The PR Navy: Patrol Boats and Light Ships

[M.Warren]

Project Reality is still growing and in all honesty, it has yet another frontier to meet. We've all used RIBs, drove them and dumped them. It's not surprising no one has ever really cared much for maritime vehicles considering most of all combat action takes place far from the shoreline.

It would be a good step to take in refining these crafts and begin modeling maps around thier use. But also to see if thier larger scale cousins can make a step into PR aswell. Imagine having a light ship off the coast launching rounds inland like a floating tank with the use of coordination and communication efforts. That'd be an impressive sight and a new twist on gameplay that is getting progressively older.

Of course, the primary use of these light ships would be to offer fire support and shelling locations inland. With the hints of v0.8 having mortars, few people really have an idea how they've been implemented if these mortars are automated or player controlled with some kind of means to designate targets.

But for now it remains shrouded in secrecy, although this helps build up anticipation it also hinders new thoughts and approaches to PR. Sadly it seems we're going to have to remain in the dark until the use of indirect fire munitions finally takes it's first step out into the light. But for now, we'll have to focus on smaller scale Patrol Boats similar to RIBs (Rigid Inflatable Boats.).

Patrol Boats:

U.S.M.C and U.S. Navy Patrol Boats:

<Details: Small Unit Riverine Craft (SURC). Buhayrat Al Qadisiyah, (Sept. 12, 2007) -- HADITHA DAM, Iraq, (Sept. 16, 2007) – A Riverine Patrol Boat with Riverine Squadron 1, Riverine Group 1, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, in support of Regimental Combat Team 2, tows several boats the riverines seized in support of the new 24-hour curfew enforcement of the waterway near the dam. The riverines warned locals of the new curfew for several days before seizing the boats of repeat curfew offenders.>


<Details: Small Unit Riverine Craft (SURC).>


<Details: Small Unit Riverine Craft (SURC). A U.S. Navy patrol boat attached to Riverine Squadron 2 patrols the waterways of the Haditha Dam Forward Operating Base in Haditha, Iraq.>


<Details: U.S. Navy patrol Boat. More information about the craft name and armaments will be posted after additional research is made.>


<Details: Mark V Special Operations Craft. Take note of the two .50 caliber machine guns and two MK19 40mm grenade launchers.>


<Details: Mark V Special Operations Craft launching a UAV.>


<Details: Patrol Boat MKIV. From the "Nations at War" mod. Of course it could use a better paint job, not that can't be fixed though.>


<Details: PBL with Navy Seals.>


<Details: CAC with Navy Seals.>


<Details: PBRMKII with Navy Seals. Yup, although the picture itself is abit older, these relics are still used in limited numbers. They're reliability and performance remains steadfast.>

British Army and Navy Patrol Boats:
There's a special news report on British vessels with a series of informative Q&A here. Also additonal information about an insurgent attack on boats here. Looks like there's potential for a new map location with the use of these crafts, hummmmm...

These series of photos are taken of British Patrol Boats in Al Basra's Shatt al-Arab waterway. The waterway, which flows into the Gulf, is a narrow stretch of river about 120 miles long. It is fed by the Euphrates, Tigris, and Karun rivers and forms the boundary between Iraq and Iran. The border between the two countries runs up the middle of the river, and in some places there are disputes about exactly where it is. It is heavily patrolled by Iraqi and British forces to prevent explosive material being smuggled across the border.

<Details: A British "Combat Support Boat" simply referred to as that. Take note of the optional metal cabin.>


<Details: A British "Combat Support Boat" simply referred to as that. Take note that it does not happen to have any armaments other than what the soldiers have themselves. The M249 pictured belongs to it's user.>


<Details: A British "Rigid Raider" on a casual patrol.>


<Details: A British "Rigid Raider" escorting a British LCVP vehicle landing craft.>

Middle Eastern Patrol Boats:

<Details: A rare photo of an Iranian Boghammer from "Operation Earnst Will." Note on the bow the box is 107mm rocket launchers and also carried 51 cal on stern, plus RPGs & SAAM missles.>


<Details: This is 1992 and it is an Iranian Boghammer brought back to Coronado after being sunk during Operation Earnest Will. Special Boat Unit-13 had two and they were used as “aggressor boats” against the fleet in exercises. If you look closely you can see the .51 cal on the rear, it also appears that it's 107mm rocket launcher pod is capable of being undeployed and stored below deck.>


<Details: An Iraqi Boghammer pictured. Pointing a machinegun upon the unidentified speedboat that has failed to respond to warnings as it races toward Iraq’s vital oil terminal in the Persian Gulf. A young Iraqi Marine radios to the vessel, warning it to turn away: “I will be required to use deadly force.” in a training excercise with American, British and Australian forces.


Light Ship examples:

U.S. Navy Light Ships:

<Details: It's a shame that these ships were decommissioned back in 1993 by the U.S. Navy. They're quite small with a rather large 75mm (3 inch) cannon and Harpoon anti-ship missles. Would have been the perfect addition to an attempt at increasing the size of PR's Navy. These ships are designated PHM, from PHM-1 to PHM-6. Although ships have been recommissioned multiple times to serve in times of conflict, so we may be able to bend the rules here.

Sadly, the smallest coastal patrol boat for the U.S. Navy currently is 170 feet long and is armed with only a 25mm cannon and MK19 grenade launcher. These ships are designated PC, from PC-1 to PC-13.>

Chinese Light Ships

<Details: A Chinese Patrol Boat. This craft is small in size but is well equipped with armaments. More information about the craft name and armaments will be posted after additional research is made.>


<Details: Another Chinese patrol boat, note the smaller size and only 2 existing cannons. More information about the craft name and armaments will be posted after additional research is made.>

Georgia (Country of Origin for the Militia faction.) Light Ships:

<Details: A Georgian patrol boat. More information about the craft name and armaments will be posted after additional research is made.>


For those that have played Desert Combat and used a ship before you'd understand the exreme amount of potential an item like this could have. However it's effectiveness all remains in the hands of coordination and teamwork, without that it becomes useless.

By the way if anyone has some information about relatively small ships with cannons mounted on them similar to the one pictured, please mention them. It seems to be a rather difficult task to dig up information on these ships as they appear to remain scarce.

A good rule of thumb for PR is that if any light ship is to be actually even thought of being brought into the game it must be something very small and crewed by 2-3 people. 1 driver/captain and 1-2 gunners for the front and/or rear cannons. Along with the fact that the sea craft must still be in service and not decommissioned permanently. But like stated previously... Ships have been recommissioned multiple times to serve in times of conflict, so we may be able to bend the rules here.

[DeePsix]

While I think this is a great idea, and well suggested Warren- much better written than other suggestions, but IMHO the problem occurs with the amount this would be used. I could see the RIB being replaced, but on what maps would small patrol craft be worth the manpower of the team? Jabal would only see them used for the first tiny part of the game- and most people would be using the APCs anyway. Qwai and Ghost Train have rivers, but a patrol boat would be an easy target and distract from the core objectives of the map. Maybe Gulf of Oman WAC and Zatar Wetlands, but craft out in the ocean wouldn't have good LOS to targets and wouldn't contribute effectively to the effort. Maybe if there were more water to land maps with a big river in it, or an island invasion map similar to Wake Island, it might be worth the effort, but right now I think it would be best to hold off until more maps like that are available and playable.

On the other hand, I think the RIB could use a tune-up and we could finally replace the vanilla version.

[Tirak]

This isn't going far enough I want full naval battles between assault ships with marines bording them and blowing things up and destroyers and missile cruisers and aircraft and... okay, I'll calm down now. I support this idea and beyond.

[Khamul22]

Well written , Warren.
I could not agree more. Ships are an extremely important element of
modern intercontinental warfare. And since that's what you get in PR ,
It's a big missing part. It has been told before that large naval
battles aren't possible yet. Lighter ships however can and , I believe
should be brought into suitable maps , such as Op. Barracuda.
A light escort ship would be a perfect asset that fits the mission
excellently. If a modern armed force decided to conduct a shoreline
assault into a fortified position , they would by all means provide
naval support if possible. History has shown us that , on D-Day.
On the other hand , the BF2 RIB. I couldn't be happier to get rid
of it. I don't know much about military P.B.s but those shown in the
pictures seem twice as fitting for the task.

[M.Warren]

To help draw a picture to help PR users get a better idea where I'm getting at with Patrol Boats.

Imagine the map "Bi Ming" with it's dense forested woodland and it's interweaving rivers and streams of varying depth. Now, take that setting and multiply it to a size of "Fools Road" with a number of flags relatively nearby to the shoreline. Now that's what I'm talking about.

Should make for some intresting new gameplay without the common use of Jeeps, Tanks and APC's. A new, real and intresting change to PR as we know it.

[Rhino]

and what about the Brits, PLA, MEC etc?

[ReadMenace]

I think it would be interesting to have small ship combat, or brown water navy stuff, but I'm sure this is one of the things that is outside the general scope of the PR Dev team, and would lie in the auspices of a community project.

One thing that might increase the utilization of RIBs ingame would be an increased speed, though I'm unsure of their current top speed, according to FAS, it should be 45knots.

It would be interesting to see a USMC/PLA map that is a large river delta. It is also my understanding that the Russians continue to maintain a significant brown water navy.

-REad

[BloodyGabe]

IMO Bi Ming has very good conditions for small patrol boats. Once I had a full SQ of lmgs, lats, ect.
Wow fast replies when I checked nobody mentioned Bi ming

[Tirak]

Originally Posted by BloodyGabe

IMO Bi Ming has very good conditions for small patrol boats. Once I had a full SQ of lmgs, lats, ect.
Wow fast replies when I checked nobody mentioned Bi ming

Zatar Wetlands as well, PBs would really open up all kinds of new options, also, while most people do drive and ditch boats, I've seen squads who stick with them and they are frighteningly effective, they show up, attack from a side people don't expect, they've got speed, flexability and if they need it, a .50 cal gun on it (Though I'd like to see the RIIBs made like the Littlebirds, a version with and without weapons), and that's just with the RIIBs. New maps could capitalize on this as well and there's already a map in the works for the Aussies called Island Chain that this would be perfect on.

[Harrod200]

Originally Posted by [R-DEV]Rhino

and what about the Brits, PLA, MEC etc?

Brits;
Archer class patrol vessel
3x GPMG, 20mm cannon


Dunno about MEC, there are several possibilities for PLA(N).