Shipbucket

So, this started out with me asking myself the question "How can I make the state defense forces better?"

Well, the answer to that is lots of funding and low-level equipment (trucks, radios, cranes, ect). I then thought "Well, while useful, that's not cool stuff. What can I add that is cool?" and I focused in on the maritime side rather than the land based side and looked at what had been built in the US for export over the last 20-25 years (link). The plan is to do a series of these focusing on the larger imaginary fleets - Texas, California, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, New York, Virginia, Washington, Alaska, & Hawai'i.

First up, Texas:


While a total flight of fantasy, I decided to give the State of Texas' Maritime Regiment a pair of overgrown FACs.

Each was initially equipped with Just the forward 30mm cannon and The Stinger launchers, but by the time of the drawing they would get 16 VL-RAM where the old Barak VLS was.

Electronics fit is TRS-3D, EO/IR sensors, CEC, & Tacan on the foremast with ESM (generic), Link-16, Minor War Vessel Radarm & Distributed Aperture System (360° Optical) on the aft.

Final weapons fit is the Mk 46 Bushmaster, two automated 50cal mounts, two automated 25mm mounts (Mk 38 mod 2), two Sea Scorpion Stinger launchers, a single Mk 32 SVTT with 6-9 rounds, 16-32 VL-RAM (based on ExLS quadpack), and two Chemring Centurion launchers (for decoys and Griffins). A single H-65 helo is provided for.

Please give any questions, comments, or concerns.

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𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐍𝐄𝐓- 𝑻𝒐 𝑪𝒐𝒈𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝑺𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆

Very interesting, though I'd think Texas would favor something more like large OPVs for gulf work; maybe checking on oil platforms, that sort of thing. Otherwise, I'm curious about VL-RAM; how does it know what to target? IIRC, it's mostly an IR missile that uses the ship's sensors to point the launcher in the general direction of the target, and then the seeker head of the missile looks for the appropriate heat source, so how does the VL aspect work with that?


Edit: looks like you have plenty of room forward for ESSM, if needed.

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We can't stop here--this is Bat country!

If it's close enough to cast a shadow, I think the flying house wins initiative.

Bronies are like the Forsworn. Everyone agrees that they are a problem but nobody wants to expend the energy rooting them out.

"That is a very graphic analogy which aids understanding wonderfully while being, strictly speaking, wrong in every possible way."

That's mostly what this is - an OPV. Anything larger risks getting significantly more expensive or losing a lot of self defense capability. Florida is likely to get an AHTS of some kind.
The VL-RAM (to be fully implimented in the real world on the block 2 version of RAM) is cued via the ship's systems and does not require being pointed in the target direction at launch.
Nope. I don't have the depth in the old Barak VLS space, and even if I did, I don't have the volume/mass/stability margins to fit ESSM and the needed guidance systems. I only had enough for RAM because I was able to remove the guidance units for the Barak missiles.

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𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐍𝐄𝐓- 𝑻𝒐 𝑪𝒐𝒈𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝑺𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆

That's an interesting idea. I wonder about boat operations, though - for patrol vessels they are the primary component of the combat system and this looks like it might be quite limited in that respect?

Regarding VL-RAM; RAM has Lock-On-After Launch (LOAL) capability from Block 1 onwards anyway, so VL just exploits this. In both cases the missile flies via an inertial guidance unit until it is in a position to look for the target.

RP1

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"Yes siree, the excitement never stops." Togusa, Ghost in the Shell

Great work Timothy.

Regarding RP1s post; unless the helo is stationed aboard permanently, could the hangar and helo deck not be utilised for boat operations?

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Jabba's Worklist

That is an exceptionally valid criticism Dr. Pawling. I wonder if I can add a small hull plug.

Thank you for looking at the drawing.

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𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐍𝐄𝐓- 𝑻𝒐 𝑪𝒐𝒈𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝑺𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆

Hi all,

Obsydian, didn't an early version of the VLS Sea Sparrow suffer from exactly the same issue, solved by a gadget on the VLS ("Jet Vane Control", wiki tells me...) booster that slewed the missile in the correct direction as it ascended?

Ad

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NSWE: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=5695

You may well be right about the jet vane thing. I just wasn't completely familiar with all the upgrades the system has been through, though Block II does sound very promising indeed. RAM is my usual go-to CIWS solution, and try to stick it on as many designs as I can.

I very much like the design, don't get me wrong, but it feels like a poor match regards the ship vs the mission. Ironically, in some of your earlier work, you created the perfect vessel for this mission with those frigates which were based on I think it was the National Security Cutter. These would be larger vessels with much better facilities, and able to take on a greater variety of roles. I would think there would also be cost and logistics advantages to something based on a Legend Class vessel, sharing the same general supply chain.

That said, the likely operating cost, of such large vessels, paired with the need would be the stumbling block, short of some clear and present need for the state to make such a move.

Of course, sometimes you want to design something fun, then find a role for it, which I perfectly understand.

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We can't stop here--this is Bat country!

If it's close enough to cast a shadow, I think the flying house wins initiative.

Bronies are like the Forsworn. Everyone agrees that they are a problem but nobody wants to expend the energy rooting them out.

"That is a very graphic analogy which aids understanding wonderfully while being, strictly speaking, wrong in every possible way."

For forces that would be mainly concerned with coastal/inshore/harbor patrol and emergency response it's a BIG ship. But certainly for a AU of sorts the basic premise, being so out-of-the-box, is very interesting.

IT LIVES.



Load-out is mostly self-explanatory. For those that saw an earlier version, the Mk-45 forward was replaced with the 57mm for higher rate of fire and a correspondingly higher number of rounds in the magazine. It's dumb, but fun.

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𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐍𝐄𝐓- 𝑻𝒐 𝑪𝒐𝒈𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝑺𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆