Pegasus-class hydrofoil
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Pegasus-class hydrofoil |
| Builders | Boeing Marine Systems, Renton, Washington |
| Operators |  United States Navy |
| Built | 1973–1982 |
| In commission | 1977–1993 |
| Completed | 6 |
| Retired | 6 |
| Preserved | 1 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 237.2 long tons (241 t) |
| Length | 133 ft (41 m) |
| Beam | 28 ft (8.5 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Complement | 4 officers, 17 enlisted |
| Sensors & processing systems |
|
| Armament |
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The Pegasus-class hydrofoil was a series of six Patrol Hydrofoil Missile (PHM) vessels operated by the United States Navy from 1977 to 1993. Initially intended to counter Warsaw Pact missile boats such as the Osa-class in NATO littorals, the class proved expensive to operate, fuel-intensive, and carried firepower disproportionate to their primary mission of coastal patrol and counter-narcotics operations.[1][2]
Development
[edit]In the late 1960s, NATO sought a small, fast surface combatant to counter Soviet missile boats, but the resulting project was poorly conceived. The United States proposed the PHM as a NATO standard, initially planning up to 30 vessels, with options for Germany and Italy. However, lack of commitment from partners and the Navy’s focus on larger ships reduced the programme to just six USN vessels. The project suffered repeated cost overruns and construction delays, and Congressional oversight was selective, concentrating on ensuring completion rather than providing an effective, timely, and capable solution.[3]
Design and armament
[edit]The PHMs employed a combined diesel and gas turbine (CODOG) propulsion system with water-jet drives. Diesel engines provided fuel-efficient hullborne speeds up to 12 knots, while a LM2500 gas turbine powered foilborne speeds exceeding 48 knots. Fuel consumption was approximately 1,000 gallons per hour when foilborne and 100 gallons per hour hullborne, significantly limiting endurance.[4]
Armament comprised a 76 mm Oto Melara gun and provision for two quadruple RGM-84 Harpoon missile launchers, although the missiles were seldom carried as they made the class top heavy.[1] While effective against larger surface combatants, this level of firepower was rarely needed in the PHMs’ primary coastal patrol and counter-narcotics roles, highlighting a mismatch between design and mission profile.[5]
Operational history
[edit]All six vessels were constructed by Boeing in Renton, Washington, and based at Naval Air Station Key West, Florida. Despite their speed, limited endurance, maintenance requirements, and high fuel consumption restricted sustained operations.[1]
Cost and decommissioning
[edit]The 1979 GAO report identified alarming cost inefficiencies in the PHM programme, including overpricing and inadequate spare provisioning. High operational costs, combined with a small fleet and limited mission profiles, led to retirement of the class by 1993.
The Aries was preserved as a memorial on the Gasconade River in Missouri. Gemini was briefly converted into a yacht before being scrapped, and the remainder were sold for scrap.[6][7]
List of ships
[edit]- Pegasus (PHM-1) (9 July 1977 – 30 July 1993), formerly Delphinus
- Hercules (PHM-2) (18 December 1982 – 30 July 1993)
- Taurus (PHM-3) (10 October 1981 – 30 July 1993)
- Aquila (PHM-4) (26 June 1982 – 30 July 1993)
- Aries (PHM-5) (18 September 1982 – 30 July 1993)
- Gemini (PHM-6) (13 November 1982 – 30 July 1993)
See also
[edit]- Boeing hydrofoils
- USS High Point (PCH-1)
- USS Plainview (AGEH-1)
- HMCS Bras d'Or (FHE 400), a Canadian hydrofoil intended for anti-submarine duties
- HMS Speedy (P296), a Royal Navy Jetfoil mine countermeasure vessel.
- Matka-class missile boat, a class of Soviet PHM
- Sarancha-class missile boat, a class of Soviet PHM
- Sparviero-class patrol boat, a class of Italian PHM
- PHM Pegasus, a videogame based on this class of vessels
- USS Flagstaff
- USS Tucumcari
- List of patrol vessels of the United States Navy
- Osprey-Class PTF
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "History of the PHM". U.S. Naval Institute. September 1986. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- ^ Opportunity to Reduce Cost of the Navy's Contract for Patrol Hydrofoil Missile Ships (Report). U.S. Government Accountability Office. 18 October 1979. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- ^ Congressional Oversight of PHM Programme (Report). U.S. Congress. 1974.
- ^ "Employing the PHMs". U.S. Naval Institute. September 1986. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- ^ "The Missing Link: PHM Capabilities". U.S. Naval Institute. July 1982. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- ^ "Aries III (PHM-5)". Naval History & Heritage Command. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- ^ "For sale: The Navy's First Operational Hydrofoil". USNI News. 29 November 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- Gardiner, Robert and Stephen Chumbley. Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press, 1995. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
- McLeavy, Roy. Jane's Surface Skimmers: Hovercraft and Hydrofoils 1975–76. Jane's Yearbooks, 1975. ISBN 0 354 00525 1.
- Jenkins, George. "Patrol Combatant Missile (Hydrofoil): PHM History 1973–1995" (pdf). Foils.com, 1 November 2000. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
External links
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