Category Archives: Anti-Submarine Warfare

Finland Seeks Unique Warship

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Hamina-luokka_Hanko

Photo: Hamina class missile boat Hanko (82) by kallerna, 2009

NavyRecognition reports, the Finnish Navy is looking for some small warships with unique characteristics.

Finnish Minister of Defence, Jussi Niinistö, has given the Defence Forces a mandate to start the Finnish Navy project, Squadron 2020. The aim of the Squadron 2020 project is to construct four new corvette-size fighting ships for year-round operation in the special weather and ice conditions at the Baltic Sea (emphasis applied–Chuck).

The Request for Information informs shipyards about the project and inquires know-how and price information from shipbuilders and suppliers to base the Request for Quote on. The RFI was sent out on 18 December 2015 and answers are requested by the end of March next year.

The expected cost for the four is 1.2B Euros or abut $1.31 B. Right now the Offshore Patrol Cutter is probably the closest thing to what they are looking for, but in all probability the final design will be both smaller and much better armed. The Finns have shown an ability to cram a lot of fight into very small packages, but then, they have no need for the long range that is a characteristic of most Coast Guard or US Navy ships.

Their Hamina class patrol craft (wikipedia here) which are smaller than our Webber class (268 tons vs 353 tons fl) are equipped with a 57 mm gun, both a radar and an optronic fire control system, an EADS-TRS-3D multi-mode radar just like the National Security Cutter, an eight cell vertical launch system for anti-aircraft missiles, four anti-ship cruise missiles, ESM, and sonar. They have an aluminum hull, a composite superstructure, and NBC protection. They also have an RHIB ramp in the stern.

Possible New Sonar for Even Small Cutters

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NavyRecognition reports the Navy has selected the sonar for their Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel.(ACTUV). Since this vessel is quite small at 140 tons and 132 feet long, there is a good chance the sonar would fit nicely on cutters as small as the Webber class, and certainly on the Offshore Patrol Cutter.

“MS3 (Modular Scalable Sonar System–Chuck) marks an improvement in the performance and reliability of proven sonar technologies. It performs active and passive search and tracking; incoming torpedo warning; and small-object avoidance for safer navigation.”

Maybe it is time to “Bring Back the Coast Guard ASW Mission.”

Coming Unmanned Surface Vessels

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Dangerroom reports on a new technology being developed for the Navy, the Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vehicle, or ACTUV,. This unmanned surface vessel is intended to dog potentially hostile subs during that awkward period when tensions are high, but before the first shots are fired. The idea is that once the sub is located, one of these unmanned (and at least for now, unarmed) surface vessels will be assigned to trail it using active sonar and other sensors. This should cost less than maintaining a continuous track using Maritime Patrol Aircraft, and would allow manned vessels to avoid coming within range of the sub. If shots are fired, presumably the ACTUV would be the first to go, but it would be a minor loss, and allow the manned vessels to avoid being surprised.

The technology may also have some implications for the Coast Guard. We might see a smaller version of this launched from a cutter to augment the cutter’s radar picture. The technology for this requires developing an artificial intelligence capable of applying the  rules of the road–essentially a computer OOD. Some day the Coast Guard may be asked to approve fully autonomous merchant vessels plying the trade routes with no one aboard.