L-CAT
LCAC
I'm not a buyer or seller on the L-CAT concept. Color me...curious. But after the photo published by Combat Camera yesterday I became more convinced that it isn't the end all be all solution improving landing craft.
My biggest issue is this factoid from CNIM.
If you notice the promotional videos put out by CNIM, you'll also see that the L-CAT is more often than not loading cargo from a prepared port facility.
That's just not real life.
As the disasters in Haiti and Japan showed, port facilities are remarkably vulnerable to natural disasters. The ability to get cargo ashore...and do it feet dry is a capability not to be overlooked.
Also to be considered is the fact that Japan, S. Korea and China have all chosen to go with LCAC type landing craft...the Australians chose to go with a legacy type LCM (high speed though) and it appears to me that the L-CAT is an evolutionary dead end and a one off example of solving the ship to shore problem.
NOTE*
What I would love to see but haven't yet is compatibility testing. We've seen the LCAC go in and out of Mistral Class BPC's forever now...what we haven't seen is the L-CAT do the same with US amphibious ships. Now that WOULD be interesting!
LCAC
I'm not a buyer or seller on the L-CAT concept. Color me...curious. But after the photo published by Combat Camera yesterday I became more convinced that it isn't the end all be all solution improving landing craft.
My biggest issue is this factoid from CNIM.
"Landing to beaches with up to a 2% gradient"That my friends works in a European, African or Middle Eastern scenario but will NOT work in the Pacific. Additionally experience has shown that coral reefs can upset the best laid landing plans.
If you notice the promotional videos put out by CNIM, you'll also see that the L-CAT is more often than not loading cargo from a prepared port facility.
That's just not real life.
As the disasters in Haiti and Japan showed, port facilities are remarkably vulnerable to natural disasters. The ability to get cargo ashore...and do it feet dry is a capability not to be overlooked.
Also to be considered is the fact that Japan, S. Korea and China have all chosen to go with LCAC type landing craft...the Australians chose to go with a legacy type LCM (high speed though) and it appears to me that the L-CAT is an evolutionary dead end and a one off example of solving the ship to shore problem.
NOTE*
What I would love to see but haven't yet is compatibility testing. We've seen the LCAC go in and out of Mistral Class BPC's forever now...what we haven't seen is the L-CAT do the same with US amphibious ships. Now that WOULD be interesting!
L-CAT Characteristics via Wikipedia
Name: Engin de débarquement amphibie rapide
Operator: French Navy
Builder: Socarenam
Completed: 2011
Acquired: 8
In service: 0
General characteristics
Class and type: Roll-on/roll-off catamaran landing craft
Tonnage: tons (light)
Length: 30 metres (98 feet 43 inches)
Beam: 12.8 metres (42 feet)
Draft: 2.5 metres (8 feet 2 inches, fully loaded)
0.6 metres (2 feet, empty)
Installed power: Four MTU Friedrichshafen 12V2000 M92 Diesel engines each producing 300 kW
Propulsion: Four Wärtsilä Pump-jets
Speed: 20 kts (economical)
30 kts (warranted)
Range: 1,000 NM @ 15 kts (laden)
Capacity:
Troop capacity:
Cargo capacity:
1 Cavalry Platoon including 3 Véhicule Blindé Léger and 3 AMX-10 RC or
1 Reinforced Infantry Platoon including 6 Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé or
1 Field Engineering Platoon or
1 First-Aid Post.
LCAC Characteristics via Wikipedia
Place of origin United States
Service history
In service 1986–present
Production history
Manufacturer Textron Marine and Land Systems/Avondale Gulfport Marine
Specifications
Length 87 feet 11 inches (26.4 meters)
Width 47 feet (14.3 meters)
Main
armament two 12.7 mm machine guns. Gun mounts will support: M2HB .50 cal machine gun; Mk 19 Mod 3 40 mm grenade launcher; M60 machine gun. Tests conducted with GAU-13 30mm gatling gun.[1]
Engine gas turbine
Payload capacity 60 tons/75 ton overload (54/68 metric tons)
Operational
range 200 miles at 40 kt (370 km at 75 km/h) with payload
300 miles at 35 kt (550 km at 65 km/h)with payload
Speed 40+ knots (46+ mph; 74 km/h) with full load, 70+ knots maximum speed
Im not too crazy about that over complicated lift system. More parts more things that can and will go wrong.
ReplyDeletePretty sure Textron Marine and Land Systems provided the engineering for the Chinese LCACs. Whether they knew it or not.
ReplyDeleteBLACKCELL GUN CREW.
ReplyDeletetotally agree. i didn't want to hit on that because i was already tough enough on the L-Cat but that system seems overly complicated. i just don't know if it'll work.
Sferrin.
you're exactly right. that's why i don't know how much a threat China actually is. they literally copy everything and without any shame. i laugh at our justice dept closing down a website for video uploads and yet they ignore the theft on a national stage that the chinese are involved in.
Compared to the complex lift fans, rubber skirt, jet engines, and so on, I'd say L-CAT looks downright simple.
ReplyDelete