Multi Role Boats (and other small boats thread).

[Underway]

Article here on a new multi role boat.  I originally thought the MRB was going to be deployed on the AOPS consistently as well but it seems that is a different contract.  Also interestingly the way the MRB is going to be an extra sensor for the ship with a fairly good range.

With a weapons station I'm also wondering if those would be avail for PRes in their Port Security Small Boat Ops.  Or perhaps its a bit overkill since the shore based ops centres won't necessarily be able to handle the information they could be provided with.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Hmm I started on a ship with a Avon Searider, then we moved up to the Zodiac Mk 5 and now the Coast Guard uses 733’s or similar. Do they want more of a cabin? I don’t understand why they needed to get so close to launch the boat, unless they wanted to provide covering fire if needed?
http://zodiacmilpro.com/hurricane-ribs/customization/

I think that any form of launch and recovery that does not use a stern ramp is going to suffer limitations

 

[Kirkhill]

No?

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I have a soft spot for the CB90  [

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Except, Colin: That's a SB90E, not a CB 90E.

5 meters shorter in length, much slower, not armoured, and older in design than the CB 90 you love.

Sorry  :-[

 

[Kirkhill]

Storebro 90E

http://www.storebro.se/index.php?page=tekniska-data-90e
http://www.storebro.se/uploads/Docs/90eTechspec.pdf

200 NM, 42 knots max, 3+10 crew - 10.8m 6500kg empty

CB 90 Stb 90H

http://www.dockstavarvet.se/products/combat-and-patrol-boats/combat-boat-90-h/specification/
https://www.soldf.com/strb90h.html

240 NM @ 20 knots, 45 knots max, 3+21 crew or 4500 kg load - 15.9m 13300kg empty

Both boats are originally ca 1985.

And neither boat is armoured.  The Swedes have built a small number of armoured variants of the Strb 90H known as the Strb 90HS.

 

[Kirkhill]

USMC Reserves Amphibian Assault Battalion(s) getting small boats as adjuncts to experiment with.

These will supplement the wheeled amphibious vehicles that replaced the tracks. In keeping with the island strategy that will see more small units spend more time on the water and less time moving on land.

Marine Reserve eyes small boats for nimble littoral operations

The boats the Reserve is looking at are in the rigid inflatable boat family.

www.militarytimes.com

 

[Stoker]

CB 90 going up and down the Harbour in Halifax.

 

[Czech_pivo]

CB 90 going up and down the Harbour in Halifax.
View attachment 101753View attachment 101754

Coasts only or could you see a role for this on the GL's?

 

[Colin Parkinson]

The new MRB RHIB's are fine for working off the ship or short jaunts from shore stations. Long patrols or searches from a open RHIB get old pretty darn quick and the effectiveness of crew drops significantly as well. Closed in cabins help the crew and protects the electronics as well.

 

[FJAG]

My nod goes to the CB90 with the capability of taking a half platoon as dismounts. IMHO, these make excellent patrol, craft of coastal infrastructure on both coasts and quite possibly could be positioned to operate out of small coastal harbours by NavRes pers with small ARes platoons. Simple and relatively cheap and a strong national/local community ties.

 

[childs56]

My nod goes to the CB90 with the capability of taking a half platoon as dismounts. IMHO, these make excellent patrol, craft of coastal infrastructure on both coasts and quite possibly could be positioned to operate out of small coastal harbours by NavRes pers with small ARes platoons. Simple and relatively cheap and a strong national/local community ties.

I would look at what Canadian manufactures we have for Crew boats and see what they can provide. Metalcraft Marine Inc is one a few Canadian companies who may be able to provide us with a Canadian made, designed and build Costal patrol Vessel that will run with the best of them.

 

[suffolkowner]

still no love for the Jehu?

Jehu-class landing craft - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Gordon Dundas/]

My nod goes to the CB90 with the capability of taking a half platoon as dismounts. IMHO, these make excellent patrol, craft of coastal infrastructure on both coasts and quite possibly could be positioned to operate out of small coastal harbours by NavRes pers with small ARes platoons. Simple and relatively cheap and a strong national/local community ties.

Absolutely, I wonder how long it's going to take for the the Government to ignore this .....
Yes as a matter of fact I am a bit of a cynic

 

[FJAG]

I would look at what Canadian manufactures we have for Crew boats and see what they can provide. Metalcraft Marine Inc is one a few Canadian companies who may be able to provide us with a Canadian made, designed and build Costal patrol Vessel that will run with the best of them.

Yup. It doesn't have to be a CB90/ It must be CB90ish - speed, maneuverability, crew capacity, armament, ability to land against rough shores etc. A Canadian built CB90 clone is fine and preferable to me.

 

[FJAG]

Absolutely, I wonder how long it's going to take for the the Government to ignore this .....
Yes as a matter of fact I am a bit of a cynic

My guess is that its not the government but the navy that has little interest in this - or for that matter the army.

 

[OldSolduer]

My guess is that its not the government but the navy that has little interest in this - or for that matter the army.

I’m inclined to agree. This sort of thing isn’t well received by big Army and Big Navy.

 

[PrairieFella]

I’m inclined to agree. This sort of thing isn’t well received by big Army and Big Navy.

Gotta ask - why? Why would the Army want another task of little value to them? Why would the Navy want to divert resources to ferry the army around? Unless we start turning Army units into amphibious units, why would we want this?

 

[Furniture]

My guess is that its not the government but the navy that has little interest in this - or for that matter the army.

I'm guessing the RCN hasn't been interested in it, because they aren't normally tasked with patrolling internal Canadian waterways. Most of the sailing on the inside passages out West is training sails, not patrols.

The RCN's interest might change with the way the RCN managed trades are evolving. There may be more room for "patrol craft" specific occupations in the Nav Res, with most of the hard sea trades shifting to a structure where part-time service doesn't mesh with the work/training.

 

[FJAG]

Gotta ask - why? Why would the Army want another task of little value to them? Why would the Navy want to divert resources to ferry the army around? Unless we start turning Army units into amphibious units, why would we want this?

Well, I'll start the discussion with the idea that protecting our coastlines, especially vital infrastructure such as harbours and ports is important. We might disagree on how vulnerable they are and how threatened they are but threats change - whether drugs or sabotage - but sometimes we should be a bit ahead on the security game. We're at last waking up to the issue that homeland security matters and we can all see that this doesn't fit the Colonel Blimp vision of their job description what with building the big division and fleet and all . . . but sometimes you have to think about the little issues.

And yes. We have coastlines so having some resources - army, navy and even air force - capable of domestic amphibious littoral operations might be helpful. They are hard to create when you need them in a hurry. And they're damn cheap all things considered. I know that runs counter to the "we're too important for this" thinking in Ottawa and it might have sold well when the budgets were tight, but now . . .

And before you ask, yes, I'm in favour of ground based air and anti-ship missile A2/AD defences as well.

Last but not least, numbers of small ocean-capable patrol craft are an easy way to provide some sea-time for young sailors who would otherwise not see a ship for years. We could have fleets of small patrol craft up and running long before the first River touches the water.