"Is The Gunboat Making A Comeback?" Topic

"After his defeat at Waterloo and surrender to the Royal Navy, Napoleon is said to have remarked, "If it had not been for you English, I would have been Emperor of the East. But wherever there is water to float a ship, we are sure to find you in our way." This simple observation goes to the heart of littoral warfare and is as true today as it was 205 years ago. It was not the wooden wall of Britain's great two- and three-deckers that Napoleon was referring to, but the hundreds of sloops, brigs, pinnacles, and many other types of inshore craft that sought out and denied the French the use of their own coastal waters.

Likewise, it was not the ironclads and cruisers of the Union Navy but rather the hundreds of smaller requisitioned, converted, and purpose-built craft that slowly choked the Confederacy from Vicksburg to Cape Hatteras during the Civil War. Similarly, the U.S. Navy's PT boats did yeoman service among the islands of the Pacific, as did the brown-water riverine forces battling the Viet Cong for control of waterways of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam…"

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Amicalement
Armand

Good article. Thanks Tango.

A lot of modern navies are now using Offshore Patrol Vessels which in many ways are the modern gunboats.

These are the size of a large corvette or light frigate (1500-2500 tons). Armament varies from single 40mm guns to with usual armament of a single 76mm gun and 1-2 20-30mm guns and with provision for a helicopter.

They are often built to civilian standards to keep costs down. They usually have extended range so can operate in an expeditionary manner.

The only problem with them is they have often replaced full military spec frigates or corvettes which had AS and ASuW capability.

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As for modern versions of torpedo boats like the Fairmille D, geez the author is bloody clueless.

Torpedo boats were replaced from the 1960s by Fast Attack Craft equipped with anti-ship missiles. Examples of ships include the La Comabattante, Kncar and Osa class boats. Missiles includes Excocets, P16 Termit, RBS-15 and others

Displacement varies from a 200 tons for an Osa to 600 tons for some of the more modern ones.

FACS are true littoral warships and superb for dense island chains ala those found in the Aegean as they can pop out of cover, launch missiles and pop back into cover.

They do suffer from poorer target acquisition and tracking capability due to lack of adequate radar and other sensor systems. Poor range is an issue as is defensive capability.

As such they have grown in size from 200 tons to 400 and even 600 tons which is basically a very small corvette.

Small vessels have many uses. But, unfortunately for their sailor, if hit, they are as strong as a tin can. They are mostly useful for patrolling in peacetime, chasing drug runners, and policing. Basically Coast Guard missions. In war they won't last long even against a destroyer or a corvette.

No mention my friend!. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

In war they won't last long even against a destroyer or a corvette.

A FAC of 100 tons can sink a destroyer of 6000 tons – remember it packs the same anti ship armament as a destroyer albeit in reduced numbers (2-4 missiles). Indeed a small modern ship under 1000 tons ala the Buan-M can do serious hurt to a super carrier with its P-800 Oniks supersonic missiles (Mach 2, range of 800 km and 300 kg warhead). In fact the nuclear tipped version of that missile would probably sink or at least heavily damage a carrier.

Also FACS are meant to operate in packs – so lots of boats launching lots of missiles. In ideal circumstances they use coastal terrain to their advantage.

So basically lots of incoming targets to overwhelm defences.

This was proven in 1967 when 2 Egyptian Komar class FACS (66 tons) sank the 1,710 ton Israeli destroyer INS Eliat with 4 Styx AShMs.

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As for large OPVs, yes their value is coast guard/constabulary missions. However they are also good for flying the flag or providing a presence in peace keeping/colonial mssions where a 5,000-6,000 ton destroyer/frigate is overkill and doesn't add value.

In reality they should probably be equipped with provision for Anti Submarine Warfare equipment so they can be used in convoy protection and to expand the anti-submarine net, much like the sloops and corvettes of WW1/2.