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Home Front: WoT
Navy to Commission Amphib Designed for Aviation with No Well Deck
2014-10-09
Saturday will mark the formal commissioning of the Navy's newest amphibious assault ship, the USS America-- a big-deck amphib designed to more fully leverage the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter and the ability to air-drop Marines behind enemy lines.

Unlike previous Wasp-class amphibious assault ships, the America will not have a well-deck to launch connector vehicles that transport Marines and equipment from ship to shore over water. Instead, the America is specifically engineered for aviation. Compared with prior amphibs, the America has a larger deck space and hangar area for aircraft.
Oh, so it's an aircraft carrier that also carries Marines...
"We are changing the way we look at amphibious warfare. During D-Day you had amphibious assault vehicles go ashore with an assault on the beach. Now, we are looking more at Marine Corps aviation and how can we use those Corps assets we have on-board the ship to bring the fight inland. I think that this ship in particular gives us a tremendous capability to do that," said Lt. Dawn Stankus, a USS America spokeswoman.

In total, the America is configured to house up to 31 aircraft including as many as 12 MV-22 Ospreys and the CH-53 Super Stallion, AH-1Z Super Cobra, UH-1Y Huey, F-35 B Short-take-off-and-landing Joint Strike Fighter and MH-60 Sea Hawk helicopter, Stankus explained.
Posted by:tu3031

#10  They forgot the Dirigibles - in the 21st century = age of OWG + SpaceStrike, SpaceDefense, where the Marines + Army RDF/RRFS go ANTI-ICBM, IRBM, MDM + SRBM MISSLE DEFENSE, ETC. MUST GO WID THEM.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2014-10-09 23:43  

#9  A boatload or two of Marines with AAV 7's and air support will be on the beach faster than even a large fleet of helos or Sea Ospreys could deliver them.

Having watched an exercise at Pendleton/Oceanside a few years ago, I can say that from what I saw (although a training exercise), they can deliver large numbers in a very short order.
Posted by: Mullah Richard   2014-10-09 21:22  

#8  I think America came out of the SeaBase doings.

Pretty much. Though this one doesn't support surface craft.

On seconder thoughts, Ima thinkern light aircraft carrier (drone) and (primarily) JSOC platform.
Posted by: Pappy   2014-10-09 20:46  

#7  Someone in the White House really hates the Marines.
Posted by: Sgt. D.T.   2014-10-09 19:25  

#6  This raises the question:

Why do that off a ship - and why have Marines at all if you're abandoning the waterfront and the heavy punch Marine Amphib Assault brings?

Fact is: despite the Marines pioneering this in the mid-late 1950's, ever since Operation Pegasus and Khe Sahn, the Army is the master of large scale airborne insertion doctrine (82nd Abn Div, 173rd Sky Soldiers Regt), and is the same for large scale Air Assault (101st Airmobile Div) and numerous company or battalion sized Air Cav or Air Assault elements. There's already prescednet: The 10th Mtn had a BCT (Bde sized element) air assault in off the Eisenhower back in Op Uphold Democracy. And the Army has the Rangers for kicking the door for follow-on forces in via insetion by airborne, air assault/fast-rope and even riverine and small boats.

Someone in the Navy doesnt like the Marines at all, and trying to strange the gator navy? Sounds like Fighter Mafia to me.

For the Marines to have their value, they have to have the heavy forces and be able to bring them in over the water without relying exclusively on wing/rotor assets. This is something the Army cannot do in decent numbers, even though it does have some assault boats mainly in the Guard and Reserve, but nothing that's even remotely scalable to what the Marines can do with an MAU or MAB. We need the Marines, and we need them Amphib/Heavy capable. This is damned foolish.
Posted by: OldSpook   2014-10-09 17:29  

#5  The landing craft were/are supposed to be on another type of ship. I think America came out of the SeaBase doings. Someone who knows inform me.
Posted by: Shipman   2014-10-09 16:25  

#4  I dunno RJ, the Marines who landed at Tarawa might argue with you...
Posted by: Steve White   2014-10-09 16:18  

#3  I agree, the plan to have Marines assault a beach using airpower, air drops, or whatever seems somewhat stupid to me. Better to improve those amphibious vehicles to take them up the beach. Less can go wrong at least.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2014-10-09 15:20  

#2  Dumb, just plain dumb. Sorta like a fighter with no guns.....
Posted by: USN, Ret.   2014-10-09 15:11  

#1  Basically a light aircraft carrier.
Posted by: Pappy   2014-10-09 14:50  

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