Queries about future NS transport and training vessels

[yooklid]

But how often does she sail with this amount? And what other ships will be missing crew in order to put this monster to sea? Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see the NS kitted out with this and other stuff, but unfortunatly there is no political will in Ireland to see the DF with this level of equip.

One of the recurrent themes you will see on this board when talking about procurement is that we must make do with very little, therefore, what is the BEST we can do with what we have.

[Goldie fish]

If we waited for political will we would still be sailing the setanta and ferdia. Europe has always been the source of our fleet...The EURRF may well be the future of irish naval operations..
Did that ship used to be an lst? I remember Spartanberg County visiting Cork harbour years ago,anchored in the harbour..I remember a pair of massive booms off the bow then..odd looking things. The yanks always over complicated things crew wise..no doubt the aussies tidied it up a bit.

Welcome Farel btw.

[yooklid]

Well Goldie. I have a feeling that we'll be waiting. I think that what we have is the result of the bare minimum of effort on behalf of the gov. I think that hoping for something like this will leave a lot of people waiting, although it might be a good idea to aim for the stars, we may get the moon, which wouldn't be that bad at all.

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/ira...on/australian/

According to the info on this link, crew is 180.

Welcome indeed Farel.

-Y

[John]

A subject like this came up a while ago and the Catamaran being evaluated by the U.S. was mentioned.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...s/ship/hsv.htm

http://www.news.navy.mil/search/disp...?story_id=3137

Mine Warfare Command and Control Configuration
Proposed MCW load out would include:

60 additional staff and personnel
Four SH/MH-60S helos
Six berthing trailers (10 berths per trailer)
Two hotel services trailers (toilet/shower)

Medical Support Facility Configuration
A Single baseline HSV can be configured to carry:

Six semi-trailers with fully-equipped operating rooms
Four water tankers
Four food trailers
Four toilet/shower trailers
Six HUMVEES
Eight to Twelve passenger busses
Radiological services
Medical laboratory to include; pharmacy, optometry lab, and cat scan
Mobile oxygen producing plant
Portal between twin Hulls providing a lee in order to take on patients at sea
Four Semi-Trailers hospital bed facility

Maritime Intercept Operations Configuration
HSV configured for ATFP / Maritime Intercept Operations (MIO) package:

Augments ship’s force protection capabilities and provides a full spectrum of landside/waterside security functions for ship port visits.
Force level protection is rapidly scalable and tailored to threat and host nation considerations.
Minimizes high cost airlift and local civilian contracting requirements by bringing organic mission support capabilities with the vessel (C2, berthing/messing, barriers, etc.)
44 additional personnel
Two 21' RHIBs rapidly deployed via "Moon Pool" with boarding/security party
Team of working dogs (cage area on vehicle deck 20'x20')
Four HMMWVs
Mammal pool (20'x20'x4' total weight 3500 pounds) deployed through "Moon Pool"
Support USCG HH-60J JayHawk involved in SAR/Armed Recon/Drug Interdiction

Notional Homeland Security (HLS) package:

22 additional personnel
Two 21' RHIBs rapidly deployed via "Moon Pool" with boarding/security party
Two USCG HH-60J or Special Forces (MH-6) on deck (up to Six in vehicle storage area)

[Farel']

I dont think such a ship is out of the question. In the 70s we had a ship "setanta" which was ideal for this purpose and was used as a training ship.It had a cargo hold too. However it powered by oil fired boilers(I think it was one of the last steamers built in ireland).
A bit of foreward planning could see something like this,though maybe not on this scale come to fruition.
As Goldie says,it was the EEZ that got us eithne,the EU paid for the P50s,and the EEC paid for the P20s. The peacocks were a master stroke by charlie,and the Brits are still annoyed we got them when they could have been used for their northern ireland or gibralter squadrons.
I dont expect that my opinions here will get us these new ships,but is there really a need to shut down all discussions of a possible future role with a "it'll never happen" mentality?

Who would have predicted the piranha APCs 10 years ago?
Who would have thought that an Irish Naval vessel could have sailed to the other side of the world 20 years ago?
Look ahead,or the future might just bite you on the ass