The LCS is seen as being a failure, so the navy is looking for a new frigate design. It is described as such: https://news.usni.org/2019/06/20/nav...ration-frigate
One thing is that it requires a 57 mm gun. That was on the LCS. Why such a small gun? Other countries seem to use at leat 3 inch guns on similar ships.
Thoughts?
These days guns on ships are like bayonets on rifles. Naval gunfire support for the Navy is like close air support for the Air Force. If they had the option they would rather perform other missions.Originally Posted by Glenn E. Meyer
The 3inch/76mm OTO Melara gun is very popular on foreign ships. It's reliable, versatile, and capable of using the latest generation of guided/multirole projectiles. The US navy doesn't use the 76mm anymore now that all Perry class frigates have been retired. Presumably, those guns are worn out.
It's now just an option of 5 inch or 57mm guns for main battery use. I will take a bet and say that one of the reasons the FFG(x) will have a 57mm is simply because its already in service and the supply chain is intact. The 57mm cannon was supposed to be mounted on Zumwalt DDGs and LCS ships, but both classes took a massive reduction in hull counts due to budget cuts. In fact, the Zumwalts decided to go with a 30mm secondary battery instead of the 57mm guns, further reducing the expected sales of 57mm cannons. FFG(x) will keep the product line alive so to speak.
In any case, NGFS is not a core mission set of the FFG(x).
The 57mm is not for naval gunfire support. It’s for close defense and things not worth an expensive missile.
The range of commonly available based mobile anti ship misses has rendered the idea of naval gunfire support an anachronism. Until rail guns make it into actual use, naval support of land forces will be via air or missiles.
What everybody else said, and...
The OTO Melara gun is also in service on-board the Coast Guard's Treasury class High Endurance Cutters, which are being retired at a rapid rate. I got to participate in sinking a burned out fishing vessel with the 76mm and pretty underwhelmed with how many rounds it took to get the other vessel to sink. I'd hate to be on the receiving end of it, but I don't think it would be immediately decisive against anything bigger than a go-fast/Boghammer type boat.
Despite that, a pretty good chunk of the ship was taken up by the gun mechanism, magazines, ammo handling and other equipment dedicated to the gun. I would imagine that footprint shrinks when you step down to a 57mm, leaving more room for other stuff.
The new National Security Cutters are sporting 57mm guns as well.
I was into 10mm Auto before it sold out and went mainstream, but these days I'm here for the revolver and epidemiology information.
HCM is correct - it's for self defense against FACs and FIACs. This was tested on LCS (as was Hellfire).
Baesystems makes the 57mm weapon advertised as especially suited for littoral service. My guess is that air cover would take care of other needs.
Last edited by willie; 06-24-2019 at 10:18 PM.
Thanks for the reply. I see that on the modern bigger ships we still see 5 inch, 3.9, and 3 inch guns with a scattering of smaller guns for Iranian row boats.
Yes, that was somewhat the point of my post that guns on ships are an anachronism for surface warfare and the Navy doesn't perform NGFS anymore. Having served both as a Marine Infantryman with limited training calling NGFS and one of the last U.S. servicemen to crew a 5 inch/38 gun mount on a battleship I have a somewhat less common perspective on the subject. I can tell you that the presence of large numbers of Iraqi Chinese made Silkworm anti-ship missiles during the Gulf War did not deter NGFS missions along the coasts of Iraq and Kuwait. With effective U.S. electronic warfare counter-measures and HARM missiles the Iraqi Silkworm crews were afraid to use their targeting radar and had to rely on less accurate optical firing instead.
The gulf war was 30 years ago. A lot has changed since then.
Like aircraft, guns are no longer primary weapons on ships but that doesn’t mean there is not still a place for guns on ships. It’s just a different role. Fast Attack Craft (FACs) and Fast Attack Intruder Craft (FIACs) are still a real threat in places like the gulf.
Last edited by HCM; 06-25-2019 at 10:43 AM.
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