The prospect of meeting a sleek, armored riverine command boat and its fearsome array of .50-caliber machine guns at sea would undoubtedly induce second thoughts among pirates who prey on shipping in the Gulf of Aden.
That much is certain. But the boats have to get there first.
Tuesday, the Navy tested the ability to dock and secure the RCB and the smaller riverine patrol boat in the well deck of the anchored dock landing ship Oak Hill during a proof-of-concept test held at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.
Riverine force leaders gave the demonstration a thumbs-up. If senior Navy leaders agree, the riverine force could find itself with a new post-Iraq war mission set outside the green-water arena for which it is designed, and the Navy with yet another capability for the flexible and heavily deployed amphibious force.
With a few wrinkles removed, sounds like a good idea to try in the real world. One of those wrinkles is that a lot more boats are needed to do the anti-piracy mission right.
And a really good strategy would be good, too.
U.S. Navy photos by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael R. Hinchcliffe
In the photo, radars are conspicuously absent from the command boats.
ReplyDeleteInteresting and makes a great deal of sense. One thing about the well deck and storage - why not have the boats run into Travelift like slings and hoist them out of the water for travel/storage when the Amphib is moving?
ReplyDeleteThey would probably just settle down onto cradles when they pump out the well-deck.
ReplyDeleteWhat I would like to see is a marriage of Eaglespeak's leased off-shore support boat idea with an armed go-fast of some kind plus a small UAV. COST, people COST! Why is it that the Navy can't think up anything that doesn't coast at least a half billion dollars.