Mine Hunters

KJlost: I was refering to the old Kum Kok, doesn’t sound nice does it, perhaps it’s just my dirty old man mind.

Thos new RoKN tubs look really nice, I hope they have named them decently, one of the previous ones could be mistaken for something really rude.

The Kang Keong class? Which one? Kang Keong, Kang Jin, Ko Reong, Kim Po, Ko Chang, Kum Wha, there are six. I think the picture Level supplied us is Yang Yang class. There is three so far. Yang Yang class (Yang Yang, Ong Jin, Hae Nam) may be cut short in order for the navy to pursue mine clearing helicopter program.

I wonder if a small LHD operating mine countermeasure helicopters and hovercraft would be better than buying purpose built Mine Hunter ships?

I think the USA studied this idea with the Sea Control Ship mini carrier concept.

A mine countermeasures version of the SR.N4 Mk II offered to the Royal Navy in 1981 http://www.hovercraft-museum.org/concepts.html

Thos new RoKN tubs look really nice, I hope they have named them decently, one of the previous ones could be mistaken for something really rude.

Russian Navy Project 1265, ‘Sonya’ class

Another old Minesweeper on public display is the Old WWII Bathurst Class Ship HMAS Castlemaine.

It’s manned by volunteers who had served aboard her or had family serve aboard her, so there is a real sence of connection there. I went right over the ship when I was in the navy here. A friend and I had just seen the launch of HMAS Warramunga FFH-152, and we walked down the road in our uniforms and had a look over it. What really impressed me was the minutes silence the tour guides make people take on the port side 40/60 Bofors in honour of AB Teddy Sheehan who died manning his gun on one of these ships.

Thank you, SteveO, if I had realised it was a museum piece I would have gone on board! The Norwegians can be rather discreet with their publicity – I saw no indication that it was on display to the public – but I’ll know better next time i go up to Oslo, thanks again.

It’s the M314 HNMS Alta a Norwegian Sauda-class minesweeper which is now a floating museum http://www.knmalta.org/en/index.html

I haven’t found any info yet, but it could be a Minesweeper.

M014 in Oslo harbour

Is this a minehunter? Snapped in Oslo harbour the day before yesterday.

I’d like to see a shipboard helicopter that can easily switch roles between ASW, ASuW, AMCM, CSAR and troop support.

I’d like this idea applied to hovercraft too 🙂

Pics of Vosper Thornycroft VT2 and ABS M-10 from http://www.hovercraft-museum.org/vt2.html and http://www.abs-hovercraft.com/Home.395.0.html

Ja, I guess a large and powerful helicopter is a advantage in Airborne Mine Countermeasures but not a necessity. I believe that the Soviets did use the Mi-14 for the role and the latest equipment can be towed by a Seahawk sized helicopter. I think the Japanese are going to use the EH-101 Merlin as well.

It looks like the future will see surface combatants operating Organic Airborne Mine Countermeasures helicopters in the same way that they operate ASW helicopters.
http://members.aol.com/helmineron/oamcm.htm

I’d like to see a shipboard helicopter that can easily switch roles between ASW, ASuW, AMCM, CSAR and troop support.

Pic of Sikorsky MH-60S Knighthawk towing MCM system.

The Airbourne MCM role, does it have to be a CH-35 or could it ben fitted to something of equal size? Mi-14, CH-47, NH-90?

Airborne Mine Countermeasures site here http://members.aol.com/helmineron/index.htm

Thanks Steve, I was looking for a new and prospective use for the Navys black sheep. The SH-2G(A)’s have not been very widely accepted in Australia, mainly because of how much they are costing, how much trouble they are proving to be and how long they have been set back.

Steve: mate I’ve heard of this system and I know that the RN is looking at it very closely for their Merlins. What I’d like tio know is how big this system is and if it could be incorperated into our Super Seasprites? Or if we could use our RAWS Seahawks with this system.

I don’t think the RAMICS gun system would fit in a Seasprite without a lot of modification but the lidar probably could be carried as the Magic Lantern lidar was fitted to USN Seasprites http://www.kamanaero.com/EODC/eodcml.htm

It would probably fit a Seahawk though.

Have you guys seen the Stanflex 100’s? Amazing little tubs, can be crewed by three but are mostly remotely operated. Facinating system.

Okay but imo you still have not enough hulls. In a small-scaled conflict these numbers might be sufficient but in a large conflict there won’t be enough ships around to do all the tasks they are supposed to do.

… this change can be undertaken in a matter of hours …

But they must be in port to do that which means this ship is not available for at least a day.

I really like the idea of having ships that can do almost “everything” but these ships should only be an addition to a normal fleet.

Mast: you raise a good question mate (and the english was just fine 😉 ). The new Danish design is an idea and I think it would be as capable as a dedicated desing. From what I can see of the Flyvefisken design, it’s interchangable like a MEKO and from what I understand, this change can be undertaken in a matter of hours, this will allow a small navy to field a wide range of tools in a small number of hulls and training a small number of crew to multi task or deploy specialised crews for the interchangable modules (ASW, ASuW, surveillance, mine hunting/laying) but have standard crews for the normal ship operations and running (Cooks, Bridge staff, machinery crew). Electrical crew would change also with the changing of the modules since many would specialise on those weapons systems, but a general crew could stay with a ship.