Page 17: of Marine News Magazine (June 2024)

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OpEd

Naval Shipbuilding healthy supply chain and industrial base for the amphibi-

Here’s some good news ous warship ? eet. Case in point: the LPD engines are made for America’s sea power. While the U.S. Navy has initiated by Fairbanks Morse Defense, the last surviving U.S. maker another review of its 30-year shipbuilding plan in the face of of this type of marine engine. widespread dissatisfaction, one element within that plan has America’s current inventory of large and medium-size been praised: the decision to provide funding for continued amphibious warships is composed of ? ve classes of four construction of amphibious warfare ships. These vessels of- different ship types: fer unmatched ? exibility and the capability of transporting, Landing Helicopter Assault (LHA) – Two America- deploying, and supporting ground combat forces – typically class “big deck” ships, successors to the Wasp-class, built

U.S. Marine Corps – to conduct amphibious assaults, hu- starting in the 2010s. These carry more than 1,500 Ma- manitarian operations, or disaster relief missions. This capa- rines and two dozen ? xed-wing, rotary-wing and tiltro- bility is essential for the United States as a maritime nation tor aircraft – including the F-35B variant capable of short with a global security commitment. Whether responding to takeoffs and vertical landings (STOVL). Two more LHAs a natural disaster or deterring aggression, amphibious war- are under construction and long-lead advanced procure- ships provide a unique platform for rapid and decisive action. ment activities for a ? fth ship are underway.

A few years ago, Congress mandated that the Navy maintain a ? eet of 31 large and medium-size amphibious warships. To achieve this, building more San Antonio- class landing platform dock (LPD) ships is critical. Previ- ous Congresses provided funds for these ships, but the

Pentagon had been hesitant. Until submission of the Fis- cal Year 2025 Pentagon budget to Congress last month, the Defense Department was considering either ending acquisition of these ships or changing their designs to reduce construction costs. As a result, the Navy was in an amphibious shipbuilding pause.

But those alternatives are no longer being considered, and in a rare and welcome moment of bipartisan, bicameral, and

Executive-Legislative branch unity, both parties now sup- port the plan for 31 amphibious warships. This about face is due in part to “perceived operational shortfalls” in the amphib ? eet, according to Hudson Institute’s Bryan Clark, when such warships were not available to support disaster relief in Turkey or evacuate noncombatants from South Su- dan last year. “It was a black eye,” he recently told Jane’s.

The Navy now plans to buy three new San Antonio- class ships: LPD-33 in FY25, -34 in FY27 and -35 in

FY29. The Flight II LPDs are sophisticated ships, with up- graded AN/SPY-6 air surveillance radars and the ability to land MV-22 Ospreys, the combat-proven Marine tiltrotor aircraft. The newest LPDs are out? tted for defense against drones and gray area threats. With consistent funding and a stable schedule to start construction of these ships every two years, it is widely agreed that this plan will maintain a www.marinelink.com MN 17|