China Defense Blog reports that China is has begun the process to design and build a nuclear powered icebreaker, as a prelude to building a nuclear powered aircraft carrier.
The post includes a quotation that is wrong on a couple of counts.
“The US and former Soviet Union used their experience with nuclear-powered icebreaker ships to build a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, he noted.”
The US, of course, never built a nuclear icebreaker, and the Soviet Union never built a nuclear carrier. The Soviets did build some very large cruisers with a hybrid nuclear and conventional steam powerplants, but those were their only nuclear powered surface warships. Both nations built nuclear submarines before building nuclear surface warships. China has also already built several classes of nuclear submarines
“The China Coast Guard will be absorbed into the country’s Central Military Commission (CMC), effective July 1, after the transfer of command from the State Oceanic Administration, local media reports.”
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“The coast guard will reportedly be integrated into the PLA Navy as an auxiliary branch.”
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“People’s Daily revealed that the Coast guard ships would be armed with more powerful small diameter cannons instead of water cannon. Under the leadership of the CMC, ship crews could also be authorized to carry fire arms.”
“The latest change makes the fleet part of the People’s Armed Police, or PAP, a domestic paramilitary force also directly under Xi’s command in December.”
USS Sterett (DDG-104), front, participates in a photo exercise with Chilean Frigate Almirante Lynch (FF-07), second, Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ottawa (FFH-341), third, French Navy Floreal-class frigate FS Prairial (F-731), fourth, United States Coast Guard Cutter USCHC Bertholf (WMSL-750), fifth, the dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Charles Drew (T-AKE 10), sixth, and Royal Canadian Navy commercial container ship Asterix. US Navy Photo
USCGC Bertholf will be there as well as a former USCG WHEC.
BRP Andrés Bonifacio (FF-17), the former USCGC Boutwell.
There are going to be a number new type exercises we have not seen in this exercise.
“During the course of the exercise, a series of live-fire events are scheduled, including: a long-range anti-ship missile (LRASM) shot by a U.S. Air Force aircraft; a surface-to-ship missile shot by members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force; and a naval strike missile (NSM) shot by the U.S. Army from a launcher on the back of a palletized load system (PLS), marking the first time a land-based unit is participating in a RIMPAC live-fire event, according to the 3rd Fleet statement.”
PENSACOLA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 20, 2004)–Coast Guard cutter CYPRESS, a 225-foot buoy tender homeported in Mobile, Ala., underway near Pensacola Beach. CYPRESS was deployed in part of the Coast Guards efforts to repair aids to navigation damaged or dragged off station by Hurricane Ivan. USCG photo by PA3 John Edwards
“We trained hard, but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization.” attributed, probably erroneously to Gaius Petronius Arbiter, Roman Satirist (c.27-66 AD)
BryMar-Consulting has provided a link to the administration’s proposal for reorganizing the government. The Coast Guard is mentioned twice, once in regard to transferring Aids to Navigation responsibility to DOT and once with regard to duplication between the Coast Guard and CBP’s marine unit.
“In addition, transferring current U.S. Coast Guard responsibilities for permitting alterations to bridges and aids to coastal navigation to DOT would better align those functions with similar functions already carried out by DOT’s.” (p.73)
(Once again the multi-mission nature of CG AtoN assets is not recognized.)
“DHS Air & Maritime Programs
“This proposal would identify efficiencies and budgetary savings to be achieved by eliminating unnecessary duplication between U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Coast Guard air and maritime programs. This could include facility consolidation, standardized data, enhanced domain awareness and coordination, and common future capability requirements. “(p. 123)
Defense One reports under a proposed government reorganization, our frequent partner, the Army Corps of Engineers, may have their domestic roles reassigned to other departments.
“…the Corps’ commercial navigation functions would move to [the Department of Transportation], whose mission already includes Federal responsibility for all other modes of transportation. All other activities, including flood and storm damage reduction, aquatic ecosystem restoration, hydropower, regulatory, and other activities, would move to [the Department of the Interior].”
This is a major rethink of the Federal bureaucracy. No mention of moving the Coast Guard again, but once these things start, you can never be sure where they will end. Will they want to put our AtoN mission under DOT?
Brymar-Consulting.com noted, Senator Capito (R-WV) introduced an original bill (S. 3109) making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes. (6/21/18) [https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-115s3109pcs/pdf/BILLS-115s3109pcs.pdf].
Looking at the bill, proposed appropriations include
Operations and Support: $7,792,409,000
Environmental Compliance and Restoration: $13,429,000
Procurement, Construction, and Improvements: $2,169,260,000
Research and Development: $20,109,000
Retired Pay: $1,739,844,000
If enacted, this will be a $282.51M increase in Procurement, Construction, and Improvement over the budget request. If memory serves $2,169,260,000 would be a record.
You can see the FY 2016 and 2017 enacted and the 2018 proposed budgets here. There is a comparison between the FY2017 enacted and the FY2019 budget request here. There is a good short overview of the FY2019 request here. Strangely, I have been unable to find a final FY2018 appropriations report other than the top line amount. If you know where I can find one, please include in the comments section.
Our resident icebreaker expert, Tups, told us in a comment this was coming. Marine Log confirms the official announcement.
“On behalf of the Canadian Coast Guard, Public Services and Procurement Canada has issued an Advanced Contract Award Notice (ACAN) to shipbuilder Chantier Davie of Lévis, Quebec, for the acquisition and conversion of three medium commercial icebreakers.
“… The three candidate ships proposed by Project Resolute for this role are the Viking Supply Ships AB vessels Tor Viking II, Balder Viking and Vidar Viking.“
There was an earlier proposal to lease these three ships and the icebreaking anchor handling vessel Aiviq, but these three will be purchased and there is no mention of the Aiviq in the announcement.
Based on the accompanying illustration, conversion will add a helo deck and hangar. These ships are 82 meters (276 ft) in length, 18 m (59 ft) of beam, and 18,300 HP.
The first of these is expected to go to work this winter.
After three decades without a significant air threat, the Army has realized they might actually need a surface to air weapon. As a result they have embarked on a program to provide Short Range Air Defense (SHORAD) against cruise missiles as well as manned aircraft. In addition they want to provide protection from rockets, artillery, and mortars (RAM) and Unmanned Air Systems (UAS), hopefully in the same launcher. The program of record is called Integrated Fire Protection Capability.
This Multi-Mission Launcher somewhat emulates the Mk41 VLS, in that it is intended to launch several different missiles for different purposes. It has launched AIM-9 Sidewinder (repurposed as an surface to air missile) , the Tamir (interceptor for the Israeli Iron Dome system), the Lockheed Miniature Hit to Kill (MHTK) Missile, an Army developed missile, and the Hellfire.
The Miniature Hit to Kill (MHTK) missile designed to counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar (RAM) threats as well as some unmanned aircraft might be use against projectiles fired at a cutter or an asset we are protecting. Cost is only about $16K per round.
“The missile is 27 inches long, two inches in diameter (actually only 40mm or 1.6″–Chuck) and weighs 5 pounds “at launch,” he added. The semi-active missile has no warhead, using kinetic energy — or thrust — instead to take out a target. “It’s really a bullet hitting a bullet,” which is the bread and butter capability in Lockheed’s missile technology. One launcher can fit 36 of the missiles, Delgado said, and two launchers can fit onto a single truck.”
As a very small system, MKTK can be quad-packed. Photo: Defense-Update
The Navy is apparently showing some interest in this program. Since the Army developed multi-mission launcher is not a vertical launch system I presume it has to be pointed. This is somewhat complicates installation, but I can’t help but believe something, launcher or interceptors, will come out of this program that may be of interest to the Coast Guard in the future.
Late Addition:
Photo: Multipurpose remote weapon station chosen for the Striker Short Range Air Defense System. Moog Reconfigurable Integrated-Weapons Platform (RiwP) turret:: 4 Stinger missiles on one side, two Hellfires on the other, with a 30 mm autocannon and coaxial 7.62 mm machinegun in between (Leonardo DRS)
He acknowledged that the timing of ship maintenance availabilities are prone to change, as deployments are extended, one ship is swapped for another to meet a warfighter need, and so on. But while the planning is complex, he said, “the only thing I know is, the best way to start getting after a complex issue is laying out at least what you know and laying that out as a baseline, so then when you do have to do – whether it’s for operational reasons or whatever – have to do changes, you’re changing from a known baseline and you can more quickly understand what the second- and third-order effects are.”
I still don’t think the Coast Guard has ever submitted their 20 year plan as mandated by GAO and Congress. We have discussed the need for a long term shipbuilding plan numerous times. These are only two:
I suspect the 20 year plan was stalled in the Department.
It is really important to build an understanding of future needs. It seems this was a part of the problem in getting a realistic shipbuilding budget. We should anticipate replacing all our ships when they reach 30 years of age. As that time approaches we can reevaluate and perhaps delay replacement if they are holding up well, and we will be heroes.
We really have to tell the administration and the Congress what we need. To do that I would reiterate the need to periodically redo the Fleet Mix simulation and study. The last one was done about ten years ago and still assumed multiple crewing of the Bertholf Class NSCs and Offshore Patrol Cutters. (Crew Rotation Concept).
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 