From War is Boring:China’s Three ‘Navies’ Each Have the World’s Most Ships
In the real world, it sometimes is about quantity over quality. China is probably good at the quantity gig.
And US is good at the propaganda gig.
Look at where this report originated:
Is that an open lifeboat I see there? Cutting edge tech
I see what you’re trying there, but this is what the USCG is currently building and deploying.
You can see a fast boat under a cover on the stern of the Chinese cutter so I’m going to operate on the theory that the bright orange open boat with traditional gravity launch davit arrangement is probably a lifeboat.
I sailed on WMEC 619. The boat was called a MWB, Motor Whale Boat. Basically a work boat, we mostly used our for boarding ships at sea or for going ashore.
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I suspect the one seen on the Chinese cutter has much the same function.
I’m a bit surprised that this VARD designed cutter still use gravity davits to launch their RIBs:
It’s a pity they didn’t go for the Ulstein X-Bow design for their new cutters:
https://www.skipsrevyen.no/article/uscg-droppet-ulstein-design/
Complete with FRCs launched by single point davit and a lot more seaworthy.
Actually the Chinese Coast guard has some modern cutters with enclosed lifeboats:
And yes, with FRCs launched by single point davit.
But are the USCG and MSC becoming war ships?:
But are the USCG and MSC becoming war ships?:
The US Merchant Mariners here have been quick to point out that they too sail into harm’s way when the country goes to war. The Coast Guard functions as a service of the Navy during wartime also (Navy Regulations Ch. 6).
About 12 years ago I was a wide-eyed Ensign getting a tour of a T-AGOS that was in dry dock. This was also around the time that the Chinese were threatening and harassing our MSC friends in the SCS. I asked one of the mates what they were going to do in the event of a shooting war. She told me her job. And then I died from the holes she drilled into my skull with her eyes.
I’ll let the pedantics argue over the definition of warship, but we’ll all be there for the next fight.
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The article linked in the OP is worth a read.
With regards to the CG, I was on WHEC -721, it had a 5 inch/38 gun, torpedo tubes, sonar, anti-sub warfare gear ect, that was over 30 years ago. Some ratings are trained at the Navy “A” schools.
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VARD design has also been selected for the new South African Research vessel:
That image of 378ft WHEC (high endurance cutter) was from the early late 80s when it was contemplated arming them with canister Harpoon missiles if the “Bear” came into the Atlantic. During WWII, it was easy to hang some D/Cs and more guns on existing cutters, wave your arms and, presto, Uboat killer. The Falklands should have made it rather obvious that modern naval warfare happens very fast and ends brutally.
Anyhow, for my two-cent opinion, the CG should focus on it’s traditional core missions of enforcing laws and treaties, ATON, and lifesaving.
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