gCaptain’s Maritime Monday for 1 July is a tribute to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Britain’s mostly volunteer maritime rescue service.
Royal National Lifeboat Institution Tribute
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Category Archives: Uncategorized
Of Bananas and Chain Lockers
This post from gCaptain starts talking about Bananas but the topic, ship board spaces with oxygen deficiencies is applicable to cutters as well.
Another Weapon Option, Brimstone/Sea Spear
Thinkdefense recently reported on the test of a new application of the proven Brimstone missile. (They also have some additional video, and excellent commentary.) Three missiles were launched almost simultaneously against five boats (four stopped and one underway at about 20 knots) simulating a swarm attack. The three missiles each hit a separate target.
Targeting:
The thing that makes this missile so interesting is the range of options it provides the user to ensure that the right target is hit and there is little or no chance of collateral damage. It is equipped with an all weather millimetric radar that will show the shape of the target, and in the latest version semi-laser homing. It can be “fire and forget,” but it can also allow a “man-in-the-loop.” It can be given a laser designation and then continue to independently track the target. It has a terrain avoidance feature allowing it to hit targets on the far side of islands. A kill box can be designated so that it will ignore targets outside the box and self-destruct if it passes through the box without finding a target. Multiple rounds can be fired in a salvo, against one or more targets.
Will the US consider it?:
Clearly this weapon is being marketed to the US, including apparently for use on the Littoral Combat Ship as a competitor to an enhanced Griffin. US Special Forces have already shown an interest in the missile.
Diagram source: http://brimstonemissile.com/brimstone/
“BRIMSTONE is also being proposed as a surface-to-surface missile for deployment within the SEA SPEAR self-defence system against FIACs (fast inshore attack craft–Chuck) and other small surface threats. With a range of deck-mounted launcher options, from single to six-pack configurations, the system’s very small footprint gives it a high level of deck positioning flexibility making it suitable for small vessels such as FACs as well as much larger vessels such as auxiliary ships.”
Footprint:
It is relatively small, about 107 pounds, less than six feet long, and approximately seven inches in diameter. They claim it is suitable for vessels as small as 15 meters (50 feet).
Alternatives
The nearest similar missile in US service right now is the Hellfire. Brimstone developed out of a program to improve Hellfire, so not surprisingly, Hellfire is very similar in size but has a shorter range. Hellfire has been used on the Combat Boat 90 (a 52 foot boat). It does not have the sophisticated dual mode guidance and collateral damage avoidance features of the Brimstone. Several types have been built. Most are semi-active laser homing, but there is a millimetric radar homing version also, but it does not include the man-in-the-loop feature of the Brimstone. The model that appears most useful in a naval environment is the “N” model. The Thermobaric warhead does sound interesting.
- AGM-114N Hellfire II
- Target: Enclosures, ships, urban targets, air defense units
- Range: 8,000 m (8,749 yd)
- Guidance: Semi-active laser homing
- Warhead: Metal augmented charge (MAC) (Thermobaric)
- Weight: 48 kg (105 lb)
- Length: 163 cm (64 in)
What would we use it for?
New weapons like this are beginning to give even very small craft the punch that once came only with something like a 5″ gun, but perhaps more importantly it allows a very precise application of force. That should be very important to the Coast Guard in that their units are most likely to operating in and around the US including densely populated areas.
This may not be a ship killing, or even ship stopping weapon (although it might help), but it might be useful against a different type of difficult target. We might someday need to stop a terrorist or an enemy in wartime employing a fast highly maneuverable craft operating inshore or among a number other vessels where gunfire is likely to cause civilian casualties. This system would be much safer, and more likely to succeed, than using guns, in that circumstance.
Too good to be true?
With the possibility of being surrounded, pushing one button, and wiping out all your enemies, I was reminded of this sequence from the movie “The Last Starfighter.”
More info here:
Brimstone Advanced Anti-Armour Missile, United Kingdom
New Old Cutter
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Historical Photo – Dockside
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Apparently, the former USCGC Ewing is up for sale, only $69,000. Considering how the Coast Guard’s budget has been cut, and shipbuilding has been slowed, perhaps the Coast Guard should get her back. It is only 86 years old.
ex-Hamiliton and ex-Dallas Prompt Reopening of Subic Base
An interesting development in the Philippines and in part credited to the transfer of former Coast Guard WHECs to the Philippine Navy.
Manila plans air, naval bases at Subic with access for U.S.
Squeeze the Balloon
Fiercehomelandsecurity.com is reporting (small extract below),
“A proposed substitute amendment for the comprehensive immigration bill under consideration in the Senate that would increase border security funding by $38 billion and deploy an additional 20,000 Border Patrol agents to the southwestern border has livened prospects for bill passage in the Senate–although critics from left and right have been quick to criticize it.”
When border security gets tight on land, where do you think illegal immigration will spike?
An additional 20,000 agents is equal to half the size of the Coast Guard to perform only one mission, Alien Migrant Interdiction Operations (AMIO).
If no attempt is made to tighten the maritime borders, it is not to difficult to foresee what will happen.
New French (Cutter) Frigate
Frigate Floréal, anchored Bora-Bora lagoon (24 Nov. 2002), Jean-Michel Roche photo
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Following news from the German Navy site Marine Forum, June 20, without additional attribution:
FRANCE: Defence minister indicates plans for long-term replacement of FLOREAL class patrol frigates with a new class of light (3,000 – 4,000 tons) frigates (Frégates de Taille Intermédiaire – FTI) … contract decision by end of decade with first ship arriving around 2025.
The lightly armed Floreal Class Frigates essentially serve as cruising cutters for the French Navy since they do not have an American style Coast Guard. Perhaps DCNS’s participation in the Offshore Patrol Cutter competition will serve them well in developing a contender.
Machinegun Simulator
DefenseNews reports the Brits have seen the need for a shipboard machine gun simulator. Considering how many 7.62mm and .50 cal machinegun mounts the Coast Guard uses–certainly more than the Royal Navy, it might be worth considering.
Status of the NSC Program
Marine Log has used the occasion of a reported contract for long Lead Time items for NSC#7, to give us a status report on the entire National Security Cutter Project.
Offshore Patrol Cutter Concepts
This is in response to Bill Smith’s suggestion, ” I’d love to see 1 page with each of the design’s made public so far shown. It would make a great comparison of the concepts.”
No new information here, but it will, hopefully, make it easier to find some of the information already presented, including some that might have been given only in the comments.
Unfortunately the information is very limited. There have been almost no specifics provided for any of the designs. Only Vigor has chosen to discuss the details of their design, with its Ulstein X-bow. It is reported to have a length of 328 feet, a beam of 54 feet, a draft of 16.5 feet, and a max speed of 22knots. That is a relatively large ship. I do like its volume and the reconfigurable space they included. Their concept is discussed here: “Unconventional Contender for the Offshore Patrol Cutter”
VT Halter has partnered with DCNS. A concept that accompanied their announcement is discussed here: “VT Halter Marine and DCNS to Partner for OPC Bid.” Their proposal appears to be similar to the ships DCNS has designed to fulfill a Malaysian requirement for six “Littoral combat Ships.” Those ships are reported to be 107 meters long, a 16 meter beam, and 2,750 ton displacement.
The only information we have from Huntington Ingalls is this photo from a DefenseNews.Com report.
Bollinger seems likely to use a Damen design, as they did for the 87foot WPBs and the 154 foot WPCs. We have seen artists renderings of the Netherlands Navy’s Holland Class OPV in Coast Guard colors, and we have also seen a rendering of an upgraded Bollinger shipyard with a Holland Class under construction, but so far I have seen no announcement of what design they will actually build. I have always felt the Holland class was a bit more ship than the Coast Guard could afford for a class that emphasizes “affordability,” and is expected to cost about half of what the NSC costs. Damen has a large portfolio of designs that they discuss here: http://offshore-patrol-security.com/cms-assets/documents/59716-108335.damen-opv-presentation-portsmouth-2012.pdf Of the designs presented the 2400 and 2600 tons designs appear closest to Coast Guard specifications but even they would likely have to be modified. There is a rendering of a cutter in Coast Guard colors on the last page.
Marinette Marine‘s concept is reported here: http://www.marinettemarine.com/opc.html As part of the Fincantieri Group it appears they may be offering a modified version of the Italian Navy’s Commandante Class patrol vessel. An obvious difference is that the Marinette Marine concept has the bow raised a deck. No specs were provided for OPC concept. Below are the specs for the Italian vessels which would almost certainly have to be enlarged to meet the range and seakeeping requirements of the OPC program.
- Crew: 80 total including 8 officers
- Overall Length: 88.4m (292 ft)
- Length at Waterline: 80.3m (265 ft)
- Beam: 12.2m (40.26 ft)
- Draught: 4.6m (15.2 ft)
- Full Load Displacement: 1,520 tons
- Armament: 1×76 mm, 2x25mm
- Speed: 25 knots
- Range: 3,500 nmi
- Helo deck and hanger for NH90 (essentially the same size as an MH-60)
Eastern has published a conceptual rendering as a single page pdf discussed here: https://chuckhillscgblog.net/2013/06/11/easterns-opc-concept/ It is limited to some drawings depicting the interior and one exterior viewed as if the observer was in an elevated position off the ship’s starboard bow.
So far I have seen no information about the proposals from NASSCO or Bath Iron Works.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 