Google translate lets me down with these photos but from the way the vehicle is tied down, I'm assuming that this "MLRS training" is to actually fire the rockets from the deck of the ship.
Every arm chair Navy and Marine analyst should be cheering. I can't tell you how many times I've heard this as a solution to the lack of naval guns. I'll try and find out more.
This is the first time I have heard of this tactic. Wont the propulsion fumes play havoc on the deck of the ship. Ditto for the sea spray and moisture on the launcher vehicle unless it was specifically created from the factory itself as maritime environment resistant ?
ReplyDeleteSolomon, your further research on this will be appreciated here.
You know, this could actually make the LCS useful. They have ramps to load up military vehicles and a elevators to the deck hangers, and really big helo decks. You could roll on half a battery per LCS. The range of the MLRS means they could be protected offshore by Burke destroyers. The decks should be able to handle the short exposure to the rocket exhaust, or mats could be laid out for that. A single 8-smissile launch can lay waste to one square kilometer--that is definitely battleship category!
ReplyDeleteYour'e right Singh that they aren't meant for prolonged exposure on the deck, but the LCS ships have room below deck for them and they would only be rolled up for the actual bombardment.
For that matter, with a reinforcement frame below deck, you could move the LCS in closer, then drive an M109 on deck now that the shore batteries are ruined from the MLRS bombardment.(making it safe for the LCS). With a 15ft draft the LCS could belly up close to the shore and provide continuing fire support.
It should be noted that I saw a photo of the Chinese firing army artillery from the deck of a merchant ship in a an amphib exercise (I'll try to find it).
Actually isn't the MLRS area of effect 100m x 100m "only"? I remember the Brits calling it a "Grid Square Removal System", which is 100m x 100m, one grid square.
Deletemap grid is 1000x1000m
DeleteYou use 1:100,000 maps for artillery?
DeleteI did mistype 8 missles it should be 12. Point is, that it is an excellent substitute for big naval guns we no longer have.
DeleteThis could just be function checking the launcher hydraulics on deck. The challenge is limiting the roll enough or having a glassy sea state to allow the launcher to shoot without exceeding the launch parameters for tilt and slope
ReplyDeletea function check of the hydraulics on deck? why? they can do that below decks. the interruption in flight ops wouldn't be worth the limited benefit of doing a "full elevation" check. i agree on the glassy sea state but like i said. i don't know exactly what the exercise is all about. i'm seeing other clues. notice the positioning of the vehicle on deck. notice the positioning of personnel around the vehicle when the weapon is raised. notice the blast shades are down.
Deletethis is a bit more than a simple hydraulics test.
Always thought USMC should chain a few HIRMARS to the deck of a ship. Great, powerful, precision fire support.
ReplyDeleteOr they could just use standoff munitions like SDB (120KM), JDAM-ER (75Km) or Brimstone II (60KM). The demonstrator vehicle for the F15 flew through America to the UK with like 19 500IB Gbus, and I am sure that bombers like the B1 could be retrofitted to launch a great number of conventional stand-off munitions. Then they save the space on the ships.
ReplyDeleteThat and build those darned arsenal ships, pack them with all sorts of sensors and missiles, hell you could even build smaller ones (possibly out of modified LCUs) and fill them to the brim with shorter range missiles, and scuttle them onsite once they exauhst their munitions in a D-Day Style landing.
HIMARS with GLMRS this should work fine
ReplyDeleteOn second thought, this actually suits the new Japanese Island hopping/reinforment doctrine of having a highly mobile force being sent in to re-inforce threatened islands whether by sea or air. In this sea transport case they not only transport their precision artillery to a troubled island but also get to use them in transit.
ReplyDeleteI expect the Japanese will provide us with many more defence improvisations like this as they step up their game against China while on a limited budget. Its good to know that they are atleast tryng all that they can for feasibility during peace time.
How are the firing solutions are being generated ?
ReplyDeleteFire support/shore bombardment is not a HIMARS job. With the cost per unit of each missile it must be fired only at high value targets and not area suppression. Beaches are probably protected by dug in and camouflages positions, so HIMARS would probably be wasted. I think a GRAD type of multiple launcher, with a 20 mile range would deliver effective salvo fire at a low cost, so a lot of them could be fired to do an effective job.
ReplyDeleteThe older missiles in storage (last count around 100,00 produced) are what you want for shore bombardment.
ReplyDeletethey disperse hundreds of mixed anti-tank & anti-personel cluster munitions. The newer precision missles would be fine for bunker busting, but the cluster heads would lay waste to an entire beach area. It would wike out Armor based missile launchers, machine gun pits, smaller pillboxes, and even infantry dug in.