Return of the Gators? US Navy Stands Up New Coastal Warfare Squadron
Posted 09-Feb-2006 11:40
Related stories: Americas - USA, Asia - Other, Coastal & Littoral, Expeditionary Warfare, Force Structure, Industry & Trends, Middle East - Israel, Middle East - Other, Other Corporation, Policy - Doctrine, Power Projection, Remote Weapons Systems, Surface Ships - Combat
EagleSpeak Blog, run by a former Captain, USNR (ret.), notes the recent "stand-up" of Naval Coastal Warfare Squadron Five (NCWRON-5) near San Diego recently. Once at full strength, 325 sailors will go to war in a fleet of speedy 34-foot, SeaARK Marine aluminum-hull boats (likely Dauntless Class) equipped with .50-caliber and 7.62mm machine guns and 40mm grenade launchers. The boats cost $500,000, and can be loaded quickly aboard Air Force C-17 transport jets for quick transport to trouble spots. SeaARK boats of these types are also in use by civilian agencies like the NYC Police and National Park Police.
Is this part of a trend? It most certainly is...
The San Diego Union-Tribune notes that Navy officials quietly started organizing the squadron in September 2004 around the lightly-used Naval Outlying Landing Field in Imperial Beach, near the Tijuana River. This was about the same time that US Maritime Force Protection Command (MARFPCOM) was stood up, with the mission of the consolidating the expeditionary units the Navy deploys overseas to protect ships, aircraft and bases from terrorist attack.
In April 2005, MARFPCOM's sailors, patrol boats, underwater explosive ordnance disposal groups; Mobile Diving and Salvage Units (MDSU); the Naval Expeditionary Logistics Support Force (NAVELSF); and Naval Construction Forces Command (NCFC, aka the "Seabees") were reorganized under a new Echelon III type command: the Naval Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) which oversees
As NECC Commander Rear Adm. Donald Bullard told the San Diego Union-Tribune, "We've had to expand to this battle space, because that's where the terrorists are... We need to interdict. We need to go find, fix and kill."
Given that mission, which will certainly involve relatively close-quarters firefights, protection such as gun shields does appear to be rather sparse. Likewise, such ships will need the kind of high-accuracy firepower overmatch that could easily sink a hostile craft like the bomb-laden suicide attackers of the USS Cole.
Other countries with similar missions and problems are taking somewhat different approaches the to firepower/protection aspect going forward.
Singapore is beginning to use Spartan Unmanned Surface vessels, which will soon be armed with stabilized remote weapon mounts that may even sport Hellfire or Javelin anti-armor missiles. Israel uses larger patrol craft like its 25-meter Super Dvoras, armed with the versaile Typhoon stabilized naval remote-control weapons system for accurate firepower overmatch. Typhoon comes in different sizes, and can be fitted with machine guns, autocannon (most common), and even anti-armor or air defense missiles.
LSTs continue to serve in this role in modern times. Singapore is sending a Singaporean LST [RSS Endeavour] to patrol Iraq's coast, where a number of NECC's sailors are already stationed. As the MINDEF release notes, "During its deployment, RSS Endeavour will provide logistics support for coalition vessels and helicopters, conduct patrols and boarding operations, and protect the waters around key oil terminals."Read the whole article here
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2006/02/return-of-the-gators-us-navy-stands-up-new-coastal-warfare-squadron/index.php