Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ship AOPS

[Colin Parkinson]

The structure won't support a 5" gun and the magazine would be a major redesign, but also no targeting system or sensors to go with it (or bunks for operators/maintainers).

It'll be a common naval gun though, so should be lots of lessons learned from other navies using it, and honestly the transition from the old 76mm to 57mm didn't seem too bad as would just be part of the transition training from CPF to CSC for the crews.

Common equipment works well when you have common requirements, so may end up with common equipment on AOPs and JSS, but very little with CPFs and CSC, as the gulf between non-combatants and combatants can be huge.

The other thing with common equipment is some of the kit we're using dates back to WW2 (or the days of sail) so it's a chance to push the reset and change some traditional things as there is a lot of better kit available that also works better with smaller crews.

I was only referring to the Lionfish gun.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

The other thing with common equipment is some of the kit we're using dates back to WW2 (or the days of sail) so it's a chance to push the reset and change some traditional things as there is a lot of better kit available that also works better with smaller crews.

So your still using these?

 

[Czech_pivo]

You also need a radar system that can properly track them; AOPs is just nav radars so not sure if drones even get picked up.

Combining input from different sensors to use to target weapon systems implies a lot of of things are going on with a lot of additional systems, so unless it's fully integrated into the weapon it's not something you can just drop into a non-combatant. The small slow fliers are suprisingly hard to target generally on land, let alone on a moving platform, so generally a problem.

If AOPs is getting attacked by drones they may have better luck with a bunch of shotguns TBH, but they were never intended to go into an OPs area and take drone attacks (or any other attacks) so again, completely outside the CONOPs or design requirements.

I agree and understand that the more you add, the more you have to integrate and the more complexion you add. Nothing is free or easy.
My concern/thoughts come from trying to think outside of the box. But every time one of these ships leaves our waters, the US's waters and the waters of our Allies, there is always an increase in the % chance of something bad occurring. Sending them off to Nigeria or Ghana or the west coast of Africa in general exposes them to the possibility of some semi-intelligent Boko Harim, JNIM ( Jama'at Nursat al Islam wal Muslimeen) or ISGS (Islamic State in the Greater Sahara) member with a drone carrying a mortar bomb, rpg or IED landing on the ship.

I've heard many many times on here people in the know say that our 2 JSS will never be put in harm's way or an active combat zone. If that is true why are they getting a pair of Phalanx? Won't they need the radar systems, weapons systems and integration necessary to make the Phalanx effective?