[cbear]

While stationed at Little Creek, all the ships of the PHM class were brought up from Florida for decommisioning. It was hard to get a clear shot of them, but it's the best I could do with my $40 camera.

Class info-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegasus_class_hydrofoil

 

[Avenger]

Is there anything similar that is/will be replacing them? They seem to be about the perfect anti-drug runner and Somali pirate vessel. Fast, heavily armed, probably fair economical to operate (at least as compared to a wetted hull ship of similar capability.)

 

[montello]

That was my first job at Boeing, making the struts and foils for those. Years after we finished they were begging me to work 12 hours shifts away from home in Key West to keep them working. They just broke down too much.

The struts and foils were stainless steel, but the salt water still pitted them and if they hit an sightly submerged log, or like the commerical ones in China, a whale, it would bend and damage them. The foils rode about three feet underwater.

I got to ride some around on a test run though, and once they got up they were smooth and very fast, much to the surprise of drug runners when they got to Flordia.

Thanks for the memories!

 

[cbear]

Is there anything similar that is/will be replacing them?

Not really. The problem is the Navy is run by blue water sailors, so anything that isn't a long haul, heavy weapons platform is a misfit. Little Creek is like the land of misfit toys. (Not that the PHMs were stationed there.)

Supposedly the PC class ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclone_class_Patrol_ship ) were going to cover the mission roll when the PHMs were decommed in 1993. The PCs were made as a SEAL support craft, but they didn't like it. The Navy started transferring the PCs to the Coast Guard, until the Somali pirate issue started. Then the Navy took back the PCs to deploy in the Arabian Sea.

About every decade the Navy realizes they need a coastal patrol ship, then phases them out because they don't fit the current missions at the time.

All the PHMs were scrapped except the Aries which got saved by a group who wants to preserve it.

 

[Avenger]

Glad to hear one is still around. I had the "PHM Pegasus" game for my Apple IIC back in the day, I remember how much fun slapping a Harpoon into a Libyan Osa II was!