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The new US Navy Mark VI Patrol Boat

Picton said:
I’d never heard of these vessels before. They’re very interesting.

So, they’re owned by the US government and operated by the US Merchant Marine on behalf of the DoD? Is that the idea?

Why not just have the Navy operate them?
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Owned by the Navy, crewed by Merchants. They're basically cargo/troop transport ships. Makes sense to crew them with those trained and experienced in running cargo and transport ships. Might be cheaper too.
 
HST-2 - Wikipedia
Same builder as Spearhead.
The new Bar Harbor to NS ferry started life as a ferry, Alakai, servicing Inter island Hawaii, until the State shut them down. Navy bought it, used it for a while, and is now Chartering to the Bay Ferry co., who is also rebuilding the terminal in Bar Harbor.
 
Picton said:
So, they’re owned by the US government and operated by the US Merchant Marine on behalf of the DoD? Is that the idea?

Why not just have the Navy operate them?
Click to expand...

Have you seen the Navy's recent track record on operating vessels?

Putting heavy equipment into the hands of people who have 12-18 months to figure it out before either getting promoted or booted from the service is not a good way to acquire institutional expertise.

This all started with "up-or-out", decades ago. There's no good reason that someone whose highest ability is an E-2 cook should be forced out if he doesn't get promoted. He might even be the best damn E-2 cook in the entire service! Same for an E-6 or O-3 of any skill set.
 
KBCraig said:
This all started with "up-or-out", decades ago. There's no good reason that someone whose highest ability is an E-2 cook should be forced out if he doesn't get promoted. He might even be the best damn E-2 cook in the entire service! Same for an E-6 or O-3 of any skill set.
Click to expand...

Idunno about that. The few up or out people I know of had sketchy history.

My kid was in a nondenominational Christian school. He was very quiet over dinner one evening. It turned out that he told his teacher that I hunted and she tore into him in front of the whole class. It went on long and hard enough so that he almost cried. We got him through that explaining that there are people in this world that don't care about other peoples feelings and also have no room for anoyone that does not agree with their opinion.

I did some research and discovered her husband was an 05 in the air force and had 19 years in active duty. He was leaving the service that summer with no pension. Turns out that both he and his wife were arrested on trespass and civil disobedience numerous times at abortion demonstrations. 19 years wasted.
 
Picton said:
I’d never heard of these vessels before. They’re very interesting.

So, they’re owned by the US government and operated by the US Merchant Marine on behalf of the DoD? Is that the idea?

Why not just have the Navy operate them?
Click to expand...
You'd be surprised what ships the US Merchant Marine operates for the Navy; Cargo ships, tankers, and even smaller ships/boats that carry those guys with the Budweiser emblem.

P.S. a good percentage of those Merchant Mariners are in the Navy Reserve.
 
kevin9 said:
Owned by the Navy, crewed by Merchants. They're basically cargo/troop transport ships. Makes sense to crew them with those trained and experienced in running cargo and transport ships. Might be cheaper too.
Click to expand...
I am sure the civilian crew is a fraction of what a Navy crew would require.
 
enbloc said:
Is this disguised as a barge...?

2560px-usns_spearhead_-jhsv-1-_-_6-jpg.301761


Just kidding. Thank your nephew for us...
Click to expand...

That's James Bond movie's villain's boat.
 
It must be one of those hands off parallel parking models. Nice rear awning for pick-nick cruises.
 
AntiHippie said:
You seen the Navy’s recent history with operating boats?
Click to expand...

Sure thing.

Post 35, first line. And I'm well aware that the Navy's had like four high-profile seamanship incidents over the past few years, and that they've also had about forty thousand no-profile seamanship non-incidents in the same time period. And it's not like merchant sailors don't have collisions, either.

It just seems like a weird relationship to me. I'd always seen the merchant marine as ships that can do both a civilian and a military task; that's not what these vessels are like. They seem to be configured 100% for military operations, which makes me wonder why the Navy isn't the operator.

Cost might be a factor, but it's the same factor for every other combat vessel, right?
 
I wonder if the grenade launcher has automatic aiming like an M1 Abrams, where computer calculates where the round is going to land? That'd make it easier when facing a dozen jihadis in rowboats.
 

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