Below is a Fincantieri news release reporting steel has been cut for the first of a new class of Offshore Patrol Vessels for the Italian Navy.

Unlike the US, France, and the UK, Italy has no overseas territories. Their Exclusive Economic Zone is less than 1/22 the size of that of that of the US or France. Even so, they have 13 ships they classify as Offshore Patrol Vessels. Three of them are large at over 5,800 tons full load. (Seven more of these are planned.) In most navies they would be classified as frigates. The other ten are very different, about 1500 tons full load, and 80 (262′) to 89 meters (291′) in length, displacing about 300 tons less than a WMEC270.

Global data reports, “These four new OPVs will replace numerous warships still in service; some, such as the Lerici-class minehunters, have been in use for nearly 40 years…” There are twelve Lerici class, divided into two groups. The first four were commissioned in 1985, about seven years earlier than the remaining eight. Two of the first four were placed in reserve in 2012. Are the minehunters being used as patrol vessels or will the new ships have a minehunting capability? It is not clear if the new OPVs have provision for a stern ramp or for containerized mission modules.

The new ships are 2,400 tons full load and about 95 meters (312′), in length overall, so about 60% larger than what we might see as their existing medium endurance OPVs. Army Recognition’s Navy News reports that the new class is “equipped with a CODLAD (Combined Diesel-electric and Diesel) propulsion system, enabling speeds over 24 knots, with a range of 3,500 nautical miles at 14 knots.”

The range is short by US Coast Guard standards, but Italian vessels don’t have the long transits US Coast Guard cutters have going to Alaska, the Eastern Pacific drug transit zone, or to the Western Pacific, and it might not be that bad after all. The Coast Guard gets a lot of long distance work out of the 154 foot fast response cutters that have a range of only 2,500 miles. 3500 miles at 14 knots suggests a 5,000 mile range at ten knots. A CODLAD power plant means these ships are likely to be very fuel efficient at slow speeds.

These ships, like the much larger Thaon di Revel class will have an “Integrated Naval Cockpit” in which the pilot and copilot (I think that means Officer of the Decky and Quartermaster of the Watch) have seated positions from which to control helm, throttles, and other systems including some forms of radar, navigation, communications and combat system functions. The captain will have a similar position behind the pilot and copilot.

Naval Cockpit, Commander sits behind the Pilot and Copilot. Source: Leonardo.

Notably, this class is being built by Fincantieri, owner of Fincantieri Marinette Marine which is currently building the new Constellation class FFGs for the Navy. They also built the Freedom class LCSs, the Juniper class WLBs, the Keeper class WLMs, and USCGC Mackinaw.

Defense News reports on the progress, or lack of progress, on the European SeaSpider anti-torpedo torpedo.

I think my post “What Does It Take to Sink a Ship” may have been quoted,

“Torpedoes have historically been one of the main threats to surface vessels, with the weapon involved in more than half of sinkings of U.S. Navy ships during World War II, according to U.S. Coast Guard data cited by Dutch researchers at TNO, a government-linked research organization.”

My summary data on 92 sinkings of major US Navy surface warships during WWII was,

• 38 by torpedoes alone (41.3%)
• 16 by suicide planes (17.4%)
• 12 Bombs alone (13%)
• 11 by gunfire alone (12%)
• 6 by torpedoes and gunfire (6.5%)
• 5 by mines (5.4%)
• 4 by torpedoes and bombs (4.3%)
• 1 by bombs finished off by gunfire (1.1%)

As can be seen, torpedoes were involved in 48 of the 92 sinkings (52%).

With so little apparent progress on the European system I wonder if they are waiting to see if the Very Light Weight Torpedo, also called the Compact Rapid Attack Weapon (CRAW), will be successful as an anti-torpedo torpedo.

Unfortunately, I have not heard anything about the CRAW since early 2023 when Raytheon was awarded a contract to build 18 prototypes for use on submarines.

Indonesian Navy 98-metre OPV, KRI Lukas Rumkorem (392). Indonesian MoD picture.

Naval News reports Indonesia is completing two new 321 foot Offshore Patrol Vessels that are equipped like light frigates,

The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) witnessed the launch of two of its future offshore patrol vessels (OPVs)…The first vessel, KRI Raja Haji Fisabilillah (391), was launched on September 18, while the second ship, KRI Lukas Rumkorem (392), followed on September 20….the two identical OPVs have a length of 98 metres and a width of 13.5 metres. The ships are capable of reaching a maximum speed of 28 knots, with a cruising speed of 20 knots.

“TNI AL revealed that both OPVs would be armed with Leonardo 76mm and 40mm guns, Escribano 20mm guns, Roketsan 2×4 Surface to Surface Missile Launcher System, and torpedo launchers.” (I added link found in this quote–Chuck)

These ships look like a Damen design, but there is no indication that is the case, and it doesn’t correspond to any of Damen’s designs. Indonesia has two classes of Damen designed warships, four corvettes and two light frigates, that may have influenced the design.

Wikipedia reports the ships are powered by four diesel engines. These are the same type of 7,280 kW (9,760 hp) MTU/Fairbanks Morse 16V28/33D STC diesel engines used in the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC). The Indonesian OPVs use four engines while the OPC uses only two.

Significantly the anti-ship cruise missiles are from Turkey rather than China, a previous supplier.

Indonesian 45.5 meter Patrol Vessels KRI Butana and KRI Selar. TNI AL picture.

The Naval News report also indicates that Indonesia has also recently acquired two 149 foot vessels similar to the Fast Response Cutters (pictured above).

“…on September 5, the service welcomed two new PC-40-class patrol boats, KRI Butana (878) and KRI Selar (879) …Armed with MSI-DS Seahawk LW30M guns (the 30mm Mk38 Mod4 in US service–Chuck), the two PC-40 vessels…are 45.5 metres long and 7.9 metres wide. They can achieve a maximum speed of 24 knots and a cruising speed of 17 knots…each with a crew of 35…”

Photo By Petty Officer 3rd Class Kate Kilroy | U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Jenarius St. Louis, a crew member assigned to USCGC Legare (WMEC 912), holds his son at the unit’s return to home port, July 13, 2023, at Coast Guard Base Portsmouth. While underway, Legare’s crew conducted maritime safety and security missions while working to detect, deter and intercept unsafe and illegal maritime migration ventures bound for the United States. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Kate Kilroy)

Military.com has published a post that includes pay charts along with supplemental information. You can find it here.

Conceptual rendering of an MMPV in JCG colors. Japan Coast Guard image.

Naval News reports, “Japan Coast Guard will build the biggest patrol vessel in its history.”

To call this ship a “patrol ship” is misleading. It is unarmed. I don’t expect it to do much patrolling. At 199 meters (673′) in length and displacing 30,000 gross tons, it would be very uneconomical.

It will be more like a mobile base for response to high profile incidents including war, natural disaster, or major public events.

National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMMV)

The US has no direct counterpart, but there are parallels in the National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMMV) which will serve as training ships for the five State Maritime Academies (SMA) but are also expected to be available to respond to Natural Disasters. There are also similarities to the Expeditionary Sea Base program.

Does the US Coast Guard need a comparable capability? If so, we might look at adapting the NSMMV, small crew, part time training ship for the CG academy, part time mother ship for distant operations, ready for disaster response.

Reporters from CBS’s 60 Minutes got to see up close what the Philippines is dealing with in the South China Sea.

This is at least the second time a Philippine Coast Guard cutter has been intentionally rammed by the China Coast Guard.

The story also includes discussion with Philippine Military leaders and discussion of potential US involvement.

Just passing along this closing video for UNITAS 2024. Looks like Armada de Chile has set a high bar for the next nation to host UNITAS.

Maybe next time the Coast Guard will send a ship.

Thanks again to Andres Tavolari for bringing this to my attention. 

USCGC Campbell (WMEC-909)

Below is a news release from Coast Guard News,

I found this paragraph interesting and encouraging.

While deployed, Campbell served in the lead role as commander, task unit for multiple assets operating in the Windward Passage and coordinated the employment of Coast Guard Cutters Venturous (WMEC 625), Isaac Mayo (WPC 1112), Joseph Napier (WPC 1115) and Robert Yered (WPC 1104).

It is making good use of the talent on scene rather than attempting to coordinate everything from the district.

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Senior Chief Petty Officer Charly Tautfest)

Below is a Coast Guard news release.

These Pacific deployments are starting to become routine, but Harriet Lane only arrived in their new homeport, Pearl Harbor, December 13, 2023, and completed her first Pacific patrol April 9, 2024.

Over the last two days I was able to talk to the leadership at the Coast Guard Yard. There will be more about that later, but there was some discussion about the Harriet Lane. She was intended to be the second prototype WMEC270 Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) prototype, with electronic and electrical services improvements and replacement of the gun and fire control with the 25mm Mk38, but while in the yard they learned that the ship would change homeport, to somewhere in the Pacific. This prompted additional improvements in habitability and environmental controls, 57 additional work items in total. Despite the expanded scope of work, she was delivered on time.

The rationale for the removal of the 76mm and Mk92 fire control system was that the Navy was no longer supporting either system. The systems were becoming unsupportable. Nevertheless, looks like we will have 76mm and Mk92 on WMEC270s until 2035 unless they also decide to remove the systems from 270s that will not go through SLEP. (That is a question I probably should have asked.) Meanwhile the Coast Guard Yard has a 76mm support facility that does work for foreign services as well as the US Coast Guard. (Removal of these systems would also reduce manning requirements.)

L3 Harris Mk20 mod1 Electro Optic Sensor System. (Picture source Navy Recognition)

If the Mk92 is the real problem, it might be replaced by the L3 Harris Mk20 electro-optic system, also used on the NSC and OPC. The Mk20 could provide better anti-surface fire control than the Mk38 Mod3’s on mount systems. It would also provide an additional search sensor.