Category Archives: News

Office of Naval Research, “Naval Future Force Science and Technology Expo”

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Don’t often mention “trade shows.” I don’t think I ever have, but this is one that the CG might want to attend.

What: Naval Future Force Science and Technology EXPO
When: Feb. 4-5, 2015
Where: Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

Among the things the Coast Guard might benefit from are developments in Maritime Domain Awareness, ship design and survivability, and developments in unmanned systems.

Perhaps not immediately applicable to the Coast Guard, but looks like they will also have a good discussion on development of electromagnetic railguns. These might have the advantage for the Coast Guard of being effective ship stoppers, while having the advantage of requiring no explosives be carried on the ship–a good reason for the new ships to have robust generator capacity.

Extend Counter Piracy Efforts in the Indian Ocean to Include Other Maritime Governance Missions

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With Piracy effectively suppressed in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute is recommending that steps be taken to allow these forces to counter other international crimes beginning with drug smuggling.

There are a number of impediments to effective enforcement, but the study authors suggest there are also mechanisms in place that may make this effort mort effective.

Good maritime governance has been lacking in this region. If they could create, what would amount to an international Coast Guard with a supporting judicial system, it might also serve as a model for other areas such as West Africa, the Straits of Malacca, and the Caribbean.

Largest Ship

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You have to see this. Makes aircraftcarriers look small.

gCaptain reports the arrival of the largest ship in the world at Rotterdam. There are different ways to measure ships, but this is 382 meters (1,253 feet) in length and 124 meters wide (407 feet) of beam, anyway you look at it, this thing is big. It is made for picking up and moving offshore drilling rigs.

CBP Drones not Meeting Expectations–DHS IG

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FierceHomelandSecurity is reporting that the Department Inspector General (IG) has found that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency’s eight year effort to use Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) commonly called drones, has failed to live up to expectations and should not be expanded finding that money proposed for expansion of the program “could be put to better use by investing in alternatives such as manned aircraft and ground surveillance.”

“Although CBP anticipated increased apprehensions of illegal border crossers, a reduction in border surveillance costs, and improvement in the U.S. Border Patrol’s efficiency, we found little or no evidence that CBP met those program expectations,” the report said.

The Coast Guard has been cooperating with CBP in evaluating use of land based UAS. According to the IG, CBP has failed to establish evaluation criteria, the drones are flying only 22% of anticipated flight hours, the cost per flight hour has been significantly underestimated, and the program has not demonstrated any improvement in capability.

Germany to Build Four OPVs for Israel

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Photo Credit: jimmyweee, Malaysian OPV Pahang, IMDEX2007

Photo Credit: jimmyweee, Malaysian OPV Pahang, IMDEX2007

DefenseNews is reporting that Germany will be building four Offshore Patrol Vessels for the Israeli Navy. Israel has seen a need for OPVs to protect its growing offshore energy industry.

Israel had previously considered the Lockheed “international” LCS design, but it was deemed too expensive. The design selected is a version of the MEKO A100. Two versions of this design are already in service, The Kedah class (pictured above) with the Malaysian Navy and the K-130 class corvettes of the German Navy.

It will be interesting to see how these ships turn out. They will be similar in size, perhaps a bit smaller than the Offshore Patrol Cutters.

A late addition:

Israel_Navy_Saar_6_MEKO_TKMS_1

Added Nov. 16, 2020.

 

Operation Mare Nostrum Influences Frigate Design

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DefenseNews is reporting Adm. Giuseppe De Giorgi, chief of the Italian Navy says their experience with their massive migrant interdiction operation “Mare Nostrum,” that saved over 150,000, is influencing the design of future frigates.

“The experience of Mare Nostrum has helped shape the design of Italy’s new frigates, which are dual use and can engage in large-scale rescues. Openings on the sides of the vessels allow people to disembark from fishing boats as they would on a dock.

“These ships will have a large space under the flight deck which is wired and plumbed so containers with bathrooms or hospital facilities can be installed, not to mention sleeping quarters. We will also be able to store large inflatable boats for special forces, which can be used, alongside landing craft, to evacuate Italian nationals from conflicts where helicopters are vulnerable to man-portable air-defense systems.

“I think this is the future. Increasingly, I don’t think countries will be able to deploy separate naval forces for policing, civil use and military use. I believe a navy must be designed from the start to be as flexible as possible.

“There are other innovations on the new ships. We are aiming to use electric propulsion up to 10 knots and to use bio-fuel and liquid gas fuel. The fuel tanks are being designed to use regular fuel as well as liquid gas. I think we are the first to do this.

“Additionally, the frigates will be able to provide electricity and drinking water for a community of 6,000 hit by a natural disaster.

“We will also be able to carry sea-skimming robots to clear up pollution on the surface, with the polluted water then stored in the tanks of a new refueling ship we are also designing.”

Italy has both a Coast Guard and a maritime Customs Service, but neither has large patrol vessels (over 1,000 tons) like the USCG, so the Italian Navy performs some coast guard functions.

The next class of US Coast Guard cutter, the Offshore Patrol Cutter, includes a design requirement to hold, shelter, and feed up to 500 illegal immigrants on deck. There are still a number of unknowns, but there is reason to believe that the winning design may also include provision for support of containerized modules and a hybrid propulsion system even though neither were included in the specification.

Aside from the ability to provide electricity to communities ashore, the excess generator capacity of a hybrid propulsion system may also allow the vessels to support electrically powered weapons like lasers and rail-guns.

“Infrastructure protection, resource competition among Arctic warming concerns, says State’s Papp”

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FierceHomelandSecurity is reporting testimony by former Commandant, Admiral Papp in his new role as U.S. Special Representative for the Arctic at the State Department.

The melting of the permafrost that Adm. Papp mentions, is one reason the Coast Guard will not be establishing much in the way of permanent, shore-based infrastructure in the Arctic.

Special Operations Command, Combatant Craft, Medium

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Combatant_Craft_Medium_Mark_1_CCM-Mk1_USSOCOM_2

Navy Recognition has a story on the Navy’s planned 60 foot “Combatant Craft, Medium” or CCM.

Characteristics as follows:
CCM Mk1 main characteristics (as provided by USSOCOM):
Length: approximately 60’
Speed: 40
Range: 400 nautical miles
Crew: 4
Payload: 7750 lbs.
Passengers: up to 19
Engine: Twin forced induction diesel engines driving props
Hull: Double step hull made of aluminum

See the story linked above for more photos and details.

Monster Offshore Facility

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The New York Times calls it, “The Biggest Ship in the World (Though It Isn’t Exactly a Ship)”

“It’s called Prelude, and it’s bigger than big. More than 530 yards long and 80 yards wide, it was constructed with 260,000 metric tons of steel, more than was used in the entire original World Trade Center complex, and it’s expected to displace 600,000 metric tons of water, or as much as six aircraft carriers.”

This one is to be anchored in North West of Australia, but if one comes to the US EEZ, it is going to be an incredible Marine Inspection task.

Egyptian Patrol Boat was Hijacked by ISIS–Unconfirmed

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The German Navy Blog MarineForum reports without attribution:

1 Dec., EGYPT
Update: 12 Nov incident (with one navy vessel set ablaze and 8 people killed) alleged to have not been battle with smugglers nor fishermen … instead, ISIL terrorists / Sinai militants said to have hijacked the Egyptian navy vessel for an attack on Israeli Mediterranean installations (offshore platforms?) … when Egyptian navy realized the situation, the boat was pursued and finally intercepted.
(rmks: unconfirmed local media reports)