Novel Davit/Cradle System

NavalNews reports successful tests of a launch and recovery system (LARS) planned for a future class of Mine Countermeasures vessel for the Netherlands and Belgium Navies.

They claim impressive capability, an ability to launch and recover unmanned surface vessels in up to sea state five or a swell amplitude of four meters. Our requirements for the Offshore Patrol Cutter included the ability to launch and recover boats and helicopters in State Five seas, but I don’t believe that included the upper limit of Sea State Five. Boat operations are bread and butter to the Coast Guard so we probably would want to keep an eye on developments in the field.

This is what the Future Belgian & Dutch MCM Motherships will look like. The vessel is 81.4 meters in length with a beam of 17 meters. (Weapon on the bow is a 40mm.)

2 thoughts on “Novel Davit/Cradle System”

May 22, 2020 Vestdavit of Norway awarded contract for their advanced motion compensated davits to equip 78,000t USN ESB 6 & 7, davit can launch boats up to 14 metric tons including 7 and 11 meter RHIBs and CCA, will allow safe operation in much higher sea states than has been possible for the davits/crane used on ESBs 3,4 & 5. ESB 6 & 7 contracted in August 2019 for $540 million each, with an option for a third from GD NASSCO San Diego.

Vestdavit davits are built around a fail safe self tensioning system, a shock absorber to take peak loads and an end stop, which all ensure crew safety while handling boats in demanding sea states, require little maintenance between five year service. The one man operated 2TDB-7000 hydraulically operated overhead telescopic davits can function in both single or dual-point configuration, with the latter mode enabling synchronized movement of the two davit arms. They also include dual independent self-levelling winches that offer hoisting/lowering speeds of up to 40m per min, an anti-pendulation system and an automatic wire hauler and shock absorbers on each arm among other features.