Ecume NG fast gun boat

Suggestions Naval
1
[Would you like to see this in-game?]
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0 voters

Hello everyone and welcome to this new feature.

Today, I’m presenting a new patrol boat for the French Navy: the ECUME NG.

In 2006, the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) launched the ECUME program, short for “Embarkation Commando à Usage Multiple Embarquée” (Commando Craft for Multiple Use). The objective was to provide the French Navy’s commandos with a new, fast craft capable of operating in demanding maritime conditions and versatile enough to complement the ETRACOs already in service. Following the tender process, VT Halmatic, a subsidiary of BAE Systems, was selected to develop the project. However, in 2009, three years after the program’s launch, the solution proposed by the manufacturer still did not fully meet the DGA’s requirements, which ultimately led to the cancellation of the contract.

In 2011, the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) relaunched the program under the name ECUME NG, for “New Generation,” and this time selected Zodiac Milpro to develop the future vessel. The results were immediate, and in 2013, the manufacturer presented a patrol boat based on the Zodiac Hurricane ZH-930. The trials proved successful, and an order for fifteen units was quickly placed. All the vessels were then delivered between 2013 and 2016, allowing for their gradual integration into the various units of the French Navy.

Since entering service, the ECUME NG has been used in a wide range of missions. Deployed from FREMM frigates, stealth frigates (FLF), and Mistral-class amphibious helicopter carriers, it is primarily used for the interception, control, and boarding of ships targeted by the French Navy. The craft also possesses a particularly rare capability: it can be parachuted from transport aircraft such as the C-130 Hercules or the A400M Atlas. This capability significantly enhances the deployment capabilities of naval commandos and allows for rapid intervention in remote or difficult-to-access areas. Finally, the ECUME NG craft are also used in French military ports and maritime infrastructure, where they perform various surveillance, security, and protection missions for sensitive installations.

The most famous use of this craft was probably during the hijacking of the Ponant, a cruise ship attacked by pirates. The ECUME NG craft and commandos were deployed from A400M aircraft before infiltrating the ship and freeing the hostages.

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Characteristics

Length : 9.30m

Mass : 7 tons

The vessel is powered by two 300hp outboard motors, allowing it to reach speeds exceeding 50 knots. Its range is over 150 nautical miles.

The crew size varies depending on the mission; only two or four crew members are required to pilot the vessel and manage the electronics. Marines on board are responsible for operating the onboard weaponry.

Equipment

It is difficult to know exactly what electronic equipment is on board, however a navigation radar is clearly visible on the mast of the Zodiac.

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Weapons

The patrol boat’s armament can be mounted on two points, one forward and one aft. The forward mount is compatible with 12.7mm (M2 Brawning), 7.62mm (MAG58) machine guns and grenades launchers. The aft mount is compatible with the same machine guns but can also be equipped with the Dillon M134 multi-barrel machine gun for a higher rate of fire.

EDIT : A Akeron missile launcher can be installed on the rear mount and two additional machine guns can be installed on each side if the boat

In-game, the addition of this ship would be an interesting and fun addition to the low Br coastal tree, allowing the French tree to have access to a small, lightly armed and extremely fast ship, thus completing the first tier of the tree.

Pictures

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Video

[Euronaval 2016] Embarcation commando à usage multiple (ECUME)
Premier aérolargage d’une ECUME

Sources
4 Likes
2

I think when/if we ever get deployable boats like this on modern frigates, it would be great fun to use to capture zones or other objectives. Maybe it could work too at rank I?

+1 regardless.

4 Likes
3

+1 !

1 Like
4

why though?
I don’t think we should just be adding any old dingy because someone strapped a gun to it.
It’s a pass for me, sorry.

1 Like
5

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1 Like
6

My individual in christ.

Not everything needs to make the cut for my support, a dingy with a gun/few guns in my opinion does not make the cut.
Neither would a jeep with a .50 or a plane that only has a single 7.62 and can’t carry anything else.

I am all for some sillier vehicles like the IAI Arava and it being an armed transport plane or the AN-72P with it’s anemic armement for a large plane but some things just don’t make the cut and this doesn’t in my opinion and you are free to disagree but keep it civil.

These boats could in my opinion only “work” as a deployable or something in the future but that is about it.

7

Float planes are useful but with modern ships not having float helicopters these little guys will be a must. Not strong but can do things a mother ship cannot.

For the future helicopters in naval when that happens should be able to cap a point if that point has a ship or land in it.

2 Likes
8

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Many of the reserve ones only have two 7.62mm or 7.7mm. So close enough?

2 Likes
9

Soviet mains would like a conversation. Which I am not one.

Anything with a .50 is useful in game.

1 Like
10

It can carry 3 machine guns + a Akeron missile, it is better than some rank 1 ships, of course it is vulnerable but it would still be an interesting ship

1 Like
11

Yeah i also find that a stupid addition and am glad they have not kept doing so.
Thank you for showing something i disagreed with and will keep disagreeing with.

The reserve planes as far as i know have usually atleast 2 machine guns of 7.62 or greater calibre and some of them can carry extra weapons.

I would not support a plane that has only a single 7.62 and nothing besides that to contributes.

12

You said it “wouldn’t make the cut” not that it "shouldn’t " , a bit different, it provably has made the cut and i don’t think anything states that it can’t still make the cut.

You’re of course free to your opinion on that they shouldn’t, i just wanted to point out that they to some degree already have.

13

I am sorry but this feels like nothing but a “Gotcha”.
But ill suppose ill rephrase my initial post with not everything needs to make the cut for my support i suppose.

14

Small edit regarding the ability of the ship to fire Akeron missile

15

Initially there was no mention of the missile but even so i would not support it personally sorry.
At rank 1 i don’t think it should have missiles especially not fire and forget missiles like the Akeron missiles and as a gunboat i feel it is far too small really but also atleast in my opinion just doesn’t quite fit i mean it is just an armed dingy after all.

Maybe as some sort of deployable in the future if naval progress to such a stage.

16

I find the “it’s just a Zodiac with machine guns” excuse a bit weak; it’s still a very fast, highly responsive boat with impressive high-speed turning capabilities. Yes, it lacks armor, making it very vulnerable, but it remains perfectly viable to play.

17

I don’t find it an excuse at all.
To my knowledge the smallest boat in game is the German LS-3 which is still much larger and heavier compared to this dingy.
In my opinion this boat is simply too small and it’s armement is also not particularly good with a single .50 calibre machine gun and beyond that a few rifle calibre machine guns which in naval gameplay in my experience are not particularly effective.

The potential addition of a FnF ATGM would in my opinion make balancing it weird, because such a weapon is in my opinion far too advanced for a tier 1 boat but beyond that weapon it has nothing that would make it able to stand up to larger more powerful high tier vessels.
Not to mention the Akeron only has a 1 kilo warhead so it wouldn’t even be particularly potent either.

At best i can see this being a deployable somewhere down the line if naval progress to such a stage.

This to me feels the same as adding a motorbike with a machine gun in the side car, it is a cool vehicle on it’s own but in my opinion not suitable for the game in it’s current state, maybe somewhere down the line.

18

Even if it is only a 7.7mm machine gun, the rear one can deal quit a lot of damage to rank 1 boats, 3000 rounds per minute is quit enough to deal a lot of damage

Regarding the addition of the missile I agrea, it would be quit difficult to balance.

19

a fast firing 7.62 is still a 7.62 and has trouble punching through even the hulls of the smallest boats in game, so wether you have a lot of partial penetrations or a few i don’t see it being very effective either way.

I understand how you feel about this vessel and on it’s own it is a cool vessel however in my opinion it is not suitable to the game in it’s current state.

It would make for a very neat deployable unit however for a larger vessel like a frigatte or a corevette in the future!