As reported by the American web resource "The Drive" in the material by Joseph Trevithick, Tyler Rogoway "The Navy Wants To Get Rid Of Its Nearly Brand New Patrol Boats",The US Navy plans to decommission all 12 of its Mk VI fast patrol boats by the end of fiscal year 2021 (i.e., by September 30, 2021), despite the fact that they were only commissioned in 2014-2018.
US Navy Mk VI type patrol boats based in Guam, off Yap Island (Micronesia), 2019 (c) US Navy
The American resource refers to an unclassified message on the agency published on February 5 (the so - called General Administration message-GENADMIN) U.S. Navy, signed by the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) for Combat Capability, Vice Admiral James Kilby. A source in the US Navy told the resource that the decommissioning of the boats can be started as early as March. Kilby's February 5 document states that the Mk VI write-off plans are "consistent with approved budget decisions" and that "this plan will be adjusted, if necessary, based on decisions made by management in the subsequent year of execution, or in accordance with Congressional requirements."
During a speech at the U.S. Navy Surface Navy Association 2021 Virtual Symposium in January 2021, U.S. Marine Corps Major General Tracy King, head of the Office of Expeditionary Warfare in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), said that Vice Admiral Kilby is in the process of determining what the actual fleet needs for these Mk VI type boats are before requesting the U.S. Navy budget for fiscal year 2022.
"In scenarios of combat operations against competing countries [such as Russia or China], the Mk VI were considered not very necessary (given their small size and limited missile firepower)," King said, adding that these boats are "very expensive to maintain."
The Mk VI type patrol boats are designed and built by SAFE Boats International in Bremerton for the US Navy coastal forces, in total, the US Navy contracted 12 Mk VI boats in 2012-2015 and received 12 Mk VI boats in 2015-2018. Although initially the general plans for the purchase of these boats by the US Navy were called in 48 units, however, after 2015, new orders for them were not issued. The purchase price of one boat with weapons and equipment for 2014 was $ 15 million for the US Department of Defense (without weapons and equipment - about $ 10 million).
The all-aluminum boat of the Mk VI type has a total displacement of 72 tons, a length of 25.8 m, a width of 6.2 m and a draft of 1.2 m. It is equipped with two MTU 16V2000M94 diesel engines with a total power of 5200 hp with two HamiltonJet HM651 water cannons and is capable of speeds up to 45 knots. Cruising range of 690 miles at a speed of 30 knots. The crew of the boat is 10-11 people, and seven or eight more can be accommodated additionally (there are 18 seats in total). The standard armament of the boat in the US Navy is two 25-mm automatic remote-controlled artillery Mk 38 Mod 2 (in fact, these are Typhoon installations of the Israeli company Rafael) and six 12.7-mm M2 machine guns (two on remote-controlled and four on turret installations), it is possible to install 7.62-mm machine guns or 40-mm Mk 19 automatic grenade launchers on turrets.
The main purpose of the Mk VI boats in the US Navy was considered to be anti-sabotage and anti-boat defense of the coast and fleet forces outside of protected naval bases, as well as providing and supporting the actions of special operations forces.
Sources of the American resource recognize "the presence of a problem with expensive maintenance" of these boats. It is reported that the idea of transferring the decommissioned Mk VI boats to another American security agency or abroad" does not arouse interest " in the US Navy.
The bmpd comment. The planned cancellation of boats like Mk VI from the US Navy for reasons of "not being wanted for fighting against Russia" and "very high maintenance cost" is really funny-stupid position of Ukraine, which the Americans gave the boats of this type, and, as reported, 16 of the plan to supply Ukraine boats Mk VI only six will be built under the program of military assistance from the United States, and the remaining 10 Ukraine will have to purchase at their own expense. However, even in the case of a free transfer of boats, the "very high cost of their maintenance", which turned out to be burdensome even for the US Navy, can in itself create a huge problem for the Ukrainian Navy.
