French “POM” Offshore Patrol Vessel. Credit: Socarenam

Naval News reports that the French Navy has ordered six Offshore Patrol Vessels (Patrouilleur d’Outre-Mer – POM). with the intention of basing two each in New Caledonia (Nouméa) and French Polynesia (Papeete) in the Western Pacific and la Réunion (Port-des-Galets) in the Indian Ocean. 

The POM will have an endurance of 30 days without refueling. Each ship will accommodate a crew of 30 sailors and 23 passengers and operate an unmanned aerial vehicle. Their armament will include a 20mm caliber remote-controlled turret (Narwhal by Nexter), as well as 12.7 mm and 7.62mm machine guns. The POM vessel will be 80 meters (262.4′) long and 11.8 meters (38.7′) wide, with a draft of 3.5 meters (11.5′).  (I provided the conversion to feet–Chuck)

These ships will replace 180 foot long P400-class patrol boats.

We talked about these ships and also discussed the French Navy’s coast guard type missions and other French OPV projects here. Incidentally all the previous reporting indicated that these would be 70 meters (230′) in length. These really do not look like 80 meter ships. I would prefer a flight deck and hangar suitable for a medium sized helicopter like on L’Adroit, but in any case, it is bigger and, at 22 knots, faster than a 210 with a crew less than half as large.

These ships certainly could be considered as candidates for “cutter X,” taking the crew and equipment of the Webber class cutters and putting them in a larger, more seaworthy hull. Looking at these new CGI images, they look like a supersized Webber class, with the gun on the main foc’sle just forward of the super structure and four crew served .50 calibers sited almost exactly as they are on the Webber class; a very similar 360 degree view pilot house mounted well back where it will experience less vertical acceleration; and a boat launch ramp notched in the stern. Taking advantage of the larger hull it also incorporates a davit launched RHIB starboard, space for a 20 foot containerized mission module, a flight deck and hangar for a 700-kilogram-class rotor-blade drone more berthing, and a holding area for up to six prisoners.

A CGI of the French Navy’s future POM OPVs (Credit : Socarenam)

It is now extremely unlikely the OPCs will be obtained at the low price initially bid by Eastern. They are now seen to be as large as the Bertholf class National Security Cutters. Perhaps if we look ahead to the time when Polar Security Cutter funding will have been completed, we should think about building a true “bridge” between the over 4,000 ton NSCs and OPCs and the under 400 ton Webber class. We might choose to continue building one OPC a year and build three Cutter X for about the same price as a second OPC. We could replace the WMECs that much quicker and perhaps build to a total of over 50 truly ocean going cutters. (11 NSCs, 14 OPC, and 30 Cutter X for about the same price as 11 NSCs, and 25 OPCs)

Photograph of Ellsworth P. Bertholf, Commandant of the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service from 1911 to 1915 and Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard from 1915 to 1919. Coast Guard photo.

Today mark the 105th Anniversary of the formation of the US Coast Guard. “An Act to Create the Coast Guard” (Public Law 239) was signed into law on 28 January 1915.

Credit for this should go to Ellsworth Price Bertholf. First he saved the Revenue Cutter Service from being disassembled and then after WWI saved it from being absorbed by the Navy. He was one of three heroes of the Overland Relief Expedition. He died at age 55.

Did you know he was court marshalled and dismissed while a midshipman at the Naval Academy?

COLONIA, Yap (July 4, 2019) The U.S. Coast Guard Island-class patrol boat USCGC Kiska and Mark VI patrol boats assigned to Coastal Riverine Squadron (CRS) 2, Coastal Riverine Group 1, Detachment Guam, moored in the Micronesia port of Yap. CRG 1, Det. Guam’s visit to Yap, and engagement with the People of Federated States of Micronesia underscores the U.S. Navy’s commitment to partners in the region. The Mark VI patrol boat is an integral part of the expeditionary forces support to 7th Fleet, capability of supporting myriad of missions throughout the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jasen Moreno-Garcia/Released)

CIMSEC has issued a call for articles regarding the CNO’s recently issued “Design for Maintaining Maritime Superiority” the document does not mention the Coast Guard, but I think we have a part to play.

This is a good opportunity for some of those who follow this blog to try your hand at writing for a professional readership.

Again, I as many of you, was not able to attend the Surface Navy Symposium. Fortunately a number of videos are available to give us a taste of what went on.

Below are three videos from Naval News followed by a video of a panel discussion provided by Defense News.

The “Day 1” video includes:

01:09 – Austal HSSV high speed support vessel
03:55 – Update on the Littoral Combat Ship program with NAVSEA
05:40 – NSM firing from USS Gabriele Giffords
06:58 – Northrop Grumman SEWIP Block 3 EW system
09:47 – Raytheon SPY-6 family of radars

The “Day 2″ video covers:

00:57 – Fincantieri Marine Group FFG(X) Frigate based on Italian Navy FREMM
04:34 – Fujitsu collaborative table for JMSDF AEGIS destroyers & Japan AEGIS Ashore
05:53 – Raytheon SM-3 Block IIA ballistic missile interceptor

The “Day 3” video reports on:

00:59 – BAE Systems double docking of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers
01:54 – BAE Systems precision guided munition for 5 Inch gun: Hyper Velocity Projectile & Vulcano
02:31 – Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard expansion plan for FFG(X) frigate
06:08 – L3Harris FVR-90 future vertical lift VTOL UAV
08:26 – General Dynamics NASSCO John Lewis-class TAO 205
09:23 – Titanium 3D printing

The panel discussion, “Building the Future Fleet” is a bit over 90 minutes. Most of it is Navy of course. If you are a regular reader here, I don’t think you will hear much new about the Coast Guard. Rear Admiral Douglas M. Schofield (CG-9) is on the panel and began speaking at time 6:00–11:00. He also speaks briefly at 1:00:30 and answers the last question at about 1:28:30.

Huntington Ingalls still provided no information on their proposal for the FFG(X) program.

Unfortunately the source of this artwork was not available. 

The US Naval Institute’s Naval History Magazine, February 2020 edition, has an interesting article about the many changes that the Coast Guard went through as a result of Prohibition. You can read it online here.The section on code breaking is perhaps the most surprising.

During Prohibition, in its largest law enforcement mission ever, the Coast Guard made thousands of apprehensions. It also experienced its largest fleet expansion outside the world wars. And the service saw many firsts, including the first time Coast Guard crews manned Navy warships, and the permanent establishment of an aviation branch. It also saw extensive use of the radio and RDF and the founding of the Coast Guard Intelligence Office, one of the day’s leading federal intelligence branches. All these factors shaped the service into a force better prepared for its next great challenge—World War II.

A Coast Guard Sixbitter, 75 foot patrol boat.