A Quick Note on the Role of Small Ships in Littoral Warfare–Specifically in Gaza

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The Tactical Notebook has a short post, “What I Got Wrong About the War in Gaza,” that includes a look at what Israel is doing with their Navy to support the ground war in Gaza. It is a quick lesson in the value of small, shallow draft combatants armed with guns and small, short-range missiles, a type the US Navy does not have, but the Coast Guard has or could have with relatively small changes.

A report of Israeli warships firing upon anti-tank guided missile teams leads me to think that the degree of cooperation between Israeli ships at sea and Israeli columns ashore may be very close indeed. That is, while Israeli warships are probably firing upon places likely to harbor Hamas kornetisti well ahead of the arrival of Merkavot and Namerim, it is also possible that sailors have been shooting in response to particular requests made by their compatriots on land.

Israel Navy strikes terror targets in Gaza, including smuggling boats and terror fortifications on the coast. Includes footage from a missile-mounted camera. 29 Dec. 2008

5 thoughts on “A Quick Note on the Role of Small Ships in Littoral Warfare–Specifically in Gaza”

  1. The US would try to perform the same mission by designing and building a cutting edge WW2 battleship-sized stealth Destroyer and then outfitting it with boutique artillery and other tech.

    It would cost untold billions, prove unaffordable and never quite work.

    Actually being in a war and under threat forces practical solutions which is something Israel has plenty of experience with.

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    • Excellent description of the Zumwalt-class destroyers! Don’t you wish the US Coast Guard had the budget that the US Navy throws away on worthless ships like the Zumwalt-class destroyers and the Littoral Combat Ships? The entire US Coast Guard annual budget is barely more than the cost of one Ford-class supercarrier (each carrier costs $13 billion dollars, or to be more precise, $12.998,000,000).

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      • The Coast Guard does a lot with a little no doubt.

        If the US were to get in a major conflict there is no doubt the Coast Guard would be asked to contribute just as they always have.

        This might be more true today than ever. With the Navy retiring the PCs, Avengers and Mk VIs, the smaller vessel expertise resides in the Coast Guard.

  2. My only naval thought on the affair is:

    Israel should be glad Turkey doesn’t have a brace of modern AAW platforms.

    I am sitting this one out.

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