The Pt Boat's Successor: A Naval Evolution

The Patrol Torpedo (PT) Boat was used by the US Navy during World War II. It was small, fast, and inexpensive to build, and was valued for its speed and manoeuvrability. However, it was also easily sunk and had limited fuel reserves. After World War II, the role of the PT boat was replaced by fast attack craft. Today, the US Navy deploys the 40-foot Defiant-class Patrol Boat, also known as the PB(X), which is designed to meet the military needs of the future.

Fast attack craft

The main advantage of FACs over other warships is their affordability. Many FACs can be deployed at a relatively low cost, allowing a navy to defend itself effectively against a larger adversary. A small boat, when equipped with the same weapons as its larger counterpart, can pose a serious threat to even the largest of capital ships. Their major disadvantages are poor seagoing qualities, cramped quarters, and poor defence against aerial threats.

The idea of using small, agile vessels to break up invading fleets of larger vessels was first proposed as early as the mid-19th century by the Jeune École's poussiere navale theory. This idea was first put into action in the 1870s with the steam-powered torpedo boats produced by the Royal Navy and the French Navy. These vessels proved to be especially susceptible to rough seas and had limited utility in scouting due to their short endurance and low bridges.

During World War II, the US Navy used PT (patrol torpedo) boats, which were small, fast, and inexpensive to build. They were valued for their maneuverability and speed but were hampered at the beginning of the war by ineffective torpedoes, limited armament, and comparatively fragile construction that limited some variants to coastal waters. PT boats were replaced by FACs in the US Navy.

After World War II, the use of PT boats steadily declined in the United States and Britain, although the Soviet Union still had large numbers of motor torpedo boats and motor gunboats in service. With the development of the anti-ship missile, FACs were reborn in the Soviet Union as "missile boats" or "missile cutters". The first few missile boats were originally torpedo boats with the torpedo tubes replaced by missile launchers.

Today, Iran and North Korea have some of the largest numbers of FACs in operation. North Korea alone operates more than 300, while Iran has been developing "swarm boats" to be used as harassing vessels in the heavily contested littoral waters of the Persian Gulf.

Anti-ship missiles

AShMs can be launched from a variety of weapons systems including surface warships, submarines, bombers, fighter planes, patrol planes, helicopters, shore batteries, land vehicles, and even infantrymen firing shoulder-launched missiles. They are a significant threat to surface ships, which have large radar, radio, and thermal signatures that are difficult to suppress.

The first anti-ship missiles, developed by Nazi Germany, used radio command guidance. These saw some success in the Mediterranean Theatre during 1943–1944, damaging or sinking at least 38 ships.

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union adopted a sea-denial strategy that included the use of anti-ship missiles. The SS-N-2 Styx missile was one of the first products of this decision and was soon loaded onto the Soviet Air Force's Tu-95 Bear and Tu-22 Blinder bombers.

In more recent times, anti-ship missiles have been used in several conflicts, including the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, the 1982 Falklands War, and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

• BrahMos: A supersonic cruise missile with a range of 650 km, jointly developed by India and Russia.
• Nirbhay: An anti-ship cruise missile with a range of 1000-1500 km and a speed of 0.7-0.9 Mach.
• Gabriel: An anti-ship missile made by Israel Aircraft Industries.
• Exocet: A French-made anti-ship missile used in the Falklands War.
• Harpoon: An American-made anti-ship missile.
• HY-2: A Chinese land-to-ship missile with several variants, also known as the C-201 or CSS-C-3 Seersucker.
• P-15 Termit: A Soviet-made anti-ship missile, also known as the SS-N-2 Styx, with a range of 40 km.

AShMs have continued to evolve and improve since their first use in World War II, with increased ranges, guidance systems, and destructive power. They remain a significant weapon in modern naval warfare, posing a serious threat to surface ships.

Patrol boats

Patrol Torpedo (PT) boats were small, fast, and inexpensive to build. They were used by the United States Navy in World War II and were valued for their manoeuvrability and speed. PT boats were effective in challenging much larger capital ships, defending merchant shipping, attacking convoys, and performing scouting and reconnaissance missions. They were also useful in infiltrating or exfiltrating small units and key leaders from enemy-controlled areas.

PT boats were replaced by fast attack craft, including the Komar-class missile boats developed by the Soviets in the 1950s, the German Gepard-class patrol boats, and the US Pegasus-class hydrofoil.

The US Navy has continued to develop new patrol boats, including the Mark VI Patrol Boat, which has been slated for early retirement due to high maintenance costs. The Navy has introduced the 40-foot Defiant-class Patrol Boat (PB(X)), also known as the PB(X), to replace the current 34-foot Patrol Boat. The PB(X) is designed to meet the military's evolving needs and address the vulnerabilities of traditional patrol boats. It offers increased capabilities, firepower, and dynamic stability with a sprint speed of 40 knots.

The Patrol Torpedo Boat of World War II has been suggested as a practical solution to the US Navy's current challenges. Captain Edmund B. Hernandez of the US Navy has advocated for the reintroduction of the PT boat, arguing that it could complement the current fleet of multi-billion-dollar destroyers and provide an affordable alternative for gaining sea control. Today's PT boats would be outfitted with .50-calibre machine guns, 40 mm cannons, rockets, mortars, smoke generators, radar, and modern anti-ship missiles.

Hydrofoils

The first evidence of a hydrofoil on a vessel appears on a British patent granted in 1869 to Emmanuel Denis Farcot, a Parisian. However, it wasn't until the early 20th century that hydrofoils were further developed by inventors such as Enrico Forlanini, John Thornycroft, Comte de Lambert, and Alexander Graham Bell.

PT boats played an important role in World War II, engaging enemy warships, transports, tankers, barges, and sampans. They were nicknamed the "mosquito fleet" and "devil boats" by the Japanese and were known for their daring.

After World War II, PT boats were replaced in the US Navy by fast attack craft. While PT boats are no longer in use, hydrofoils continue to be used in various applications, from military vessels to recreational watercraft.

Missile boats

The doctrine behind the use of missile boats is based on the principle of mobility over defence and firepower. The advent of proper guided missile and electronic countermeasure technologies gave birth to the idea that warships could now be designed to outmaneuver their enemies and conceal themselves while carrying powerful weapons.

The size of missile boats has increased, with some designs now at corvette size, 800 tonnes including a helicopter, giving them extended modes of operation. Iran and North Korea have some of the largest numbers of missile boats in operation today. North Korea alone operates more than 300, while Iran has been developing "swarm boats" to be used as harassing vessels in the heavily contested littoral waters of the Persian Gulf.

The world's first naval battles between missile-armed warships occurred between Israeli Sa'ar 3-class and Sa'ar 4-class missile boats (using indigenously-developed Gabriel missiles), and Syrian Komar- and Osa-class missile boats during the October 1973 Yom Kippur War. During this and later battles, some fifty Gabriels and a similar number of Styx missiles were fired; seven Syrian ships were sunk, with zero Israeli losses.

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