(1) controls navigation lights. (2) controls 30mm Mk 85 turret. (3) controls port M2 Browning. (4) controls starboard M2 Browning. Throttle for engine power. Yaw to steer. LandingGear to change direction.

Summary

The Niihau-class missile boat, formally a Patrol Combatant, Missile (PGM) is a Paternian missile boat developed by Bandit as a means of upgrading the large fleet of Island-class gunboats, as well as address concerns with current Paternian warships regarding their ability to deal with small boat swarms. The class is named after the first conversion, the PRN Niihau (PGM-35), which was named after the Hawaiian island of Niihau.

Development

After the Action of May 24, the Paternian Navy assessed that the Interceptor-class of hydrofoil missile boats was inadequate for combat against other fast attack craft.

During the action, the hydrofoils were vulnerable to damage from automatic cannons and small-caliber, rapid-fire naval artillery found on fast attack craft. In addition, it's armament was quite unsuited to dispatching such craft; the HSLAM launchers were mostly useless against smaller craft, and the 30mm cannon had limited range. There were also concerns about its ability to defend against aircraft.

The only other vessel which could fulfill this role was the Island-class gunboat. However, the vessels were inadequately armed to deal with all but the lightest of fast attack craft, let alone proper warships. Armed with only a 76mm cannon, 30mm cannon on a pedestal, and .50 caliber machine guns, it would have been easy prey for the few warships and modern aircraft present.

However, the Island-class had several redeeming traits; it was much larger than the Interceptor-class, was sturdily built, and was designed with further upgrades in mind. While it was slower than the Interceptor with foils deployed, the Island was faster than the Interceptor on waterjets.

It was decided to transform the vessel from an inexpensive gunboat optimized to hunt down smugglers and human traffickers into a small corvette with more firepower per ton than any vessel afloat. It was decided to convert the newer Island-class gunboats, as well as complete the rest as such, starting with the PRN Niihau (PG-35).

Capabilities

The Niihau-class missile boat is a radical departure in the limited capabilities of the Island-class it descended from. The Mk 42 pedestal mount for the 30mm M15 revolver cannon was replace by the remotely operated Mk 85 at the fantail. The cannon can be employed against aircraft and surface targets, where the Mk 42 could only effectively be employed against surface targets.

To improve capabilities against aircraft, the 76mm Mk 77 rapid-fire cannon was replaced by a Mk 29 8-cell box launcher for Sea Sparrow missiles, with sixteen carried as reloads.

For surface threats, the vessel is armed with a large 32-cell VLS system for use with Hellfire missiles against large numbers of small boats. For larger vessels, it features two 4-cell HSLAM box launchers, for a total of 8 HSLAM anti-ship missiles. There are no reloads carried for the HSLAM missiles, although there is 32 Hellfire missiles to reload the VLS cells.

Propulsion systems were upgraded, with improved variable-pitch screws allowing for higher maneuverability than previous Island-class gunboats could achieve.

Operators:

• Paternian Navy
• Dosnian Navy
• Dragon Navy
• Philippine Navy, as Miniloc-class missile corvette
  
  
  
  • Miniloc-class is armed with 76mm Mk 77 in lieu of 8-cell Mk 29 Sea Sparrow missile launcher