SURFACE WARSHIPS: 21st Century PT Boat

StrategyPage.com ^ | October 20, 2003

[grobdriver]

Looks like the old sub chasers.

I'm conflicted - I'd like to see it a little bigger - enough to handle a helo (which is the only way to project its power) and turbines vice diesels spinning variable pitch wheels.
OTOH, considering its mission, it seems a little bit big as it is.

[steve8714]

speed? Range?

[No Blue States]

On April 23, 2002, the Military Sealift Command's USNS Walter S. Diehl was passing through the Straits of Hormuz when the six small power boats sped alongside. The Diehl does not look like a warship and probably appeared to be easy pickings. The Diehl fired flares to warn the small boats away, but the boats did not back down and a gunner opened fire with a .50-caliber machine gun. The Diehl's gunner kept firing as the ship moved ahead and the small boats then sped off.

Bet those pirates needed some fresh underwear?! I wonder how well this boat could repel something like happened to the USS Cole..

[AppyPappy]

They could easily add some Javelins or TOW's to it as well.

[scooter2]

Using infrared radar, they tracked the boat with four persons until it could be intercepted.

There is no such thing as 'infrared radar'. Infrared refers to thermal vision using infrared sensative optics (cameras). Radar emits and receives a bounced radio signal. The acronym RADAR stands fro Radio Dection and Ranging.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

These look like a 3/4 size destroyer.

[r9etb]

I wonder how well this boat could repel something like happened to the USS Cole..

Hell, they probably could have stopped that with an M-16 if they'd been ready for it.

[x1stcav]

Doesn't look much larger than my old sportfisher. Wonder what it's sea keeping abilities are?

[Pilsner]

PT stood for "Patrol" & "Torpedo" These things are more like British MGBs (Motor Gun Boats).

[hchutch]

Seriously, these are nice ships, but there are two problems that I see with them:

1. We need about two dozen more of them.

2. They need more firepower. Figure those Bofors 57mm guns, a CIWS, eight Harpoons, and possibly even a couple of ADCAPs.

Right now, these make a good basis for something the Coast Guard could use - but I'd like a lot mroe firepower for a vessel headed into harm's way.

[John Jorsett]

They probably used FLIR (Forward-Looking Infrared).

[Travis McGee]

Their main role has been to ferry ship boarding teams to hot zones. Their "weapon" is the RHIB inflatable with an armed boarding party, either SEALs or (now) USCG. The ship just stands off and keeps watch.

[scooter2]

They probably used FLIR (Forward-Looking Infrared).

I meant to include a similar statement but got distracted by my lunch.

[Poohbah]

By the time you finished adding all that armament, the ship is either (a) too damn big for the littoral combat mission or (b) it sank at pierside from overweight...

[Held_to_Ransom]

Yes, but the original PT had a tendency to be run down and cut in half by slower moving enemy ships os that it's commander could later become a war here. Can these new ones do that?

[RightWhale]

The WW II PT boat was a boat and was made of plywood. Marine grade plywood, of course.

[hchutch]

Problem is, this thing's a sitting duck for anything havier than a Boghammer or two...

At least add a couple of Harpoons or ADCAPs or something to give it half a chance. The things can't outrun an Exocet or some other missile...

[Poohbah]

Problem is, this thing's a sitting duck for anything havier than a Boghammer or two...

That's not its mission.

At least add a couple of Harpoons or ADCAPs or something to give it half a chance. The things can't outrun an Exocet or some other missile...

And before you know it, you have a Perry-class frigate and Perry-class price tag, and, gosh, we can't afford enough of them.

[G.Mason]

"Yes, but the original PT had a tendency to be run down and cut in half by slower moving enemy ships os that it's commander could later become a war here. Can these new ones do that?"

Not for the foreseeable future! LOL