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  • Originally posted by na grohmití View Post
    We are very lucky for a change to have a FOCNS with an engineering background. He would be one of the few capable of silencing the naysayers, doing so when he held the appointment of OCNSC.
    Worth pointing out that the FOCNS was also a cadet while L.E. Eithne was being designed and built, earning his commission in 1983.
    Luck should not be a factor. The FOCNS has the experience of 35 years commissioned service and would be expected to follow the MISSION laid down for the PDF and the NS. He will have experienced staff officers around him and will have the final say of how the NS will meet that MISSION. In a conflict of views scenario, requiring radical changes of direction, such personnel should be asked to consider their continued service. No part of the PDF should be compromised by lack of firepower.

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    • Originally posted by ancientmariner View Post
      Luck should not be a factor. The FOCNS has the experience of 35 years commissioned service and would be expected to follow the MISSION laid down for the PDF and the NS. He will have experienced staff officers around him and will have the final say of how the NS will meet that MISSION. In a conflict of views scenario, requiring radical changes of direction, such personnel should be asked to consider their continued service. No part of the PDF should be compromised by lack of firepower.
      I admire the confidence you have. However, should a cost factor become part of the metric in selecting a main armament, and one system becomes more costly to use because of the maintenance hours required, in spite of the far superior performance it provides, suddenly you face a different narrative.
      For now, everything hangs on implementation of the CoDF report.

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      • Originally posted by ancientmariner View Post
        No part of the PDF should be compromised by lack of firepower.
        And yet it could be argued that all parts of the PDF are compromised by the same.

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        • Originally posted by na grohmití View Post
          I admire the confidence you have. However, should a cost factor become part of the metric in selecting a main armament, and one system becomes more costly to use because of the maintenance hours required, in spite of the far superior performance it provides, suddenly you face a different narrative.
          I think the problem stems from the otics what other people are doing with similar size and class of weapons and the missions we engage in don't require a fit like the OTO Melara 76. The neighbours haven't fitted anything bigger than a 30mm to any of their OPVS for many years now and even the USN and RCN are fitting nothing bigger than 57mm to their LCS and frigates.
          Covid 19 is not over ....it's still very real..Hand Hygiene, Social Distancing and Masks.. keep safe

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          • Originally posted by hptmurphy View Post
            I think the problem stems from the otics what other people are doing with similar size and class of weapons and the missions we engage in don't require a fit like the OTO Melara 76. The neighbours haven't fitted anything bigger than a 30mm to any of their OPVS for many years now and even the USN and RCN are fitting nothing bigger than 57mm to their LCS and frigates.
            Fleet composition and tasks generally determine armament. The missile school succeeded in ships being built without main armament. This proved to be a premature show of confidence and updated guns are now appearing on most naval vessels. The re-emergence of piracy and fast craft attacks has also underlined the need for greater reach in CIWS such as the 30mm you mention. I believe we have such weapons in service on armoured vehicles, they could be evaluated and be considered as a secondary armament for the P60's. Given the many years of overseas service one would have expected that the PDF would match the POWER generated by the Command and Staff school in it's training courses. Moderately armed an OPV could do many of the tasks assigned to frigates.

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            • But that's just it. The 30mm cannon seen in use on an AFV woud not be modified to fit an opv as a Secondary armament. It would be fitted as a primary armament. In the 70s we had a large fleet of AFVs that boasted 90mm and 76mm cannon that were suitable in both the anti tank and anti pers role. Today neither of those are in service, and the closest is the 30mm which comes nowhere near the punch of either the 76 or 90. These are backed up by APCs fitted with 40mm grenade launchers (short range) or 12.7mm HMG.
              Like all things in this isle, it will take a major tragedy before the DOD and the DF wake up to the risk it puts its crew in.
              For now, everything hangs on implementation of the CoDF report.

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              • 30 mm cannon has been used to sink Spruance class destroyers in exercises.

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                • Originally posted by paul g View Post
                  30 mm cannon has been used to sink Spruance class destroyers in exercises.
                  The USN mounts have an integrated FCS and are adaptable to use either a 30mm barrel OR a 40mm barrel. The RN have purchased up to 70 x 30mm mounts for their ships not sure of FCS. All of this is to handle suicide or asymmetric surface/air attacks.

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                  • Originally posted by na grohmití View Post
                    But that's just it. The 30mm cannon seen in use on an AFV woud not be modified to fit an opv as a Secondary armament. It would be fitted as a primary armament. In the 70s we had a large fleet of AFVs that boasted 90mm and 76mm cannon that were suitable in both the anti tank and anti pers role. Today neither of those are in service, and the closest is the 30mm which comes nowhere near the punch of either the 76 or 90. These are backed up by APCs fitted with 40mm grenade launchers (short range) or 12.7mm HMG.
                    Like all things in this isle, it will take a major tragedy before the DOD and the DF wake up to the risk it puts its crew in.
                    Thing is international it isn’t unusual for a vessel or vehicle to have a 30mm main armament..... except there is usually a better armed vessel/vehicle around as well

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                    • The OTO Melara 76mm is fiited to the Danish Knud Rasmussen Class OPVs (2050t). (The vessels have a CMS, air search radar, Sea Sparrow capability, helicopter deck a crew of 18 and all for the price of a SB!)

                      On the other end the Royal Brunei Navy had fitted the last of its Lürssen OPVs with an MLG27 the other three having the Bofors 57mm, so there is no set standard or benchmark.
                      As for 30mm, the Bushmaster II (same as on the MRVs) is fitted to a wide range of USN ships in the most cases to deal with small attack boats and skiffs.

                      Given that the NS mission is officially wider that just FP it is fitting that the 76mm but it would be nice to upgrade from the 20mm Rhinos to there newer brother the 27mm MLG.

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                      • I believe we got our batch of rhinos 2nd hand as the germans were refitting their ships with the 27.
                        The Rhinos are an upgrade from a mix of Oerlikon and GAMBO 20mm, and 12.7mm HMG.
                        For now, everything hangs on implementation of the CoDF report.

                        Comment


                        • Originally posted by paul g View Post
                          30 mm cannon has been used to sink Spruance class destroyers in exercises.
                          They've been used in SinxEx's they themselves didn't sink any of the ships. The amount of damage a 30mm could do to a Spruance would be minor (particularly if in actual combat conditions)

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                          • Originally posted by na grohmití View Post
                            I believe we got our batch of rhinos 2nd hand as the germans were refitting their ships with the 27.
                            The Rhinos are an upgrade from a mix of Oerlikon and GAMBO 20mm, and 12.7mm HMG.
                            That is indeed correct and you and I saw the first of the mounts be fitted to the CPVs.

                            It is worth noting that we never intended to go down the 76mm route by design but inherited them and based on performance they were fitted to all subsequent builds. I've looked at some stuff on the newer 57mm by Bofors, quite a capable weapon.But this should be the limit of any change made. We have always required a decent aft facing weapons fit, the 20mm fits we always used were always stop gap as such.
                            We should look at some of OTO Melaras other turreted systems for secondary fits..

                            If we walk away from our ability to provide reasonable NGS with 57mm or 76mm weapons we might as well just turn the whole lot over to the Coast Guard
                            Covid 19 is not over ....it's still very real..Hand Hygiene, Social Distancing and Masks.. keep safe

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                            • Originally posted by hptmurphy View Post
                              That is indeed correct and you and I saw the first of the mounts be fitted to the CPVs.

                              It is worth noting that we never intended to go down the 76mm route by design but inherited them and based on performance they were fitted to all subsequent builds. I've looked at some stuff on the newer 57mm by Bofors, quite a capable weapon.But this should be the limit of any change made. We have always required a decent aft facing weapons fit, the 20mm fits we always used were always stop gap as such.
                              We should look at some of OTO Melaras other turreted systems for secondary fits..

                              If we walk away from our ability to provide reasonable NGS with 57mm or 76mm weapons we might as well just turn the whole lot over to the Coast Guard
                              Neither the 76mm or 57mm are bad weapons as main armament

                              It’s possibly the newer ammunition types and FCS that we need

                              Comment


                              • Originally posted by DeV View Post
                                Neither the 76mm or 57mm are bad weapons as main armament

                                It’s possibly the newer ammunition types and FCS that we need
                                I agree with views expressed and would support arming our P60's with 76mm mains, 30mm secondary ( aft Arcs ) and supports of 20mm, 12.7mm etc. I would also like to see a compatible NSM launch unit and an integrated Decoy system.
                                .
                                The original outfitting with Rheinmetall in our service was to the Eithne on commissioning, later GAMBO 20mm was fitted by Ordnance Corps, and now we are back with Rheinmetall. It implies an amount of uncertainty and personal choices of decision makers. We should always go with ease of aiming, ease of cocking, ease of loading, and continuous ammo supply.

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