Webber class Could be the Navy’s Light Duty Pickup Truck

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Coast Guard Cutter John F. McCormick (WPC 1121) crew transits through the San Francisco Bay, Saturday, March 4, 2017, during their voyage to homeport in Ketchikan, Alaska.  Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Loumania Stewart

In 2012 the US Naval Institute published an important article by then CNO Admiral Johnathan Greenert, “Payloads over platforms: Charting a new course.” It starts off, 
“We need to move from ‘luxury-car’ platforms—with their built-in capabilities—toward dependable ‘trucks’ that can handle a changing payload selection. “
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He suggested that the Navy needs F150 pickups rather than Ferraris. Metaphorically the Webber class could be the Navy’s small Toyota pickup–cheap, reliable, versatile, and economical to operate. 
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A strong point for the Webber class is that it is probably the smallest and cheapest combatant, being currently manufactured, that can self deploy anywhere in the world (other than the polar regions) with minimal support en route as demonstrated by their self deployment to Hawaii and Alaska and USCGC Olivier F. Berry (WPC-1124)’s successful patrol to the Marshall Islands, 2200 miles from her homeport in Honolulu.
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As currently equipped there is not a lot of free space apparent on the Webber class, but removing the eight meter “over the horizon boat” would free up a large area where mission modules could be placed. We can think of it as the bed of the pickup.


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U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF OPERATIONS (Feb. 1, 2018) Island-class patrol boats USCGC Wrangell (WPB 1332), left, USCGC Aquidneck (WPB 1309), middle, and coastal patrol ship USS Firebolt (PC 10) patrol the open seas. Wrangell, Aquidneck and Firebolt are forward deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of maritime security operations to reassure allies and partners and preserve the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kevin J. Steinberg/Released)

Potential Missions
 
Countering the Swarm: 
 
The Navy’s most likely first use of a Webber class could be as replacements for the Cyclone class in South West Asia. Countering the large number of Iranian fast inshore attack craft (FIAC) is a mission the Cyclone class is expected to do now, protecting both larger Navy vessels and the tanker traffic that must pass through the Straits of Hormuz. 

The Fletcher laser guided rocket launcher fires BAE’s 2.75 inch laser guided rockets known as the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System. (Shawn Snow/Defense News Staff)

An earlier post, “Modifying Webber Class Cutters for Duty in SW Asia,” was aimed at this threat as applied to the Coast Guard Webber class that will be going to Southwest Asia. As a minimum the Navy will likely want some form of guided weapon, Perhaps the APKWS would suffice, if provided in sufficient numbers.

Spike LR Missile launched from a Typhoon weapon station on an Israel Navy Super Dvora Mk 2. A similar configuration was recently tested by the US Navy, from an unmanned surface vessel (USV-PEM). Photo: RAFAEL

The 25mm Mk38 Mod2/3 that are currently mounted on the Webber class might be up-gunned (30, 35, and 40mm guns are all possible) and the mount might also be modified to also launch APKWS. Alternately the Mk38 might be replaced by BAE’s 40mm/70 MK4 and the Toplite gun director c(urrently mounted on the Mk38) could be mounted on the mast to control the 40mm, as the Israelis have done with some of their installations of the system, assuming the 40mm Mk 4 does not weigh too much.  

BAE Bofors 40mm/70 mk4

Optimally, the outfit should include Longbow Hellfire. It could probably be mounted as single tube launchers affixed along the sides of the superstructure. I have seen a mockup of such a launcher. The missile itself is only about seven inches in diameter. If willing to replace the boat with missiles, its likely Lockheed could produce a 12 round launcher based on half the launcher being installed on the LCS. 

ATLANTIC OCEAN—A Longbow Hellfire Missile is fired from Littoral Combat Ship USS Detroit (LCS 7) on Feb. 28 2017 as part of a structural test firing of the Surface to Surface Missile Module (SSMM). The test marked the first vertical missile launched from an LCS and the first launch of a missile from the SSMM from an LCS. (Photo by U.S. Navy)

Anti-Ship: 
In other theaters there is likely a desire to have a larger anti-ship missile. 
The Navy has been talking a great deal about “Distributed Lethality.” The concept has its origin in a January 2015 US Naval Institute article by then-Director of Surface Warfare Requirements (OPNAV N96) Rear Admiral Tom Rowden, RAdm. Peter Gumataotao, and RAdm. Peter Fanta. 
 
Rowden’s co-author and successor at N96, Rear Admiral Pete Fanta, continued the drum beat with the memorable phrase, “if it floats, it fights,” suggesting that anti-ship missiles should be put on virtually all units. 
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On the Webber class, this would most likely the Naval Strike Missile (NSM), recently chosen by the Navy to arm its LCSs and frigates. A four cell launcher could probably replace the boat. The missile is only 13 feet long. 

A Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile (NSM) is launched from the U.S. Navy littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS-4) during missile testing operations off the coast of Southern California (USA). The missile scored a direct hit on a mobile ship target. 23 September 2014.
U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Zachary D. Bell

Missile Truck
The Army and Marines have tracked and truck mounted missile launchers. 
 
A new missile, “Deepstrike,” is being developed for these launchers. “The missile will be able to strike targets up to 309 miles away with precision, including moving targets both on land at sea.” (see also)
 
A Webber class equipped with these could function in the same way as the Army and Marine vehicles operating in the littorals and many river systems. Targeting would be provided by offboard sensors through networking. 
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Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)
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This is probably unlikely, but there might be a place for craft that could perform ASW patrols off ports and amphibious objective areas or around choke points. 
The Canadians have a small containerized towed array sensor that looks like it would fit.

TRAPS containerized active/passive towed array from GeoSpectrum Technologies.

 I have looked at how we might add torpedo tubes to the Webber class that could launch ASW torpedoes, but it is more likely aircraft, most likely helicopters, would be called in to make the actual attack. The ship would be primarily a sensor node, minimizing the requirement to keep ASW Helicopters airborne.
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120mm Mortar for Naval Surface Fire Support:
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Another truck like use would be to add this containerized large mortar as a way to provide naval fire support. This weapon is not currently in the US inventory but it does look promising. Guided projectiles are being developed for the 120 mm mortar.
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Security for MSC’s PrePositioned Afloat Fleet

I am not sure what precautions the Navy has made to protect the ships of the MSC’s PrePositioned Afloat Fleet, but if I were an enemy there are might be strong incentive to destroy these ships that transport the most ready reinforcements of heavy equipment.

Webber class PCs might have a role in protecting these.

 Large Unmanned Surface Vessel. 

The Navy is seeking to procure a medium unmanned surface vessel (MUSV), 12 to 50 meters in length. The Webber class might be the basis for such a vessel. The modular systems described above might also be used on the MUSV. 
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Visit, Search, Board, and Seizure: 

This is the mission these little ships are built for and, consequently, no change may be necessary. The mission might be stopping and boarding hundreds of small craft as was done off Vietnam as part of Operation Market Time, or it might be enforcing a blockade against Chinese shipping at the Straits providing access to the South China Sea. If resistance is expected there are a number of ways the vessels’ armament could be augmented, including missiles or torpedoes, but in most cases its likely air or backup could be called in. The real advantage is that the Navy would not need to tie down DDGs doing this work, and potentially risk it being damaged by improvised weapons on a vessel being boarded. For more challenging assignments two or three could be teamed with one or two providing boats and boarding teams and the other as a weapons carrier.

“Special forces retake cargo ship after stowaways threatened staff” –The Telegraph (UK)

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Special forces aboard the Grande Tema on Friday night

Special forces aboard the Grande Tema on Friday night , photo from Telegraph

The Telegraph, a UK news organization, brings a report of an attempted takeover of a container ship by four stowaways, apparently want-a-be immigrants, and their subsequent capture by British special forces.

Four stowaways who allegedly threatened the crew of a cargo ship with armed bars were detained by police on Friday night after an operation to secure the vessel was launched off the Kent coast.

The crew of Grande Tema, en route from Lagos in Nigeria to Tilbury in ­Essex, locked themselves on the bridge after the stowaways they had discovered broke free from a cabin and started to make their demands.

Read the entire report here.

This is the sort of operation where inserting law enforcement by helicopter makes sense. Fortunately no casualties, unlike some earlier vertical insertions.

Thanks to EagleSpeak for bringing this to my attention.

 

“Government Shutdown Puts Coast Guard Heavy Icebreaker Program at Risk” –USNI

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The Coast Guard Cutter Healy breaks ice around the Russian-flagged tanker Renda 250 miles south of Nome Jan. 6, 2012. The Healy is the Coast Guard’s only currently operating polar icebreaker. The vessels are transiting through ice up to five-feet thick in this area. The 370-foot tanker Renda will have to go through more than 300 miles of sea ice to get to Nome, a city of about 3,500 people on the western Alaska coastline that did not get its last pre-winter fuel delivery because of a massive storm. If the delivery of diesel fuel and unleaded gasoline is not made, the city likely will run short of fuel supplies before another barge delivery can be made in spring. (AP Photo/US Coast Guard – Petty Officer 1st Class Sara Francis) NY112

The US Naval Institute has a report on the impact of the government shutdown on the Coast Guard and other government agencies, with a close look at what it probably means for the Polar Security Cutter (icebreaker) program.

“Coast Guard Awards Production For 10th and 11th National Security Cutters” –CG-9

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NSC 5 James on builders trials in the Gulf of Mexico March 30, 2015.

The Acquisitions Directorate (CG-9) reports award of production contracts for the tenth and eleventh National Security Cutter. While some of the cost was already covered in procurement of long lead time items. The price looks good.

The Coast Guard awarded a fixed-price contract option to Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. of Pascagoula, Mississippi, today for the production of the 10th and 11th national security cutters (NSCs). The option exercised is valued at approximately $930 million.

The 10th and 11th NSCs will be built at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ shipyard in Pascagoula.

Six NSCs are currently in service. Coast Guard cutters Hamilton and James are stationed in Charleston, South Carolina, and Coast Guard cutters Bertholf, Waesche, Stratton and Munro are stationed in Alameda, California. The seventh NSC, Kimball, will be commissioned in January 2019 in its Honolulu, Hawaii, homeport. Midgett, the eighth cutter, is planned for a 2019 delivery; it will be the second NSC stationed in Honolulu. The ninth cutter, Stone, is slated for delivery in fiscal year 2021.

National Cuttermen Chapter of the Surface Navy Association, Message from the Chapter President

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Got this by email. I am reposting for those of you who may not be on the mailing list. Not too late to join.

From Captain Scott Clendenin, USCG, President, National Cuttermen Chapter of the Surface Navy Association

Colleagues,

I hope this holiday season finds you well.

The Surface Navy Association’s 31st National Symposium will be held at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel in Arlington, Virginia from 15 to 17 January 2019.

Please see the agenda on our website: http://navysna.org/

Last year we had good attendance by our Coast Guard men and women.  I received a lot of great feedback from those  who attended about how great this event is for Coast Guard members and staff.  Unfortunately, many of us did not sign up in advance which was a bit of a burden for the SNA event team.  To remedy this we ask that you please go to the link now to register and sign up for the events that you are interested in attending.  As cuttermen you are certain to find the discussions and exhibits of great interest.

Secondly, this is a great time to join, rejoin, or re up your SNA membership.   Your modest membership fee brings a lot of support to you, your chapter, and cuttermen.  Please help us grow.

Lastly be sure to sign up for the regularly scheduled SNA Symposium Cuttermen’s Call on Thursday Afternoon where the Atlantic Area Commander will address us, followed by a traditional Cuttermen’s  cocktail gathering, all sponsored by SNA.

We hope to see you there!

Vr,

Captain Scott Clendenin, U.S. Coast Guard

President, National Cuttermen Chapter of the Surface Navy Association.

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“Narco Subs Lineage 2016-2018” –Covert Shores

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Covert Shores brings us an update on what the well equipped drug smuggler is using these days, tracing the evolution of the Very Slender Vessel (VSV).

The post has lots of photos of past captures and traces apparent families of designs.

I do think his supposition that the bow planes are to keep the bow down may be incorrect. Given the angle of incidence with which they are mounted, it appears to me they are intended to keep the bow from burying itself in a wave and having the boat swamped. (See VSV family2 in the family tree diagram)

Longbow Hellfire Test Against 8 Small Targets

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Felt the need to share this. Very impressive test results against small surface targets. Given how close the targets appeared to the horizon, the targets must have been near the extreme range of the Hellfire or about 8000 yards. This is also about the effective range of the 57mm and the 76mm except that the accuracy is much greater and the time to destroy the target much shorter.

NAVSEA claims a 90% success rate in testing.

“The Coast Guard turned down a request for an exercise for an Arctic exercise out of concern the US’ only heavy icebreaker would break down and Russia would have to rescue it” –Business Insider

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Business Insider brings us an interesting report that the Coast Guard had declined to undertake a suggested “Freedom of Navigation” transit of the Northern Sea Route because of fear the Polar Star would break down while in the ice near Russia and require Russian icebreaker assistance.

The fact that using the Polar Star in the Arctic would have probably made, making the McMurdo breakout problematic, probably also made such an exercise almost impossible. As we have seen in the last year, between dry docking and the trip South the crew spent very little time in homeport