The Swarming Boat Problem –What Does it Mean? (A threat to our Navy)

Technology and Security ^ | Feb 12 2012 | Stephen Bryen

[Ooh-Ah]

The US Navy has been concerned for some time about the threat of “swarming” boats. This threat is seen as very strong where American warships go through narrow passageways like the Strait of Hormuz, or around important anchorages, as for example near key oil ports.

The swarming boat thesis is that terrorist, whether directly or indirectly state sponsored (i.e., Hezbollah, al-Qaeda) will load up a number of small boats with high explosives and drive them toward US warships at relatively high speed. These boats, which just need a couple of high powered outboard motors, can move very fast. Because they are made out of fiberglass and do not protrude far above the waterline, they are hard to see, hard to catch on radar, and hard to shoot at because they expose very little surface.

A terrorist suicide boat from Sri Lanka

A swarming boat attack can be a suicide attack, or it can be an attack where the boat driver jumps out at the last minute. Or, in a more sophisticated version, the swarming boats can be remote controlled.

Swarming boats can be launched from shore at night, or they can be dropped into the water from old transport ships or empty, obsolete oil tankers.

Multiple boats coming at a US Naval ships present a problem, because it is unlikely that the ship’s missiles can hit these targets. This leaves only the guns on the ship to do the job.

American ships today are significantly under-gunned. During the 80′s Pentagon planners were focused on “big” naval threats like the Soviet Union. Ships needed missiles to fire, guns were thought to be obsolete.

Most US warships have a CIWS gun (pronounced Sea-Wiz). This is a 20mm Gatling gun that was put on ships to take on any enemy missile that got through past the missile defense on the ship. CIWS fires a lot of rounds very rapidly, but it also runs out of ammunition just as fast. It is a short range gun, but probably will not be very effective against multiple swarming boats coming in from different angles of attack. CIWS was only used once in 1991 against an Iraqi Silkworm missile. It missed its target but managed to hit one of its nearby sister ships. Another CIWS, belonging to the Japanese Navy, shot down a US A-6 Intruder aircraft, when it was supposed to hit a target drone towed by the A-6.

The US Navy had a program to integrate the CIWS gun with the Oto Melara 76mm Compact 75 on US frigates. The project, called Swarmbuster, does not seem to have been completed. The Compact 75 is a long range 3 inch gun that is effective in the counter-ship counter-boat role. It also has ammunition with sufficient burst to blow a swarming boat out of the water. Improved versions of the Oto gun fire 100 rounds per minute or better. It can use the same sensor as the CIWS gun.

The US Navy is right to be worried about the swarming boat problem. On the other hand, the Navy is not very well prepared to deal with the threat, particularly if the enemy strikes at night. One wonders why, despite the depth of concern and the years the Navy has had to deal with the threat, very little (if anything) has been done to build proper countermeasures.

Iranian Mini-Subs Another Threat to US Navy ships

[SatinDoll]

Kill ‘em all.

[Talisker]

The solution is to promise this if any of these attacks succeed:

And then, if violated, DO IT.

[ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton]

Our weapons in Egypt will make the entire ME unsafe for US forces.

[piytar]

The solution is helicopter gun ships with night vision sighting. Shooting ducks in a barrel.

The USN probably has other solutions, but as long as they are unknown, they are harder to counter. Remember, loose lips sink ships. Literally.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

How about an A-10 or this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1URyNpiy4xA

[hinckley buzzard]

All this talk about 20mms and CIWS and such is ridiculous. All it would take is a few sets of twin .50 cal machine guns with abundant ammo supplies to take out a bunch of speedboats. I bet the navy has this issue in their vest pocket. .

[Calvin Locke]

I thought the USN had installed 57mm Bofors to enhance/fill in the gap between the anti-missile/anti-ship armaments?

[Mears]

I agree. They should shoot anything that is moving towards them.

[smokingfrog]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU4N-7QhXso

[PapaBear3625]

These boats, which just need a couple of high powered outboard motors, can move very fast. Because they are made out of fiberglass and do not protrude far above the waterline, they are hard to see, hard to catch on radar, and hard to shoot at because they expose very little surface.

At night, the motors on these boats will stand out like flares on overhead thermal imaging. A swarm of Predator-B's, each armed with up to 14 Hellfire missiles, would take them out quickly.

We also have a bunch of Mark V Special Operations Craft (SOC), a fast attack boat that can do 50 knots and carries 4 gun mounts (two on each side) which can be fitted with 7.62 mini guns or 40mm (youtube video

[nascarnation]

Correct. I’m sure if they’re close enough in that those small craft are a threat, there’s going to be air support. Bigtime.

[bdfromlv]

Dont tell Senator/usefull idiot Feinstein.

[Calvin Locke]

.50cal snipers have in their available rounds, one with a ring of RDX.

Not sure if it has to hit something harder than a pontoon to go off.

It worked real well against terrorists hiding behind a concrete wall.

[Pilsner]

I’m sure if they’re close enough in that those small craft are a threat, there’s going to be air support. Bigtime.

Around all of our warships? 24-7? For months on end?

[nascarnation]

Normally they’re well offshore where little craft like this wouldn’t venture, right?

[Ooh-Ah]

A friend sent me this answer:

The 57mm Bofors gun is only on the Littoral Combat ships (LCS). The gun's effectiveness is unproven. The LCS is not ready for deployment anywhere. It is a very large contraption and vulnerable to Iranian missiles and torpedoes as well as swarming boats. The Bofors gun reportedly can fire only a few seconds before it has to cool off. It is not clear why the Navy took a gun that has no track record in any Navy. Certainly it does not solve the swarming boat problem.

[PapaBear3625]

The Navy has a bunch of fast patrol boats (mentioned in my post #11), as well as the Cyclone-class coastal patrol boats:

General Characteristics, Cyclone Class
Builder: Bollinger Shipyards, Inc.
Propulsion: Four Paxman diesels; four shafts; 3,350 shaft horsepower.
Length: 179 feet (51.82 meters).
Beam: 25 feet (7.62 meters).
Displacement: 380 long tons (387 metric tons) full load.
Speed: 35 knots (40 miles per hour; 65 kilometers/hr).
Crew: Four officers, 24 enlisted personnel.
Armament: One MK 96 and one MK 38 25mm machine guns; 
five .50 caliber machine guns; 
two MK 19 40mm automatic grenade launchers; 
two M-60 machine guns.

[meatloaf]

I take it you’ve never heard of night OPS?

[Vermont Lt]

I just posted a similar response on another thread.

The key is to understand the enemy. They KNOW they cannot win. But they know if a carrier is going through the straights, they fire off fifty missiles and send a swarm of boats. The concept is to get one hit. One poke in they eye of the Great Satan.

We have to change our concept of war over there. Sink one ship, and they are the guys who took us on.

And even more, think beyond sinking a carrier. Our smaller ships would not be able to withstand the onslaught.