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July 14, 2005
New U.S. Navy Sea Base Plan Includes Assault Ships
By Christopher P. Cavas
The future makeup of the U.S. Navy’s new Sea Base squadrons has been dramatically changed, moving from a collection of modified prepositioning ships based on commercial designs to include three large-deck assault ships per squadron and modified versions of Navy supply ships.
Up to nine LHD or LHA(R) big-deck assault ships are included in the plan — three per squadron. Those ships would be beyond current fleet requirements, which call for about nine to 11 assault ships to deploy Marine Expeditionary Units.
How many squadrons are needed for the plan is not yet clear, according to the Navy, but the number is “between one and three,” service spokesman Capt. Tom Van Leunen said July 14. He called the new plan a “significant” change from previous ideas.
The revision could be a boon for shipbuilders, particularly Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, which has built all 13 of the Navy’s assault ships, and General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding (NASSCO) in San Diego, which is building the new T-AKE dry cargo ammunition ships and has built a number of T-AKR roll-on/roll-off ships for the current pre-positioning forces.
Details of the new plan were provided to Congress June 6, when Navy acquisition chief John Young sent a report to the chairmen of the House and Senate defense committees. Further details appeared in a briefing for Congress prepared by the Marine Corps. Copies of each report were obtained by Defense News.
As now envisioned by the Navy, the plan includes:
• Two LHA(R) large-deck amphibious ships fitted with Marine Expeditionary Brigade command-and-control facilities.
• One LHD amphibious ship, fitted for aviation command and control.
• Three modified LMSR roll-on/roll-off ships, similar to those now in service with joint prepositioning forces.
• Three Combat Logistic Force ships, variants of the T-AKE dry cargo ammunition ships now under construction at NASSCO.
• Three Mobile Landing Platform ships, a new type able to embark 1,112 Marines.
• Two “dense packed” ships, using prepositioning ships already in service.
Van Leunen emphasized that although Navy and Marine Corps leaders have signed off on the new plan, no official proposals have been released to industry to build the new ships. Initial briefings on the plan to top Pentagon leaders have been “received positively,” he said, but the scheme is still “awaiting formal approval.”
July 14, 2005
New U.S. Navy Sea Base Plan Includes Assault Ships
By Christopher P. Cavas
The future makeup of the U.S. Navy’s new Sea Base squadrons has been dramatically changed, moving from a collection of modified prepositioning ships based on commercial designs to include three large-deck assault ships per squadron and modified versions of Navy supply ships.
Up to nine LHD or LHA(R) big-deck assault ships are included in the plan — three per squadron. Those ships would be beyond current fleet requirements, which call for about nine to 11 assault ships to deploy Marine Expeditionary Units.
How many squadrons are needed for the plan is not yet clear, according to the Navy, but the number is “between one and three,” service spokesman Capt. Tom Van Leunen said July 14. He called the new plan a “significant” change from previous ideas.
The revision could be a boon for shipbuilders, particularly Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, which has built all 13 of the Navy’s assault ships, and General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding (NASSCO) in San Diego, which is building the new T-AKE dry cargo ammunition ships and has built a number of T-AKR roll-on/roll-off ships for the current pre-positioning forces.
Details of the new plan were provided to Congress June 6, when Navy acquisition chief John Young sent a report to the chairmen of the House and Senate defense committees. Further details appeared in a briefing for Congress prepared by the Marine Corps. Copies of each report were obtained by Defense News.
As now envisioned by the Navy, the plan includes:
• Two LHA(R) large-deck amphibious ships fitted with Marine Expeditionary Brigade command-and-control facilities.
• One LHD amphibious ship, fitted for aviation command and control.
• Three modified LMSR roll-on/roll-off ships, similar to those now in service with joint prepositioning forces.
• Three Combat Logistic Force ships, variants of the T-AKE dry cargo ammunition ships now under construction at NASSCO.
• Three Mobile Landing Platform ships, a new type able to embark 1,112 Marines.
• Two “dense packed” ships, using prepositioning ships already in service.
Van Leunen emphasized that although Navy and Marine Corps leaders have signed off on the new plan, no official proposals have been released to industry to build the new ships. Initial briefings on the plan to top Pentagon leaders have been “received positively,” he said, but the scheme is still “awaiting formal approval.”
