Common (Unmanned Unit) Control System

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It now seems obvious that Unmanned Systems (air and possibly surface and subsurface) will play a part in the Coast Guard’s future, but the service has been, perhaps understandably hesitant to commit to any particular system.

Because of the variety of proprietary systems, integrating the control systems into the organization of the controlling unit, particularly ships and aircraft, and then integrating the resulting information into a common operating picture has been problematic.

Eaglespeak reports, it looks like DOD, through the Office of Naval Research, is moving in the direction of a platform agnostic software application that will permit common hardware to control different unmanned system.

This might permit Coast Guard units which commonly control small unmanned aicraft (sUAS) to be quickly adapted to

  • Control a much more capable UAS.
  • Hunt for mines using unmanned surface (USV) or subsurface (UUV) systems.
  • Control optionally manned surface craft to search for smugglers or enhance asset protection.
  • Control UUVs towing acoustic arrays, searching for submarines.
  • Direct a USV equipped with AIS, lights, and signals into position to serve as a temporary aid-to-navigation.

 

 

327′ SECRETARY CLASS CUTTER CELEBRATION AND REUNION

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InghamWHEC35

Passing this along,

“The USCGC INGHAM and USCGC CAMPBELL Associations are planning a joint reunion, 27-29 September 2016, at the USCGC INGHAM Maritime Museum and National Historic Landmark in Key West, Florida,  www.uscgcingham.org, to celebrate the 80th Birthday of the original Secretary Class Cutters.  All former Secretary Class  Shipmates are invited. Initial POC for INGHAM shipmates is Matt Krainski at comet1996@aol.com and Rick Croasdale for CAMPBELL at captrow737@aol.com.  Former shipmates from BIBB, DUANE, HAMILTON, SPENCER, and TANEY may contact their Associations or Marty Moynihan at coeagle17@yahoo.com.  Additional information will be available this Spring.”

57 mm Guided Projectile

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NavyRecognition reports initial unguided tests have been conducted on the proposed guided round for the Mk110 57 mm gun that is mounted on the National Security Cutters (class of 9 ships) and is expected to be deployed on the projected 25 Offshore Patrol Cutters.

If we could get a laser designator with sufficient range (over 4000 yards) I would think the CG would be more interested in the laser seeker than the millimeter radar version because we are more likely to want to target a specific area on a large target than we are to need to engage multiple small targets which would suggest the fire and forget round.

Laser designators might would be useful with small missiles like Griffin or Hellfire as well. They might be used from small boats and aircraft as well.

Document Alert: Coast Guard Cutter Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress

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Samsung

Photo: USCGC Steadfast, one of the newer 210 class, now about 48 years old. We don’t expect her replacement for at least another ten years.

The US Naval Institute has published the Congressional Research Services latest version of Coast Guard Cutter Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress, by their Naval Affairs Specialist, the ever prolific Ronald O’Rourke.

It is not quite up to date, because it does not reflect funding for a ninth National Security Cutter, but otherwise it nicely defines the issues the program has been faced with, most notably inadequate funding.

It also raises the question, should multi-year or block buy funding, with its potential for substantial savings, be pursued? We really should be doing this for the Webber class, which is a proven, mature design, approved for full rate production. In fact, we should have been doing this for a couple of years now.

The thing I found most disturbing was that the first Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) will not be funded until FY2018, although it looks like the detail design will be funded in FY2017. I am beginning to wonder if we will see the first OPC before 2022.

The FY2016 budget was a pleasant surprise with the addition of funds to build a ninth National Security Cutter. If this near $2B funding level is seen as a new norm (as I would hope) there will be room in the FY2017 budget for another major acquisition. It might be a tenth NSC. That would not be an altogether bad thing, but it would be outside the needs identified in the Fleet Mix Study. Unless another major project is injected into the FY2017 budget, we will loose the momentum for a larger AC&I budget.

If the FY2017 NSC, OPC, and FRC funding is as indicated in the document (see pdf page 14, marked at page 10), most of the shipbuilding funds will go for what looks like five or six more Webber class. There are smaller amounts for the OPC and NSC programs for a total of only $557M. There may, however, be the opportunity to fund a big part of the new polar icebreaker, as the Commandant has suggested, if the AC&I budget remains at least equal to the FY2016 level.

Early Icebreaker Specs

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USCGC Polar Sea

USCGC Polar Sea

FedBizOpps.gov has published  a draft document that gives us a first look at possible specs for the proposed polar icebreaker,

Polar_Icebreaker_Replacement_Draft_Data_Package_13_J…(913.98 Kb)

This is different from what we saw on FedBizOpps only a few days ago.

There is a notional Polar Icebreaker Acquisition Schedule that anticipates contract award between Q4 FY 2018 and Q4 FY2019.

Some of the provisions/characteristics I found interesting were:

  • Sustained Speed, 15 knots.
  • Minimum range of 21,500 nautical miles at 12 kts
  • Capable of independently breaking though ice with a thickness ≥ 6 ft (threshold) / ≥ 8 ft (objective) at a continuous speed ≥ 3 kts.
  • Capable of independently breaking through ridged ice with a thickness of 21 ft.
  • Capable of breaking a single-pass channel to a width of at least 83 ft.
  • Three 9 ft x 35 ft buoys including associated buoy mooring equipment.
  • Six twenty foot equivalent units (TEU) with a maximum weight of 20 tons each.
  • Capable of underway replenishment.
  • Weapons limited to four .50 cal. and boarding party weapons.
  • Aviation facilities include hangaring two H-60s with blades folded.
  • Air-search radar.
  • Capacity to tow astern a vessel not exceeding an equivalent displacement to that of the PIB (Polar Icebreaker) (Not an overly ambitious spec,why don’t we just say 20,000 tons or specify bollard pull?–Chuck)

Again we have Bryant’s Maritime Consulting to thank for the link.

President Signs Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing Enforcement Act.

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Source NOAA: Albecore, Bluefin, Skipjack, Yellowfin, and Bigeye Tuna

Source NOAA: Albecore, Bluefin, Skipjack, Yellowfin, and Bigeye Tuna

BairdMaritime reports, that “US President Barack Obama has signed the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing Enforcement Act. The bi-partisan act promotes the sustainable management of eastern Pacific fisheries, tackles seafood fraud and prevents illegally harvested fish from entering the US.”

“In addition, the measure will allow the United States to ratify the Antigua Convention and fully participate in the work of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, which manages tunas and other highly migratory species in the eastern Pacific Ocean.”

Inflation and the OPC

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CIMSEC has just republished a post which is specific to Canada’s shipbuilding program, but it addresses a problem that will effect the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) as well, inflation.

Their point is one that is often missed.

Inflation in the shipbuilding industry is higher than inflation in general. 

The post states ” American warships have historically inflated at an annual rate of 9 to 11 percent based on a pay for view study by Rand Corporation, available here.” Figures I saw earlier suggest the shipbuilding inflation rate outpaces that for the economy in general by two to three percent annually

This difference in inflation rate means that even if well run, a shipbuilding program is almost always destined to go over budget and the longer it is stretched out, the worse it is going to get.

Inflation rates are recognized in the budgeting process, but only the overall rate, not the rate applicable to a particular industry.

Stretching the Offfshore Patrol Cutter program out over more than fourteen years will guarantee unfavorable comparisons between early estimates and actual performance.

This is the largest program in Coast Guard history and the largest in the Department of Homeland Security as well. Acquisition cost of the 25 ships are expected to be $10.523 billion, or an average of about $421 million per ship. The Coast Guard’s Request for Proposal (RFP) for the program, released on September 25, 2012, establishes an affordability requirement for the program of an average shipyard cost of $310M each for ships #4-9 in then year dollars. That does not include government furnished equipment (GFE).The longer the program stretches out, the less likely that becomes.

WAR IN THE SHALLOWS, VIETNAM, 1965–1968

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WAVPmarkettime

Photo: “COAST GUARD IN VIETNAM: Five white 311-foot cutters of the recently established Coast Guard Squadron Three assigned to “Market Time” coastal surveillance in South Vietnam are tied up alongside Navy repair ship USS JASON (AR-8) after arriving at Subic Bay, P.I.  From the left are the USCGC HALF MOON, USCGC YAKUTAT, USCGC GRESHAM, USCGC BARATARIA, and USCGC BERING STRAIT.” Coast Guard Photo Rel. No. 6201; 4 August 1967; photo by CDR Richard Morse, USCG, commanding officer of Barataria.”

There is a new book available that includes extensive coverage of the Coast Guard role in the Vietnam war. Best of all it is free and is available for download in pdf format. Just click on the link.

WAR IN THE SHALLOWS, U.S. NAVY COASTAL AND RIVERINE WARFARE IN
VIETNAM, 1965–1968

Yes, I know it says US Navy, but it does seem to give the Coast Guard its due, despite the title.

Thanks to Lee for bringing this to my attention.