But we are a stubborn bunch and when we head down a bad path its sometimes hard to get the patrol re-orientated and going in the proper direction. Ask any Lieutenant.
When it comes to stubbornness we don't hold a candle to the planners in the US Navy.
Let me introduce you to the Cyclone Class Patrol Boats. via Wikipedia....
The Cyclone-class patrol ships are a class of United States Navy coastal patrol boats. Most of these ships were launched between 1992 and 1994.That sounds exactly like what the LCS is suppose to provide us isn't it? Of course its mission has been expanded and they added the mission modules to dress it up a bit but we've been down this coastal patrol rode before...with SEALs and other Special Ops forces thrown in for good measure.
The primary mission of these ships is coastal patrol and interdiction surveillance, an important aspect of littoraloperations outlined in the Navy's strategy, "Forward...From the Sea." These ships also provide full mission support for U.S. Navy SEALs and other special operations forces.
Want a bigger kick in the pants? Take a look at the Pegasus, again via Wikipedia...
The Pegasus-class hydrofoils were a series of fast attack patrol boats employed by the U.S. Navy. They were in service from 1977 through 1993. These hydrofoils carried the designation "PHM" for "Patrol, Hydrofoil, Missile." ThePegasus class vessels were primarily intended for green water coastal operations, such as narcotics interdiction and coastal patrol.Again, another coastal patrol or green/brown water ops. Thats saying it plainly but the Navy loves its talking points so the current term these days is Littoral Combat.
The Pegasus however was a small ship that packed a huge punch. In addition to a 76mm gun it also had a quad pack of Harpoon missiles.
So in the early 70's the US Navy developed a coastal...sorry...Littoral Combat Ship that was as fast the the current LCS', packs a bigger punch, has about the same endurance and was less than 1/4 the weight. If the Navy had actually procured the Pegasus in the intended numbers then we would have had about the same number of ships that are planned for the LCS.
Long story short for all those who doubt the obvious....the LCS is nothing new. Its a concept that has been dusted off, modernized and called new.
Its anything but.
The LCS will fail, just like the Pegasus and the Cyclone after that. The US Navy doesn't do patrol boats, coastal boats or Littoral Combat Ships. If they're smart they'll leave this mission in the hands of the Riverines and concentrate on building proper Frigates.
They won't because they're stubborn, but we've seen this movie before.
Which is why I have often said that if the LCS is not replacing the perry's then they are in reality replacing the Cyclone class PC. What the US Navy should have done was buy a European frigate design or build an Aegis-less burke based on the designs of the Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate and the Fridtjof Nansen-class frigate. If were stuck with the LCS, then the LCS should stay with the PC, Riverine and MCM fleet. It should not have any blue water mission. It seems the US Navy is repeating the past mistakes of the Pegasus and the Cyclones and not learning it's lesson.
ReplyDeleteWhile similar to the vessels you noted, the LCS has another mission that is far more important to its creators. To prove that automation can be used to cheat on manpower numbers and modules can be used to cheat on hull numbers.
ReplyDeleteOf course it would be exceptionally irresponsible to build more than a few ships when the very basics of their design are experimental, when development is not fully completed, much less testing and evaluation. But the gravy train wait for no man.
Well guys you are sort of mixing boats and missions in the above. The PHM was a FAC(M) meaning ASUW was its primary mission. Note the Harpoons. The USN could NOT figure out how to operate and maintain such ships forward, plus the blue water navy felt they were a threat so the program died.
ReplyDeleteOTOH the Cyclone PC were meant to be NSW transports but that got mind-meddled into a littoral patrol ship set of rqmts and guess what we got neither beast nor fowl - a lot of compromises. The Navy is just now figuring out how to support them forward. AND in the meantime they got very beat up and need major hull work etc JUST to keep them viable. And a small missile installed.
The best that the Riverines will get is the Mk VI Patrol Boat which is a large Swift boat upgraded and ONLY going to be bought in small quantities, because once again the blue water navy does not see a need for greenwater warboats. Its primary mission is force protection of the Gators and auxilaries (not a FAC even though it might get a missile)
the US Navy might have jumbled the mission but i'm just reading from their playbook on what these ships mission was suppose to be and how they were sold to Congress.
Deletethe fact that both failed and now we're doing LCS with the same muddled mindset should make every supporter of the Navy wince.
same thinking, same planning, same poor execution will result in the same piss poor results. as far as the Riverines are concerned, i'm less concerned with boats...they already have what they need. they just need to get forward deployed and out of the mindset of doing an expeditionary mission set like a baby Marine Corps....
The way I look at it, the LCS is nowhere near being a frigate replacement. The only thing the LCS is going to replace is the Cyclone class PC. Which is why I think the reason why the low buy is because they are realizing that the LCS is no Frigate but an evolved Cyclone class PC with a flight deck. The only thing the LCS may do is support Special forces and the Riverine forces.
Deletethat's exactly right but cancel Special Ops support. they have never been keen on the idea of floating aboard warships. gets in the way of all the fun stuff they do...
DeleteSOL I presume you mean what the LCS were supposed to be?
ReplyDeleteThe Cyclones were mixed up and so minor that no one caught that procurement screw-up.
Likewise NECC and the new COSRIV Group boats are also small potatoes AND their assets they need are still being mish-mashed up in Washington.
OTOH hand SOCOM's buy of the CCM is getting hung up by all the "super specs" which NSW laid on it.
AND the PCs, PBs and CCMs all lack forward support ships partily because they need to be "floated on" other people's boats.