Category Archives: News

Ship Design Efficiencies

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GCaptain has published a nice two part presentation by Wartsila discussing ways to make ship propulsion more efficient. The target audience is merchant ships, but much of it is applicable to Cutters.

Makes me more convinced than ever that, considering life-cycle costs, an integrated propulsion and ship service electrical system, like that already being used successfully on the Lewis and Clark class T-AKEs (and planned for the DDG-1000), combined with Azipod propulsion should be seriously considered for the Offshore Patrol Cutter.

End of an Era, CG Patrols off Iraqi Coast, What Next?

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Military.com reports the Combined Task Force Iraqi Maritime completed their operations and stood down on December 31, 2011.

The question remains what will happen to CG Patrol Force South West Asia (PATFORSWA), and the six 110 foot WPBs that were used for this operation. Will they be handed over to an allied nation, or will they be used for another US operation, e.g. counter piracy in the Gulf of Aden or African Partnership Station?

Daewoo builds 20 Largest Ships in the World for Maersk

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You may not have noticed, because they don’t necessarily come to the US, but merchant ships are getting BIG. At the end of WWII a typical dry cargo ship (Victory ship) was about 442′ long and 57′ of beam. A typical tanker (T-2) was 502′ x 68′.

Maersk has contracted with S. Korean ship builder Daewoo to build 20 ships that will be the largest in the world. These ships are 400 meters by 59 meters or approximately 1312′ long and 194′ of beam. The hull is larger than that of the newest super carrier now building, SS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) 1092’x134′. (Ford’s overall width will be greater because of the width of the flight deck.)

If you need a demonstration of the fact that size alone is not a major determinate of the cost of a ship–that “steel is cheap and air is free,” these ships will cost about $190M each compared with $13.5B for the Gerald R. Ford and about $700M for the National Security Cutters. (I can’t help but think these would make some bodacious escort carriers.)

For more information on these ships, look here. Additional specs here.

More BIG ships here.

What Might Coast Guard Cutters do in Wartime? Part 1, Navy Shortfalls

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Many of the new generation cutters may be around for another 50 years so it is likely they will see some conflict as previous generations have. What might cutters be doing if we go to war? What sort of environments? What possible missions? What capabilities do they have? And what might we want to be added?

We need to start with the question, what limitations does the Navy have that might prompt them to call on the Coast Guard? Why would the US Navy, by far the most powerful in the world, need help from the Coast Guard? Let’s look at their missions and the forces available. Read More.

 

Acquisitions (CG-9) Issues Winter 2011 Newsletter

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The Acquisitions Directorate (CG-9) has issued a new edition of their newsletter, “Delivering the Goods.”

It includes three pages discussing the Weather Channel’s “Coast Guard Alaska,” and the role of upgraded HC-130Hs, MH-65Ds, and MH-60Ts in the show.

There are short reports on the status of the Fast Response Cutter (FRC) program, H-65 upgrades, and delivery of the first of four Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) to Mexico through the Coast Guard’s Foreign Military Sales program. The first FRC, Bernard C. Webber (WPC-1101), has completed acceptance trials and is expected to be delivered in January, with the follow-on cutters being delivered at roughly three month intervals. The Mexican MPA are essentially similar to the Coast Guard’s HC-144s, and all four are expected to be delivered by April.

There is a one page profile of Captain John Wood, the C4ISR program manager (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance).

Master Chief Ayers answers a question about why acquisition funds can’t be diverted for maintenance.

The newsletter is available as a pdf. Read here.

New Finnish and Norwegian OPVs powered by LNG

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Finnish Border Guards are procuring an new class of Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV). It is fairly large at 96 meters long and 17 meters beam (315’x56′) and ice strengthened, but the most unique aspect of the design is that it is designed to use both conventional diesel and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) as fuel. Picture and more here.

The Norwegians are also planning duel fueled OPVs, three ships of the slightly smaller Barentshav Class.

Descriptions seem to indicate that while the Norwegian ships have separate engines for diesel and LNG, the engines on the Finnish ship apparently will be able to burn either diesel or LNG.

Not only is LNG more environmentally friendly, the US is well endowed with natural gas.