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