, SDY released the Faolchu-class Speedboat for the international market, based on the FACs. In 2021, the SDF-Navy announced their intention to reduce the number of Faolchu-class FACs in service to zero by 2035 and to replace them with a new class, the *Future Fast Attack Craft*. In 2022, the SDF-Navy had 42 vessels in seven squadrons in service.

## Faolchu-I-class Fast Attack Craft

### Propulsion

4 diesel engines, four shafts, total of 12,800 hp (9,500 kW)

### Sensors and Processing Systems

Air & surface surveillance radar, fire-control radar

### Armament

6x Anti-Ship Missiles, 1x 76 mm naval gun, 1x mine rail (20 mines)

**Faolchu-class FACs** are cheap, both in acquisition and upkeep, reliable and a force to be reckogned with due to several things differing from 'normal' FACs. One of these things is for example the complete lack of defensive systems making room for fuel, weapons and light supplies.

Another thing is their silhouette: The craft's superstructure is dominated by the large radom at midship, countering one of the gravest weaknesses of the FAC. Due to the small silhouette, a normal FAC wouldn't be able to detect and fight against enemy ships from a distance far smaller then their detection and combat range, so we developed a protected system, which allows for a larger and more powerful radar, not completely making up for this weakness, but countering a good chunk of it with its detection range of 270 kilometres. Combined with the reduced radar and infra-red signature of the Faolchu, the FACs are hard to detect, but it's not impossible for they aren't dedicated stealth-ships.

Combined with the Type 40 Anti-Ship Missile (or any other long-range AShM), these small craft can stop enemy fleets from far away without the need to have own, gigantic battlefleets.

## Technical Data

### Propulsion

2 diesel engines, two shafts, total of 15,800 hp (11,782 kW)

### Range

4,000 nmi (7,408 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h)1,000 nmi (1,900 km) at 35 kn (64.8 km/h)

### Sensors and Processing Systems

Air & surface surveillance radar, Fire-Control Radar

### Armament

4x Anti-Ship Missile Launchers, 2x Multi-Purpose Missile Launchers, 1x twin 76 mm naval gun, 1x 30mm CIWS

The **Faolchu-II-class FAC** is based on, not very surprisingly, the Faolchu-class FAC, a cheap, both in acquisition and upkeep, and reliable FAC, a force to be reckogned with due to several things differing from 'normal' FACs and the Faolchu-class. The greatest difference to the predecessor is the presence of self-defense systems, starting with two multi-purpose missile launchers, the same as the ones used on the Fiagai-class Patrol Vessel, which are usually armed with Surface-to-Air missiles, and ending with a 30mm CIWS on the aft-deck, replacing the rails for mines and depth charges. This CIWS, a Ceantar C-84 Mark I, only has a rather limited supply of ammunition with it, namely 2000 rounds on the turret itself.

Another great difference to the Faolchu-I-class is the new twin-turret, Túirín T-12 Mark II, capable of lobbing 76mm shells over distance of 27.5 kilometres with an ammo-supply of 60 rounds per barrel in the turret. The radar was upgraded as well to have a detection range of 300 kilometres. This combined surface and air-search radar can detect targets from a huge distance and feed a firing solution to the missile launchers via a small datalink system.

Combined with the reduced radar (including radar-absorbing paint) and infra-red signature of the Faolchu-II, these FACs are hard to detect, but it's not impossible for they aren't dedicated stealth-ships. With the Type 40 Anti-Ship Missile (or any other long-range ASM, but we recommend the Type 40), these small craft can stop enemy fleets from far away without the need to have own, gigantic battlefleets.

## History

The SDF is well aware, that, if someone really wants to invade the Free Lands, there won't be many things they can do to stop them. They can make his life a living hell, though.

With these bleak thoughts in mind, the Faolchu-class FAC was developed in the late 1980s, entering production in the 2000s after delays of the Type 40 AShM, conducting missions in its intended role without problems or hassle, expect one: The lack of defenses made the Faolchu-I-class ideal glass canons, packing more then just a punch, but also suffering from the complete lack of defensive systems.

Faolchu-Is fought at the Battle of Marley Bay, sinking and damaging enemy vessels in the bay itself and covering the retreat.

This needed to get a remedy, taking shape and form of the Faolchu-II-class FAC: Small, heavily armed, capable of limited self-defense, a force to be recogned with. This enables the Faolchu-II-class FAC to serve as an escort vessel or patrol boat just as well. The SDF-Navy ordered the first batch in 2013, the first craft were delivered in 2014 and commissioned in May 2015.

On July 1st, 2017, SDY announced the discontinuation of the Faolchu-I-class FAC, the corresponding boats being phased out by 2025.