Totally agree, one could almost think that the Sea Axe OPV2 will fit Sea 1180 like a glove. I particularly like the RHIB arrangment and the multi mission bridge. Throw in a Kelvin Hughes Sharpeye, a good EO, a 76mm OTO gun and a pair of Typhoon Mk38, you've got one of the best OPV in the world.
Doesn't Australia have some 76mm guns in storage, if these ships could accept a gun of that size. Would give them some decent firepower without a huge outlay and there not doing anything else.
That's a barrow I've been pushing for a while, we should have a pool of six 76mm and four 8 cell Mk-41. If we are smart, once we start retiring the ANZACs there will be eight shipsets of 8 cell Mk-41, Harpoon, CEA radar masts, Vampir plus numerous other up-to-date and upgradable, systems that only need a suitable hull. Many probably don't recall but initially the ANZACs weren't intended to have torpedo tubes but the units from the retired River class DE/frigates were pulled through.
I wonder if the Americans would have a few 76mm guns in storage taken off OHP Frigates we could pick up. The 76 would at least give the OPVs some level of self defence against minor threats. I know they are not really meant to operate in war zones but you never know what the future may bring. I think it would make a good allround weapon system on a ship this size without turning into a OCV.
We had six, I assume the guns would still be in reasonable condition. I assume all the rest would get the 25mm gun. While not a big fan of over arming the OPV's (I think this is really a class that should be fitted for but not with), I think reactivation of the 76mm would be quite useful. With a wide range of ammunition available for this calibre, offering significant power, range suitable for a range of missions.
If the class is to have a 76mm gun then it will probably need to be across the whole 14 as there is the through deck design to take into account. This is probably also true of the possible 57mm gun. This would not be an issue with the 25mm or 35mm fitting, as they are deck mounted with no below decks magazine AFAIK.
There still needs to be a magazine and in the case of the Armidales it is actually below the gun mount. It makes sense to arrange things like this as the last thing you want to do is have to lug boxes of not light ammunition about the ship in a seaway.
True, but I think that incorporating a 76mm into the class will need to be considered in terms of structural design, more than say the Typhoons will.
Would certainly be far more useful to the ADF sitting on a ship than sitting in a shed somewhere. Unless you want to put them on the AORs or retrofit them to the Canberras i don't see much point to leaving them lying around a shed attracting dust. They are too useful a weapon system to let go to waste.
Gives them some degree of self defence against OCVs and armed Naval Helicopters which is a growing threat. The RAN will only have 12 major surface combatants to use in any conflict and would need to fall back on the OPVs in a lot of circumstances
Any they so desired.
The Bathursts were actually designed as seaward defence vessels but termed mine sweepers for operational security. Convoy escort and ASW was always part of their design brief. Something better would have been great but they were useful and effective and mush better than the alternative, that was nothing (or more to the point, a design with no combat power at all because it was seen as unnecessary).
The 1800 Sea Axe is designed for two 9 meter RHIB's and any modifications to go larger would introduce huge modification costs.
If this is the way the ADF is looking at going with the OPV having the ability to support a landing/raiding party allied with a Vtol UAV then a medium calbre gun is almost a given. The ability to protect itself against low level threats and provide fire support could be mission critical. It is going to be very interesting to see what comes out of this program and we won't have long to wait if first steel is going to be cut in 2018. A contract will nearly have to be signed off this year.
Agreed the Sea Axe is designed with the 11m RHIB in mind but there are MOTS arrangements of similar configuration that can launch and recover both large RHIBs and fast interceptor craft. Some fast interceptor craft are basically covered in RHIBs while others are more akin to combat boats. It comes down to what is desirable, affordable and achievable, a combat boat may be too much of a stretch but a fast interceptor craft, able to operate independently for a day or so could be possible, as could a Protector USV.
It's somewhat confusing about what the plan is to deploy the Riverine boats away from home base, yes you carry them into theatre using the Phat ships but if you want to deploy them any sort of distance accross open ocean once in theatre you can't really use the Phat ships. The best ship for this sort of mission would be a LPH but we don't have them any more or any for the forseable future. The other choice would be the OPVs.
Its quite a flexible size. Volcano(40Km) and Dart(anti aircraft) PFF (anti missile). Offers a useful 8km accurate range which may be useful for Naval gunfire support. IMO its probably more useful than the 57mm on the LCS and coast guard (which they are trying to develop guided rounds for).
To be honest I was disappointed with the demise of the LCH(R) and I am concerned that we will be focusing on having all of our eggs in three large egg baskets.