Let's talk about Vigilance

This was supposed to be a note

So, it seems the CMMC update has caused quite the unexpected stir! I guess I forgot how deep a topic it was to many.

For the last day though, I have been bombarded with a Myriad of questions related to one thing -Vigilance

I'm not to terribly shocked, mind you. When looking at the proposed requirements, it really does feel, just as CPSP was suspiciously laying out the framework for KSS-III, that it felt less like creating a project, and more setting the stages for what was wanted.

Is this right? Probably not. Would I put it past the procurement staff? As someone whom does the work, absolutely not.

Nevertheless, Vigilance is by far the star platform here, bith fitting the wants and being a nearly entirely Canadian solution.

It's easy to forget how fucky of a proposal it actually is.

If you have not read my piece on Vigilance, or perhaps need a bit of a refresher on the platform, let me give a bit of a refresher on what exactly Vard is proposing.

Vigilance started life in the days before CMMC, when the project was still in that stage of being the OPV project. The platform itself is not a wholly unique design, being loosely based on another Vard platform, the O72.

When it started life Vigilance was a relatively straight forward design, modified to fit Canadian requirements of a globally-deployable, modular vessel to replace the Kingston-class.

It was mean to be the navies next little workhorse, chugging along with a flexible mission deck, based off another Vard design, the AOPV and a mission bay reminiscent of the future River-class.

It even had a seperate flight deck, and workshop to organically deploy UAS! All topped off by a containerized payload system able to swap out different capabilities as needed.

For an OPV, it was an amazing design, and one that fit the perfect archetype for the next-generation of patrol boats for the navy.

Then of course, the scope creep came, and the navy wanted more. There was a combatant gap, an aging fleet, and a desire to get more out of the OPV project than a Kingston-class 2.0

We could build them if we need them, at least that is what's said. What we can't build quickly is combatants, flexible, little combatants reminiscent of the Flower-class Corvettes of old.

So, the project was changed to the Canadian Modular-Mission Corvette, soon to be Multi-Mission. The navy has been at this stage the last year, working on figuring out what it wanted and what it could get out of this.

Vard, with new information that their little OPV wouldn't be enough to make the cut, decided to pivot themselves, modifying the Vigilance design to make room for what would be the inevitable Flight II

Gone was the mission bay. The Vigilance would instead pivot to the aft mission deck, expanding it to fit FEU, along with a new, expanded flight deck.

This new Vigilance bore only a basic appearance to its previous incarnation, but still kept a lot of the basics in check.

She was still ~80 meters, still was the 45 person crew, and still under 1000 tons, something that made sure she remained under the dreaded 1000t limit imposed by the NSS.

This ensured that Ontario Shipyards would be allowed to participate in the project, being one of the major partners in Team Vigilance since the beginning.

I don't know if Vigilance is still under 1000t. I don't think so anymore, but I have never received any word from Vard on the subject matter.

The chief part of this new Vigilance is it's flight II, taking the Vigilance and equipping it with a host of Corvette-level sensors and systems to bring it up to par with potential larger competitors.

This combatants package is developed by Thales, and features a lot of their higher-end systems that many would expect on such a small vessel.

Goalkeeper, NS110, Scout MK3, Kingklip MK2… and to give you an idea of how absolutely insane such a concept is, these are the same systems you would find on things like the FDI or Type 31 frigates.

Those systems, put onto what is essentially an OPV hull that is bordering the line at 1000t big, manned by a crew of only 45 people. On paper it sounds absolutely fantastical.

This isn't even discussion the armament, a Bofors 40m main gun, six-cell ExLS, and the potential for upwards of FOUR Mk.70 launchers, totalling sixteen MK.41 cells.

You could also drop to three and add on two sets of quad-NSM but whose doing the math…

Point being, because I've been asked about my rampant sarcasm and speculative nature on the matter, it is hard for me to take all of this as presented and throw my weight behind it.

It's risky, fantastical, and aims to make something that many others would dismiss as impractical. At the same time though, I can absolutely understand why the proposal is loved, and why people are willing to take the risk.

The fact is, convincing the government to get a true second-tier would be the fight of a lifetime. The cost, resources, and justification against the Rivers, all present challenges that would need to be overcome to get this to pass.

There is also the risk of this project cutting into the Rivers, especially to any government looking to cut costs or score wins on efficency. Why spend billions on one ship, when we can get one or two Corvettes extra and call it a day?

The average corvette can cost in excess of 400-500+ million dollars per vessel. The best case, perhaps we try to get six, maybe eight of them and hope all follows through?

Now look at Vigilance. It's far cheaper, being only partially militarized. I don't know the true cost but I hear flight-II runs under 200 million per vessel.

It's almost entirely Canadian built and equipped, as Vard will happily advertise to you over and over again.

It can be built quick at a yard that isnt the big three. It's scalable to a number of both minor and major roles…

All this, for a vessel promising to run the same sensors you would find even on larger combatants, equipped with a similar capability to a high-end Corvette, but also able to run, at its minimal capabilities, with a crew of only around twenty people.

It's perfect. It's quite possibly the navies dream vessel. That's a hard thing for anyone to ignore, even with the risks involved.

Is it survivable? Can it's energy system handle the modules proposed? What if the navy doesn't get the combat modules expected and is left without the offensive capabilities advertised?

These are all questions to ask, and are questions I've asked a lot of people the last week. Do I have the answer to this? No. I don't think I'm qualified to answer that all.

BUT I am curious what others think about this. Is the risk worth it? Do you believe in the concept? Could we, just maybe pull this off? I wanna hear from people and get to know what the community thinks!