B.Smitty

I've been trying to find out about a new-ish variant of the SeaBase concept called the Global Fleet Station (GFS).

Navy tours to test global fleet concept - Military News, Navy News, opinions, editorials, news from Iraq, photos, reports - Navy Times

It seems like part persistent maritime presence strategy, part floating PR campaign.

Looks like the initial version will use the HSV-2 Swift and an LSD as the core, with a DDG and other vessels supplementing.

Does anyone know of any publicly-available concept documents describing GFS?

Also, what do we think about its applicability and value in the GWOT for extended duration littoral maritime security ops? stability and support ops? What would be the "ideal" composition? (as much as an ideal can be defined)

Is this the future of littoral operations short of war?

rickusn

Smitty seeing as no one else has answered.

The only document Ive herad of is:

""Naval Operations Concept 2006" (NOC) supersedes a similar document issued in 2002."

I dont have a copy but Ill check around.

Here is a post I made on another forum not long ago.

Google is a wonderful thing and that is where the excerpts posted below originated.

Global Fleet Stations is a variation on a theme, a cross between an amphibious warfare optomised Expeditionary Strike Group(ESG) and a Blue-water ASW/ASUW/AAW/BMD Surface Strike Group(SSG).

I have coined the term Littoral Strike Group(LSG) to fit into the existing paradigm of operational task group nomenclature.

""The Navy and the Marine Corps list as their missions: forward naval presence, crisis response, expeditionary power projection, maritime security operations, sea control, deterrence, security cooperation, civil-military operations, counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, counter-proliferation, air and missile defense, and information operations."

Any way:

"Anyway, the idea is that inshore work is done by the Coast Guard not the Navy."

Apparently that is no longer the plan. Although the CG is still slated to provide personnel as appropriate.

The USN indeed is in the process of reclaiming the PC-1 class as they have found them quite usefull in Iraq and HLD patrolling.

But they are failures for their intended purpose which was SpecOps support.

And thus why the USN was in the process of shedding them when the growing emphasis on the GWOT along with the premature stepping down of Admiral Clark as CNO overtook events. But the Clark saga is whole other story.

Although Mullen may have created problems of his own its said by prizing obedience over loyalty.

Admiral Mullen, Clarks successor commented in June 2006 on a new strategy and GFS:

"The new strategy would not replace “Seapower 21,” developed under Mullen’s predecessor as CNO, Adm. Vern Clark. That document is a “great organizing architecture for the Navy,” Mullen has previously said, but he wants a new strategy on how the Navy is used.

The “From the Sea” strategies were born soon after the Cold War, and much has changed in the years since they were written.

“It’s not that the world wasn’t facing globalization” in earlier years, Mullen said. “But we didn’t have to deal with the incredible pace of globalization.”

The CNO also doesn’t want to wait too long to see a completed strategy.

“I want it in 12 to 18 months,” he said. “We can’t wait two to four years; that’s too long.”"

Speaking to reporters after his address, Mullen said that one idea being considered is to establish “Global Fleet Stations,” areas in foreign countries where “a fleet of shallow-draft ships and support vessels” would support joint efforts to “build friendships and engender cooperation.”

The idea, he explained, envisions a “mother ship” — a surface warship such as a destroyer, frigate or littoral combat ship, or an amphibious ship — to “sustain the presence in an area.”

Mullen said he wants try a Global Fleet Station experiment in “the next year or two.”


The new plan I mentioned above is called Globlal Fleet Stations for which, I undertstand, the pilot program is now just underway to support POA 2007.:

"POA 2007 focuses on enhancing relationships with regional partner nations through a variety of exercises and events at sea and on shore throughout South America and the Caribbean. The U.S. Navy Task Group consists of amphibious dock landing ship Pearl Harbor (LSD 52), destroyer USS Mitscher (DDG 57), frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 5 and the Chilean Frigate Almirante Latorre (FFG 14)."

Excerpts from Navy News, Janes, National Defense Mag, Navy Times articles over the last year or so gleaned from a google search I undertook the other day:

"GFS is a proposal to use ships and riverine boats around the world to assist and promote good will with other nations' maritime services."

"“Global Fleet Stations (GFS) is an enabler for the ‘1,000 ship Navy,’” said Cmdr. Aaron Jacobs, NAVSO planning director. “NAVSO volunteered to implement a pilot program for GFS because our AOR is uniquely suited - we have a high number of countries in a small area already working closely together. Additional work with these countries further enhances our regional relationships.”

The goal of the NAVSO conference was to make initial plans for commencing the GFS pilot in the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility.

Representatives at the conference included personnel from SOUTHCOM, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations staff, U.S. Marine Corps Forces South, U.S. Coast Guard headquarters, Office of Naval Research, and Naval Expeditionary Combat Command.

The group discussed which countries to include in the pilot, a timeline and duration for the test, which class of vessel to deploy, required actions, and inter-service and inter-agency integration. A tentative goal for beginning the pilot is spring 2007."

"USN briefing paper that was provided to Jane's described the concept as follows: "It is an idea that would create a self-sustaining sea base from which the navy could launch tailored and adaptive force packages in response to humanitarian crises, natural disasters, and counter-terrorism tips."

"Amphibious ships remain the critical centerpiece of a seabased capability. Staying power and the hub of force projection and influence ashore against a gathering enemy.

Enhanced by traditional and non-traditional platform integration and employment MPF(F), Littoral Combat Ship, Surface Combatants."

"Going into further detail, it suggested that "at a minimum, each GFS might include a modularly configurable ship capable of serving as the primary station/command ship to transport a variety of riverine craft and helicopters/UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles], mobile training teams, Seabees [marine engineers] and materiel, medical teams, and a limited security force."

"Speaking to reporters after his address, Mullen said that one idea being considered is to establish "Global Fleet Stations," areas in foreign countries where "a fleet of shallow-draft ships and support vessels" would support joint efforts to "build friendships and engender cooperation." The idea, he explained, envisions a "mother ship" - a surface warship such
as a destroyer, frigate or littoral combat ship, or an amphibious ship - to "sustain the presence in an area."

"According to the NOC, GFS would comprise at least one modularly configurable command ship - an amphibious transport dock, dock landing ship, high-speed vessel or Littoral Combat Ship - and one or more small surface units, including Littoral Combat Ships or frigates. A GFS would also be fitted with small units such as an entire riverine squadron or a helicopter detachment. "

"Robert Work, naval analyst at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, says Mullen deserves credit for seeking to engage the service in a much-needed debate about its future. "Mullen is really trying to challenge the Navy intellectually," says Work. "He's trying to challenge the Navy to do better." Mullen wants Navy leaders, says Work, to articulate answers to these questions: "What do we bring to the nation? Should we do something different other than sending out battle carrier groups? . He is trying to spark a new period of thought on how the Navy contributes to the national defense."

The concept of operations, he says, "doesn't break any grand new ground, but points to a potentially different future."

One clue of what may be coming is the document's mention of "global fleet stations" as a means to contribute naval assets to a theater of operations.

The global fleet station, the Navy paper says, "is a persistent sea base of operations from which to coordinate and employ adaptive force packages within a regional area of interest." Its primary responsibility would be "shaping operations, theater security cooperation, global maritime awareness, and tasks associated specifically with the war on terror."

The idea of global fleet stations indeed does denote a change from the current thinking about "sea bases," Work says.

For the past several years, the Navy has been advocating the deployment of groups of large cargo ships and combat vessels that would serve collectively as a sea base for launching a major ground offensive. But that idea appears
to be fading, Work says.

"Now, it's about global fleet stations, distributed operations offshore, shaping operations in support of the long war. They don't say how they are going to do it, but they introduce the concept that sea basing won't be about launching major combat operations, but about global fleet stations."

Another source of ongoing discussions is the notion of "persistent sea bases" operating in particular coastal regions of the world, such as Africa, Latin America, the Persian Gulf, East Asia (Indonesia and the Strait
of Malacca) and the Western Pacific, says Work. A sea base may include an amphibious mother ship, a small combatant, special operations forces and
Marine rifle companies. "

"The new Littoral Combat Ship, which is supposed to join the fleet with an eventual force of 55 hulls, will also need ready replenishment from the likes of a global fleet station."

"Navy spokeswoman Lt. Sarah Self-Kyler said there could be five GFS, and that they could be developed within five to seven years. They would be positioned in locales such as Southeast Asia, East Africa and the Arabian Gulf, South Asia, West Africa and Central and South America, and would be used principally to respond to humanitarian crises, natural disasters and counterterrorism missions. "

Here is the most recent article I have. I also understand the FSF-1 will join the three ships listed above and HSV-2 at some point.

Global Fleet Station Pilot One Step Closer with Arrival of Swift
Story Number: NNS070409-12
Release Date: 4/9/2007 4:43:00 PM



By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Cynthia Clark, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command Public Affairs

MAYPORT, Fla. (NNS) -- Global Fleet Station (GFS) pilot deployment to the Caribbean is one step closer to starting, with the arrival of High Speed Vessel (HSV) 2 Swift at Naval Station Mayport, April 6.

GFS pilot 2007 is a U.S. Southern Command-directed operation implemented by U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and carried out by HSV-2 SWIFT. Onboard SWIFT will be a command element and several training teams.

The ship will visit several countries in the Caribbean where training teams will offer hands-on and classroom instruction on a range of maritime subjects.

This summer’s GFS pilot deployment is designed to analyze the GFS concept for the Navy and support U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) objectives for its area of responsibility by enhancing cooperative partnerships with regional maritime services and improving operational readiness for the participating partner nations.

“This is why it’s so important to start in the Southern Command,” said SOUTHCOM Commander Adm. James Stavridis. “It’s a great way to help strengthen our ties with regional partners and provide a more persistent presence.”

This GFS pilot deployment is being carried out under the operational control of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (NAVSO), the Navy component for SOUTHCOM.

According to NAVSO Commander Rear Adm. James W. Stevenson Jr., the embarked training teams will work alongside partner nation navies and civil services to improve capabilities and efficiencies. In turn, increased readiness enhances regional maritime stability and security.

“When the GFS concept came to light last year, we jumped at the opportunity to lead the first pilot in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility,” said Stevenson. “Our active engagement program with our partner navies and the interoperability we work toward during exercises provides certain aspects of the ideal backdrop to test the GFS concept.”

In addition to the 43-member crew in Swift, embarked personnel will include the command element Commander, Task Group 40.9 (CTG 40.9) as well as training teams from Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Marine Corps.

“Our group is looking forward to putting the GFS concept into action,” said CTG 40.9 Commander Capt. Douglas Wied. “This is a great opportunity to work with our partner nations, understand where they are coming from, what their needs are and how we can better assist them in meeting our common goals.”

The teams embarked for the GFS pilot will offer training topics such as port security, non-commissioned officer professional development, operational risk management, medical readiness, outboard motor maintenance, patrol craft operation, and much more. This Global Fleet Station pilot is scheduled to continue through the late summer 2007.

High Speed Vessel Swift is a 98-meter, aluminum-hulled catamaran and was delivered to the U.S. Navy in August 2003. A completely automated “sea-frame” ship, it can perform many missions and brings new capabilities and unparalleled opportunities for tactical innovation to the Navy-Marine Corps team of the 21st Century.

GFS is scheduled to visit the nations of Belize, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua

rickusn

Another new article:
The HSV 2 SWIFT is a high speed, multi-purpose ship that some say could be the future of the Navy sailing toward Mayport Naval Air Station last Friday. The HSV 2 SWIFT will be docked at Mayport for the next three weeks.
Gary Wilcox/Staff.

Last modified Wed., April 11, 2007 - 12:16 AM
Originally created Wednesday, April 11, 2007

New, fast concept cruises into Mayport

The HSV 2 Swift is being called the future of the Navy.

By DREW DIXON, Shorelines staff writer

When the vessel HSV 2 Swift docked at Mayport Naval Station Friday, it was clear the Navy is using a new kind of ship for a new kind of mission.

The trimaran aluminum hulled ship is getting fitted and prepared for the Global Fleet Station that will participate in multinational operations through the Caribbean and near Latin America with the mission of providing a more stabilizing force in the region. But the ship itself is sparking some of the most intrigue.

"You're standing on the future of the Navy," Adm James Stavridis said as he fielded questions on the bridge of the Swift. "You're standing on a new concept, a new way of doing business, a new kind of ship that we are experimenting with."

Admiral James G. Stavridis, United States Southern Command, toured the HSV 2 SWIFT talkes to the media about the planning room on the ship last Friday at the Mayport Naval Air Station last Friday. The HSV 2 SWIFT will be docked at Mayport for the next three weeks.
Gary Wilcox/Staff.

Stavridis will oversee the Swift's mission, which will begin in about a month as preparations continue at Mayport. While the operations are new, Stavridis gushed about the Swift, which has a top speed of 45 knots and looks more like a cruise ship than a military vessel.

The sleek lines of the Swift were designed by an Australian company and the hull was originally intended as a commercial vehicle ferry.

The HSV 2 Swift is one of only two ships of its kind in the U.S. military. The other operates for the Army.

The Swift already has been involved in notable action since it was introduced in 2003. It was on the scene to help evacuate Americans during the conflict between Israel and Lebanon last summer and it helped in relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico in 2005.

With a draft of about 9 feet, which is significantly shallower than most Navy ships' 20 feet, the Swift can maneuver easily in shoal waters. When it docked in the Mayport basin Friday, there was no need for a tugboat to push the ship into place.

Such versatility makes the Swift a good fit for the new mission, which will involve teaming up with nations such as Jamaica, The Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, Stavridis said.

"This kind of ship is perfect. It's optimized for the kinds of things that we need to do down there," Stavridis said. "The idea here is to cycle repetitively through various stations down there to build relationships for what we call the Global Fleet Stations concept."

Stavridis will not be stationed on the ship. He will provide supervisory command for the U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command.

The ship has its own rotating operational crew assigned by the Navy out of Ingleside Naval Station, Texas and the Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base in Virginia. But it has no specific designated home port and Mayport personnel will be on the ship during the upcoming mission.

Navy Capt. Douglas Wied heads the detachment of Mayport sailors assigned to the ship for the Global Fleet Station deployment over the next six months; he'll help command exercises and operations. He said there's no shortage of excitement about the deployment.

"When it comes to a vessel that we can use in working with our partners, this is ideal," Wied said. "Once you go out and take a look at it, it is a very dynamic vessel as far as it can be reconfigured for whatever mission you want. It's got a tremendous capacity for taking on cargo or taking on personnel."

The 321-foot vessel has a cargo deck with storage up to 28,740 square feet. "For the Navy, we can use this to bring on tanks, Humvees, palletized equipment, whatever you want," Wied said.

The entire Global Fleet Station concept is a new one, Stavridis said, and it represents a new approach to security forces in the region formulated by Naval Operations in Washington, D.C., that was in part spawned by the war on terror.

"But I would also say it's part of the emerging global environment, the idea of globalization," Stavridis said. "It's the thinking of how can the United States be more engaged in a more practical way all around the world."

The Global Fleet Station operations will be a good testing ground for the Swift, Stavridis said, and the Navy will then assess what kind of future role the vessel could play in the fleet.

"What you're seeing here is like standing on the beach at Kitty Hawk, [N.C.], and watching the first airplane take off," Stavridis said in reference to the experimental aircraft founded by the Wright brothers. "You don't know how it's going to come out. ... We may look back at this particular deployment and say, 'Boy, that was interesting, but it wasn't quite right.'

"On the other hand, when I look at the capacity here, the high speed 45 knots, the shallow draft of 9 feet, the ability to go almost anywhere and fill it up with almost anything ... I would say the future has unlimited potential for this type of vessel and this wonderful port, Mayport," Stavridis said.

rickusn

Here is a link to the CONOPS document, I referenced above, of September 2006.

http://www.mcwl.usmc.mil/file_downlo...2014%20Sep.pdf.

rickusn

Excerpt from above document.:

"Sea Basing – Providing operational maneuver and assured access to the joint force while significantly reducing our footprint ashore and minimizing the permissions required to operate from host nations. With a sustainable logistics tail safely at sea, sea basing leverages the ability to operate from international waters. We are exploring innovative operational concepts that combine sea basing with adaptive force packaging that will further support national security and the Combatant Commanders’ objectives worldwide. One such concept is the Global Fleet Station (GFS). GFS is a persistent sea base of operations from which to coordinate and employ adaptive force packages within a regional area of interest. Focusing primarily on Phase 0 (shaping) operations, Theater Security Cooperation, Global Maritime Awareness, and tasks associated specifically with the War on Terror, GFS offers a means to increase regional maritime security through the cooperative efforts of joint, inter-agency, and multinational partners, as well as Non-Governmental Organizations. Like all sea bases, the composition of a GFS depends on Combatant Commander requirements, the operating environment, and the mission. From its sea base, each GFS would serve as a self-contained headquarters for regional operations with the capacity to repair and service all ships, small craft, and aircraft assigned. Additionally, the GFS might provide classroom space, limited medical facilities, an information fusion center, and some combat service support capability. The GFS concept provides a leveraged, high-yield sea based option that achieves a persistent presence in support of national objectives. Additionally, it complements more traditional CSG/ESG training and deployment cycles."

B.Smitty

Thanks ricksun for the info.

I've read most of it, but it's very useful to have all of it in one spot.

So there's renewed interest in the PC-1s. I wonder if we'll see more discussion about new patrol boats and small combatants in general?

What do you think about the Austal Multi-Role Corvette proposal for use in this role?

It looks like a mini-LCS - roughly the same displacement as a PC-1, but can hangar and support an H-60 sized helo, and has a RO/RO deck like LCS-2.

It would need to be transported via FLO/FLO.

Can you move a PC-1 in the well deck of an LSD/LPD?

Also, I wonder if there won't be a push for a small aviation ship if GFS takes off.

We can't afford to keep a CVBG or LHA/LHD on station constantly, and we don't even need that level of capability in this role. Something even as small as the Chakri Naruebet or Principe de Asturias with a handful of Harriers/F-35Bs plus helos/V-22s and UAVs would vastly increase the capability of a GFS.

Galrahn

This is an interesting representation regarding how the USN sees Global Fleet Stations.

There will be some major reports about it out either June or July, something that better describes the CONOP.

For me, it sounds a lot like another buzz word for a combination of existing CONOPS, from "Sea Basing" to "1000 ship Navy" to "littoral operations." There is no existing clear vision here, but it there is an idea wrapped in the GFS that could tie together the ever increasing number of methods and missions the USN is framing its 21st century strategy around.

B.Smitty

It does sound like another buzz word for long-duration, non-combat, MSO/GWOT/humanitarian operations in littoral areas.

I just wonder how much it will impact buying decisions.

As you've said on other threads/boards, destroyers, cruisers and frigates aren't even close to right for MSO. Even LCS is iffy.

I personally think you need numbers and persistence, and you need it at a price you can afford to pay for years.

Galrahn

Sortof, the GFS is designed for low intensity Navy missions, and it is organized in a way to pull together resources from numerous nations, not only the US.

I'm going to wait and see, we never know what will happen this summer. It only takes one major event to completely skew the pilot one direction or the other, for example a major hurricane could tilt the effort towards humanitarian response, while a major drug bust could tilt it to counter smuggling, and that isn't even accounting for how a major South American political event might shape the pilot.

While watching the advertised deployment of the USS Pearl Harbor and the HSV Swift in the Global Fleet Station pilot for SOUTHCOM, you may also want to take a look around in the news regarding the USS Carter Hall, another LSD-49 hull, as it deploys for a scheduled 6 month tour without Marines. While this isn't the first time the L class ships have deployed without Marines to the region, the LSD-49 was chosen last year as the ship for low intensity, counter terrorism operations, meaning they will no longer be used for ESGs once the LPD-17s hit the fleet.

I am not certain of the USN reasons for the LSD-49, but if you are looking for a ship to test a mother ship concept, the LSD-49 class with its well deck and large cargo/vehicle holds would be a perfect ship to evaluate the concept. The USS Carter Hall, with its unspoken non-USMC equipment load, may be the mothership test many in and out of the USN have been advocating for.

rickusn

"I personally think you need numbers and persistence, and you need it at a price you can afford to pay for years."

Alot(Most?) of people "think" this but its proving more and more difficult to control costs.

"What do you think about the Austal Multi-Role Corvette proposal for use in this role?"

I havent seen the specs. Have you?

"It looks like a mini-LCS - roughly the same displacement as a PC-1, but can hangar and support an H-60 sized helo, and has a RO/RO deck like LCS-2."

The PC-1 class has some different dimensions throughout the class.
The largest versions being:

Length: 48m wl, 54.36m oa
Width: 7.62m
Displacement: 334 tonsfl-387fl

I would think if Austals corvette is to hanger an "H-60 sized helo" it would have to be much larger.

"Can you move a PC-1 in the well deck of an LSD/LPD?"

Probably not as the mast is most likely to high to fit in the well deck but the the crafts other dimensions would fit.

rickusn

WAVY TV 10 - News, Weather, Traffic, Sports for Hampton Roads, Virginia - North Eastern North Carolina - USS Carter Hall deploys to the Middle East with mixed emotions from those ashore
April 10,2007
USS Carter Hall deploys to the Middle East with mixed emotions from those ashore

Hundreds of local sailors are on their way to the Middle East, in support of ongoing maritime security operations.

The sailors are on board the USS Carter Hall.

There was a real range of emotions at this morning's deployment. Sailors who are excited about their mission, loved ones sad to say goodbye, and as your about to see, one man who says after today, he'll finally feel a sense of peace.

There was a tearful goodbye for Brittany Fox and her boyfriend, and one last hug.

"It's not long enough - not tight enough. It just wasn't enough - it's never enough - not when you're not going to see him for 6 months," she said.

400 sailors are deploying with USS Carter Hall to the Navy's 5th Fleet area of operations

The amphibious assault ship will conduct maritime operations in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Indian Ocean.

"Basically its pressurizing the maritime domain to deny international terrorist organizations the use of the high seas," said CO Jim McGovern.

"We have to show everybody that the Navy is strong and we're a force out there."The emotions are different for Mark Mitchell. His father, who served in the Navy in the late 40s, is being buried at sea.

The Navy will take video and pictures of the ceremony for Mitchell's family.

"I'm actually happy in a way because the last couple of months we didn't know what was going to happen and I really wanted him to have his last wish granted and this was it," Mitchell told us.

USS Carter Hall is scheduled for a six month deployment, but the commanding officer says that could change based on operations.

The USS Carter Hall's commanding officer said this is a routine deployment and it has nothing to do with the Navy's recent activity in the Persian Gulf.

USS Carter Hall leaves on six-month deployment | TOP STORIES | WVEC.com | News for Hampton Roads, Virginia

USS Carter Hall leaves on six-month deployment

06:02 PM EDT on Tuesday, April 10, 2007

USS Carter Hall

The USS Carter Hall left Tuesday morning to return to the War of Terror. They’re headed to what the military calls the Fifth Fleet area of responsibility. They’ll travel from the Suez Canal, through the Red Sea, around the horn of Africa, into the Arabian Sea, and possibly up to the Persian Gulf.

The 400 crew members of the USS Carter Hall said goodbye to their family and friends at Little Creek Amphibious Base around 10 a.m. Tuesday.

"It's hard to leave the family, as you know, you get accustomed to being at home. But, you join the military, and that's what we're here to do, do our time and come back," said Yeoman 1st class Eric Hill.

The amphibious dock landing ship is bound first for the Mediterannean Sea, ultimately for the Middle East. There, they'll conduct vital maritime security operations, working to keep the global sea lanes free of terrorist activity, and of pirates.

It's something the Navy has always done, but a mission that's gotten much more attention in the days since September 11, 2001.

"We'll be doing engagement operations with our coalition partners and gulf cooperation council states,” said Commander James McGovern. “We'll be conducting visit, board, search and seizure. We'll be conducting the spectrum, from humanitarian operations, all the way to combat operations."

B.Smitty

The only spec's I've seen are at the end of this pdf,

http://www.austal.com/download.cfm?D...72A2CC3C2D1D40

Here's the link to the Austal MRC page.

Multi-Role Corvette - Austal

Length : 78.5m
Speed: >25 knots sprint
Range: 6,000nm
Deadweight: 320 tonnes
Mission Deck: 540m2
Flight Deck: MRH-90
Accom: 43 personnel



Well, I guess all they say is the flight deck can accommodate an H-60-sized helo, but the hangar door looks large enough to fit one.

Who knows if it can carry sufficient consumables, spares and crew to support it though.

rickusn

Length : 78.5m
Speed: >25 knots sprint
Range: 6,000nm
Deadweight: 320 tonnes
Mission Deck: 540m2
Flight Deck: MRH-90
Accom: 43 personnel

Deadweight displacement is different from full load.

Although I dont know if it accounts for my confusion.

The ships is also nearly 30m longer.

B.Smitty

Yeah, it SEEMS larger than a PC-1 - more like Visby-sized. Maybe it's the trimaran hull form? Extensive use of composites, perhaps?

Edit: Ok, i looked up deadweight. (Tonnage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Deadweight (often abbreviated as DWT for deadweight tonnes) is the displacement at any loaded condition minus the lightship weight. It includes the crew, passengers, cargo, fuel, water, and stores. Like Displacement, it is often expressed in long tons or in metric tons.

So the MRC will have a much higher displacement than 320 tons. My guess is it's closer to Visby sized.

kato

bigger. a lot bigger than Visby. even LSTs with that kinda DWT have almost twice the displacement of a Visby. we're looking at something like 1000-1200 tons full load displacement here, i'd say (compared to a Visby at 600 tons full load), and that's already considering it's a "dedicated" design.