From: paustin@digital.net (Paul F Austin)
Newsgroups: sci.military.naval
Subject: Re: high speed PT boat
Date: 15 May 1997 09:21:38 GMT

In article <19970514111500.HAA25776@ladder02.news.aol.com>,
spcantwell@aol.com says...
>
>I was just wondering if any thought has been given to the use a a small
>one man patrol boat that follows the design of one of those jet powered
>hydroplane raceing boats?  I mean even with two anti ship missels a boat
>doing .5 mach or so would imposible to hit with any thing but anti-air
>defenses (wich are not made for hitting targets at sea level) and with two
>harpoon styile missles will hevily damage a
>carrier. :)

One of the things overlooked about MTB and Missile Boat operations is that
stealth is the name of the game, not speed. By stealth, I mean sneakiness,
not RADAR cros ssection reduction.

During WWII, MTBs operated at low speed until they fired their weapons and
they used the Monty Python Motto:"Run Away!". With modern missile boats,
the same tactics apply. Missile boats take advantage of shoreline hides to
let them shoot once the target approaches them. To Boldy Venture Into
Harm's Way is to walk home. Missile boats have a deadly enemy in the
helicopter: lots faster and plenty armed enough to kill a patrol boat.

Speed isn't life to a patrol boat because they just aren't that fast. The
hydroplanes you refer to operate in glass-smooth water. With any chop at
all, the hydroplane becomes an aeroplane just before it becomes either a
submarine or a collection of splinters.

In an open seaway, large ships actually are faster for all but the
smoothest of seas.
--
"A fanatic is one who can't change his mind
and won't change the subject"
-------------------------------------
Paul F Austin
paustin@digital.net