The Ship Model Forum

The US Navy has the Cyclone-class PCs were originally built for Naval Special Warfare, but the USN put the sitptuation that, "hey, SOF guys, you need to man these," and the SOF guys were like, "fudge you and your dog. We are operators. We don't drive boats." That's when the Navy hated these ships. However, all of a sudden in 2006 duty in the Persian Gulf popped up, and the Navy was like, "oh, yeah, we have something for the tip of the spear!!!" like these were the best super specimens the Navy had ever produced. We have ships that are up to the job!!!" However, 10 years later, the PCs are well over their expected life span. It's time to replace them.

While the Navy is looking at the MkVI craft to take the place of PCs, it is not a very logical option. The real solution is to build the next generation of Cyclone-class PCs with appropriate armament. So, what is appropriate armament? The PCs are super under armed Corvettes. As far as the world is concerned Corvettes are armed with a minor caliber gun, 76mm, ASCMs, aka Harpoons, and a CIWS, aka Phalanx or RAM. The Navy does not want to do this for whatever reason, so they are opting to go with gun boats (MkVI).

However in this WIF world, we are going to build a good successor to the Cyclone-class PCs and name them after Greek mythological warriors.

The model will be in 1/350.

Are you ready for this?!

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Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

As ready as anybody I guess. Do you mean that a replacement for the Cyclone IS in the works, or are you simply scratchbuilding a 1/350 Cyclone?

Best,

Jack

Jack,

No, the Navy has not planned for the PCs. However, I am planning for their retirement.

Utilizing this class of ship involved with LSDs, LPDs, and LCS, this would be a fantastic show of force and real force thrower if it came down to combat.

These ships plus the length to accommodate Phalanxs and RAM with a small craft on the stern.

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The first question for a new ship is: Do we need to replace these ships?

The second question is: What mission do these ships need to accomplish? Does anything need to change, or do we simply need to repeat the current Cyclone-class PCs?

My idea is that the Cyclone-class PCs are way under gunned for what they are supposed to do. They are tasked with protecting HVAs from threats ranging from small craft to missile ships. What do they have?

Cyclone PC:
2 × MK 38 25 mm chain gun
5 × .50 caliber machine guns
2 × MK 19 40 mm automatic grenade launchers
2 × M240B machine guns
6 × FIM-92 Stinger SAMs
2 × MK-60 quadruple BGM-176B Griffin B missile launchers

Well, that's alright. It's what you would expect to see on a large boat...like the MkVI:

MkVI:
2 × MK 38 25 mm chain gun
5 × .50 caliber machine guns
2 × MK 19 40 mm automatic grenade launchers
2 × M240B machine guns

Interesting! So, pretty much an 85' boat is able to fill the role of a 179' ship. That's a little sketchy...

So, what are we really lacking? We are lacking regional ASuW/VBSS/SOF delivery/limited NSFS. Well, it's clear LCS can deliver people via boat and helo, but it can't do anything else. It appears something else is needed. Off hand an examination of ship-types reveals that Corvettes can fill that bill and the bill of the PCs.

The mission of a PC, or Corvette, should be ASuW, Missile AsUW, MIO?

So, it turns out, yes, the PC/FFL/Corvette needs to do ASuW, MCM, MIO. That is one issue. However, another issue is with shallow water operations. Then we are concerned with counter battery. Then, when operating in an area like the Persian Gulf you have to worry about small boat swarm attacks, one needs to then engage with weapons that can deal with boats between 500 and 10,000 yards.

A group of these FFLs in consort with an LCS-3/properly armed and equipped FF, would make an effective regional influence squadron, such as for the Philippines.


I really look forward to what the group has to say!

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While the structure is not heavily modified yet, this is the overall concept. More to come!

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Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

This is really turning out to be quite big. Is that a 76mm in the turret?

Best,

Jack

Hey, Jack!

Indeed it's a Mk75 Mod2 Super Rapidfire 76mm mount.


I am about to build up the dog house (aka CIWS chair) for the Phalanx Block 1B, and then I'll move onto digging out the stern to replicate the Cyclone-class PC RHIB cradle.

This will also incorporate 3 - 4 Riverine Command Boats as part of the RIS. Those RCBs are in production right now! I hope to have 2 dozen of them cast!

More fittings and more details to follow.

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Progress this afternoon and evening. I have moved onto building the CIWS dog house, smoothing the aft deck, and beginning the RHIB bay.

This required some digging into my house-hold goods to find my supplies! Success!!!!


After blocking the materials together, I test fitted the Veteran Models CIWS unit in, and it was just like old times. It fit.



Then it was an issue of letting the weld cure and then begin to sand it into shape. There were 13 parts that made up this chair, but I am glad with the end product.



Then it was to move onto correcting the hull and plating over the stern's main deck. I took Plastruct .100"/2.5mm styrene triangle and filled the indentations in the hull to smooth it out and to signify a strength-strake toward the stern to absorb the torqueing forces of the jet drive making hard turns at speed.



I took some of the thinnest Evergreen plastic I had and traced around the shape of the hull and the RHIB bay I was going to build.



Then with the dog house in place, RAM positioned, the smoothed deck, and the RHIB bay started, solid progress is being made.



Next should be surface detail and building the RHIB bay.

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Very Sweet what was the Donor kit used?

Is that the Pit-Road 350th Hayabusa? Any troubles finding one?

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De quoi s'agit-il?

Indeed it is the Hayabusa. I really dig this kit. I cut the appropriate length of the stern off one and glued it to the stern of the first model.

I have not. I just ordered 3 more of them for potential future projects. I am considering making a modular MCM version of this PC replacement.

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The latest. The RHIB bay. The next is building the cradle.

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To those thinkers out there, where do you think the NULKA and SRBOC launchers should be located?

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Ummmm isn't Phalanx AND RAM a bit much? You're firing arc for Phalanx is rather bad too with that placement. Sell me on needing both!

I'd say go with Phalanx OR RAM and put the mount between the two you have now and use the room between it and the stack for your countermeasure launchers. Or hull plug the thing as you're running outta real estate man

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Drawing Board:
1/700 Whiff USS Leyte and escorts 1984
1/700 Whiff USN Modernized CAs 1984
1/700 Whiff ASW Showdown - FFs vs SSGN 1984

Slipway:
1/700 Whiff USN ASW Hunter Killer Group Dio 1984

Dave,
Love the project but I have agree with Cliff maybe a little over kill with RAM and CIWS. Unless somehow you could work the CIWS and the RAM on opposite Sides like the Spruance Class had. Hey here another item to add to your list. Since these vessel are support craft by nature. What about a mother ship to support them. For example a Shorten LHD with the Well Deck Extended Vertically sort like the older LSD. It would be an interesting project .

So, neither system replaces the other. One cannot replace the other; instead, they are consort weapons that aid each other. Phalanx can see and track really well, but it can't shoot very far, and it can only engage a maximum of 8 targets before it's out of ammunition. RAM can't see at all, but it can shoot pretty far and can engage a minimum of 11 targets. When you put them together, you have a 21-cell RAM launcher being driven by a Phalanx Block 1B and being backed up by a 20mm gatling gun. When those two systems combine their efforts, your PDS is as good as it gets.

Aboard this ship, the 21-cell RAM is directed by the FC radar and can also be slaved to CIWS.

Concerning the firing arc, it's still 320 degrees for both.

See above Also with Spruance, the Sprucans did not have them on opposite sides. It had 1 Phalanx on the starboard side and 1 Phalanx and 1 RAM on the portside.

I don't see how these are support craft at all. These are to replace the PCs and fully fulfill their mission and a couple of others. I already have their support and C4I craft in mind, an LSD configured as an AFSB.

I don't see a need to house them inside a well deck. Also, a new class of LHD that you suggest would be a whole other unneeded project that would kill the entire effort. This project's intent is to replace the PCs, and a class of 16-18 would likely be under $3.5 - $4 Billion total where as a new LHD class built to be a floating garage to support them would likely be a $4 Billion R&D and then $2.5 Billion per ship project. Simply building the PC replacements fully accomplishes the intended mission.

They would be forward based as part of a "Regional Influence Squadron". One squadron that I am writing a short story about is forward deployed and based in Subic, Philippines. The squadron would be RISRON-1 (or something similar) based around USS Denver AFSB-9, 2 FFs (my LCS-1 Flight II), and 6-8 of these PC Replacements. The AFSB would act as a tender to the craft and would provide AH-1 Cobra, MH-53, and the possibility of a very limited F-35 support capability to the deployed craft.

Last night's build was small but nice. I added the ablative deck behind the Harpoon launchers and built 2 25mm RSLs. Coming along well!

Tonight I start on the hard task of making the boat cradle.

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Any thoughts as to rebuilding the deck houses and covering the harpoons to lower RCS, or is that the part you haven't got to yet?

Nulkas - aft side of the forward deckhouse?

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Tracy White -Researcher@Large

"Let the evidence guide the research. Do not have a preconceived agenda which will only distort the result."
-Barbara Tuchman

Hey, Tracy! Thanks for watching the build. I appreciate that. No, the deck houses are at the right angle for a ship as short as this is. At only 3 decks off the surface of the water, the deckhouses themselves are good to go. The mast, however, I am going to build my own mini-Burke tripod mast to accommodate either the TRS-4D or the SPQ-9B along with the typical navigation radars.

The Harpoons and the launchers will be covered in PCMS to lower the RCS. However, if I do put up a bulkhead on either side, it will only be 1 deck tall.

Yes, on either side of the GFC radar deck house, only two, one on each side and four chaff SRBOC launchers. It's going to be tight outside the bridge.

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Working on the Mk38 placement.



and then an extended bridge wing:

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