New Escort Vessel for the U.S. Navy

[Lt-Col A. Tack]

New Escort Vessel for the U.S. Navy

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

After 54 years of building only commercial vessels, Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation, has delivered its first high-speed patrol boat for the federal government. The 64-foot screening escort vessel, with the mission of securing high-value Naval assets, will be operated by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The all-aluminum boat features a C. Raymond-Hunt-designed deep-V hull, with a CPI Marine fender system, and is powered by twin MTU diesel engines and connected to Hamilton water-jets. Top speed is over 30 knots.

The pilothouse on a flush deck, with forward-leaning front windows, leads to the forecastle, equipped with a head, galley, berths, and lockers. Recessed rescue platforms are located port and starboard at the vessel’s mid-ship. On the foredeck is a gun mount.

The interior is outfitted with Shockwave heavy-duty suspension seats, shock-absorbing floor matting, and a heating and air-conditioning system. Equipment includes integrated navigation systems and crew communications radio and imaging systems.

Link (http://marinelink.com/en-US/News/Article/New-Escort-Vessel-for-the-U-S-Navy/330867.aspx)

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/9388/77433887.jpg

[Britboy]

Oh, I thought you were on about a frigate type escort to replace the OHPs then. Something like LCS or our Future Surface Combatant, if it ever happens.

[DocFrench]

Take off the fwd gun mount and put on a CIWS 20mm. "for protecting high-value Naval assets.

[2495]

Take off the fwd gun mount and put on a CIWS 20mm. "for protecting high-value Naval assets.



So you advocate putting a 5,625 kg CIWS on that small platform as opposed to a 50 kg MAX .50 platform?

Errrr ok then.

[Britboy]

Take off the fwd gun mount and put on a CIWS 20mm. "for protecting high-value Naval assets.

I'm pretty sure those DDGs and cruisers have all the Phalanx they need already...

Or did you mean an M134 (7.62)?

[CamoDeafie]

So..what is it going to replace? kind of looks like a soviet era anti-shipping/ship to ground missile carrier....without the missiles. hmm.

[Rakki]

Maybe that's the future of the navy :)

They can called it the Inshore Combat Ship.

[Ought Six]

If it is going to do close-in protection work, some light armor in the right places, along with ballistic glass would be a good idea. I also hope it has self-sealing fuel tanks.

[Britboy]

So..what is it going to replace? kind of looks like a soviet era anti-shipping/ship to ground missile carrier....without the missiles. hmm.

It just looks like an inshore patrol craft. Cuts around harbours keeping Greenpeace away, no doubt

[SineJustitia]

Cuts around harbours keeping Greenpeace away, no doubt

Negative. It lacks NBC-capacity.

[Lt-Col A. Tack]

I wouldn't mind seeing the Navy order a few more Cyclone class patrol ships.
Nice speed, respectable firepower.

Patrol Coastal Ships - PC

Description
The primary mission of these ships is coastal patrol and interdiction surveillance, an important aspect of littoral operations outlined in the Navy's strategy, Forward...From the Sea. The Cyclone-Class PCs are particularly suited for the maritime homeland security mission and have been employed jointly with the U.S. Coast Guard to help protect our nation's coastline, ports and waterways from terrorist attack; in addition, the ships have been forward deployed to the Gulf Region in support of the war on terrorism.

General Characteristics, Cyclone Class
Builder: Bollinger Shipyards, Inc.
Propulsion: Four Paxman diesels; four shafts; 3,350 shaft horsepower.
Length: 170 feet (51.82 meters).
Beam: 25 feet (7.62 meters).
Displacement: 331 tons (336.31 metric tons) full load.
Speed: 35 knots (40 miles per hour; 65 kilometers/hr).
Crew: Four officers, 24 enlisted personnel.
Armament: One MK 96 and one MK 38 25mm machine guns; Five .50 caliber machine guns; two MK 19 40mm automatic grenade launchers; Two M-60 machine guns.

Link (http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4200&tid=2000&ct=4)

http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/1574/pc1scan2.jpg

[Lt-Col A. Tack]

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/2460/800pxusschinookmachineg.jpg
Mk 38 25mm machine gun carried by the Cyclone class patrol ships (USS Chinook shown)

[Ought Six]

Col. A-T:

The Navy did not want the Cyclone. They found it too big for specops support (its original mission), and too small for conventional Navy ops. So, they gave it to the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard found it far too expensive to operate, so they just let it sit. We ended up giving it to the Phillipines government. So I would not hold your breath waiting for the USN or USCG to order any more.

[Lt-Col A. Tack]

Col. A-T:

The Navy did not want the Cyclone. They found it too big for specops support (its original mission), and too small for conventional Navy ops. So, they gave it to the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard found it far too expensive to operate, so they just let it sit. We ended up giving it to the Phillipines government. So I would not hold your breath waiting for the USN or USCG to order any more.

Of course, you have to spoil my reverie :)

I think one or more are being used in the Gulf. Is that right?
Someone was describing it as a min-LCS.

It seems to me to me they ought to be the right size (and have enough firepower) to do something useful.

[Ought Six]

I agree they are cool ships. The only valid criticism I can see with them is that their endurance is low for a patrol vessel, probably because they were not really designed for long-endurance patrol duty. I was only saying that the fiasco that marked their history; a specops ship that nobody wanted; insures that the Navy will not be buying more. The Navy does not like to revisit and be reminded of its mistakes, and sadly the Cyclone-class is viewed as a mistake.

As for the Gulf, five ships were sent there, but two have returned. The other three are scheduled to return in 2011. They are one of the few ships our Navy has that can go into shallow waters, so they are well suited for protecting oil loading terminals and other high-value installations that are close inshore. They can do this mission in bad weather and stay on station for a relatively long time, unlike small craft.

I would like to see a little additional capability for the Cyclones. Since we have the Penguin anti-ship missile in our arsenal already (as the AGM-119, for use with the SH-60 Seahawk), I think that would be a good fit for the Cyclone to give it the punch to attack larger ships, and better protect itself. Fitting a couple launchers should not be difficult on a 300+ ton displacement vessel like the Cyclones. Replacing the after 25mm/40mm mount with RAM launcher would also be useful. There were plans to put a larger caliber chain gun in place of the 25mm, but they were scrapped due to cost considerations. But now that the Marines are using the 30x173mm ATK, that would be a great upgrade for the Cyclones. Along with the regular HE shells, it could also fire the DU rounds that the A-10 uses to perforate tanks (the GAU-8/U Avenger gatling gun uses the same 30x173mm ammo). That would be very effective on larger ships, with the extreme penetration and pyrophoric effects of the DU. These modifications would allow the vessel to serve in a wider variety of missions, and make it much less vunerable. Since we are only getting three LCSs in the near term, upgrading the Cyclones would fill a critical gap for the time being.

[Lt-Col A. Tack]

I was thinking in their current configuration, maybe they could be useful trolling for pirates along the Somali coast, maybe use auxiliary ships as a base.

But I do like your thinking, sir, regarding the RAM and the Penguin.
Probably wouldn't be able to use any system that penetrates the deck?

[Ought Six]

I think that is a good bet. The spaces below are probably pretty carefully planned out, and cutting into them and reinforcing the superstructure for a heavy, deck-penetrating gun system (like the 57mm Mk. 110) would be very, very expensive. Those lost spaces below deck would mean reconfiguring other spaces to take over those functions, requiring even more refitting and redesign. It does not seem worth it.

One possibility would be something like the 40mm L/70 Sea Trinity system. It has a Bofors 'Fast Forty' in a self-contained non-deck penetrating mount. The turret is remote controlled, and has its own built-in targeting RADAR and electro-optical suite. It should be light enough for the Cyclones. It has an effective AA range of 3 km for aircraft, 2.5 km for sea skimming missiles, and 10 km for surface targets. There is some very good prefragmented ammo available for this gun that is supposed to be quite effective on cruise missiles and aircraft. This ammo is also deadly when detonated in airburst mode just above small craft, making it useful to repel swarming speedboat attacks. And 40mm AP ammo is readily available for attacking and stopping large ships.


http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNSweden_4cm-70_m1948_mk3_ST_pic.jpg

The idea of using Cyclones for pirate patrol duty occured to me as well. Since the ships are outfitted for specops work, with pintle mounts for a lot of automatic weapons, they would be well equipped to come in close with vessels that may be concealing heavily armed pirates. Their speed would make them good chase vessels. If they operated in concert with a larger 'mother ship' for maintenance and resupply, they would be very useful in this role.