Large Amphibious Assault Vessels

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
well it's a fine line between LHD and light carrier. if you remove the well deck it becomes a LHA which is at i would argue the starting of true carrier. most of Europes carriers sit in this type with the Coming QE2 and the CDG being outliers.
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
This is am interesting picture of a US Navy San Antonio Class LPD operating three MV-22 Ospreys at one time.

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An MV-22B Osprey assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 (Reinforced) takes off from the flight deck of the amphibious transport dock ship USS New York (LPD 21). New York, deployed as part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, is conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe.

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Jeff Head

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Naval Today said:
US Navy’s future USNS Lewis B. Puller (MLP 3 AFSB) will be christened on Saturday, February 7, at General Dynamics NASSCO Shipyard, in San Diego.

The MLP AFSB is designed to provide dedicated support for Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM) as well as special warfare missions.

The ship is capable of supporting additional missions including: counter-piracy operations, maritime security operations, humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions and Marine Corps crisis response. As reported by IHS Jane’s 360, Puller is scheduled for delivery in September.

USNS Lewis B. Puller, the third vessel of the Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) class, is the first purpose-built Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB) vessel for the US Navy. The 764-foot vessel will feature a flight deck, a hangar and will be able to accommodate about 250 persons.

Lewis Puller (MLP-3) and its unnamed
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(MLP-4) will differ quite a bit from the first two Mobile Landing Platform support vessels, Montofrd Point (MLP-1) and John Glenn (MLP-2) . The first two ships serve as "Sea Bases" for
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forces by acting as a floating base and transfer station well off of the target area.

The Lewis Puller and MLP-4 will act as afloat forward staging bases (AFSB) to support air and amphibious assault missions to some extent, but will also be used to support mine clearance missions,
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,
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,
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, as well as
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and
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missions.

AFSB vessels are designed to operate further away form higher intensity combat, allowing more expensive, high-value
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and
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to be not have to address those missions and thus be available for more demanding operational missions for the U.S. Navy.

The AFSB vessels are slated to operate in the Middle East and the Pacific Ocean.

After full completion later in 2015, the USNS Lewis Puller will replace the
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, the current, interim AFSB support ship.


Artist depiction of MLP AFSB operations
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Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
This is an excellent picture of a US Navy Amphibious Ready group or ARG.


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Here we see the three main amphibious components of an ARG, the larger, flat-deck, aircraft carrier-like Wasp Class LHD (in this case the USS Makin Island, LHD-8), the Landing Platform Dock LPD (in this case the San Antonio Class USS San Diego, LPD-22), and the Landing Ship Dock (in this case the Austin Class, USS Comstock LSD-49).

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Pacific Sentinel said:
SAN DIEGO - Nearly 4,500 Sailors and Marines with the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the embarked 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) are scheduled to return to San Diego Feb. 25, following a seven-month deployment to the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet areas of operation.

Deployed since July 25, the Makin Island ARG and 11th MEU conducted a relocation of National Oceanographic Atmospheric Administration researchers from Tropical Storm Iselle near Hawaii, conducted air strikes against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Iraq, worked with British and Kuwaiti forces in Exercise Cougar Voyage 14, participated in Exercise Red Reef 15 with Saudi Arabian forces and performed Marine sustainment exercises in Kuwait and Djibouti.

"We've had a very intense deployment that required us to execute multiple mission sets simultaneously for long periods of time. The superb professionalism and work ethic of all members of the ARG/MEU team ensured we met and exceeded the mark every time," said Capt. Steve McKone, Commander, Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 5. "I know these Sailors and Marines are excited to be home."

The Makin Island ARG, led by PHIBRON 5, consists of amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8), dock landing ship USS Comstock (LSD 45), amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego (LPD 22), PHIBRON 5 staff, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23 (HSC-23) Detachment 2, scheduled to return to its home base on Naval Air Station North Island Feb. 24, Fleet Surgical Team 5, Tactical Air Control Squadron 11, Assault Craft Unit 5 and Beach Master Unit 1.

The 11th MEU is comprised of the 11th MEU Command Element; the Aviation Combat Element, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 163 (Reinforced); the Ground Combat Element, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines; and the Logistics Combat Element, Combat Logistics Battalion 11.

"The Sailors and Marines on this ship performed exceptionally well during this deployment," said USS Makin Island Commanding Officer, Capt. Jon P. Rodgers. "This deployment marked the first for more than 65 percent of the crew. The teamwork was exceptional!"
During the deployment, the ARG transited nearly 35,000 nautical miles, flew approximately 3,100 sorties, and logged nearly 5,020 flight hours. Amphibious craft completed more than 4,000 passenger transfers and moved more than 90,000 tons of equipment to and from the shore.

"The Sailors of HSC-23 Detachment 2 provided support for all facets of aviation operations during deployment with the USS Makin Island ARG and the 11th MEU," said Lt. Cmdr. Joseph Adams, HSC-23's officer-in-charge. "It was truly an honor to be a part of the exceptional effort, dedication, and professionalism displayed by the ARG/MEU team during this deployment."

This deployment was the first for San Diego and the second for Makin Island.
The Makin Island ARG conducted port visits in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Jordan, collectively. The visits provided an opportunity for the U.S. military forces to strengthen ties with the host nations and foster relationships.
The Iwo Jima ARG and 24th MEU relieved the Makin Island ARG in the 5th Fleet AOR in January.

They would also be escorted by at least one Burke Class DDG (perhaps two), an SSN, and a couple of FFGs (soon to be LCS).
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
A day you be able to show us this in mock up :) ?

Well, I will have everything but the LSD in 1/350 scale as soon as I finish the Iwo Jima.

I can put together two Burkes, two Independence Class LCS, a San Antonio, and a Wasp. If I could find a 1/350 scale Austin class, I would build it.

One day they certainly will have the new LSD and I will build it then.
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
What is your schedule after ?
I am fan you know :)

Well, next I will add a Ticonderoga and Burke to my US Navy ARG.

Then it is back to adding the final DDGs and FFGs to the other nation's Carrier Groups.

Another Daring Class to the UK group. An Atago to the Japanese group. The Varyag CG to the Russian group. I am waiting for an Horizon Class DDG to add to the French group. I already have the carriers and some escorts finished for those groups. (CDG for the French, Illustrious for the UK, Hyuga for the Japanese, Kuznetsov for the Russians).

My US Carrier group (around the USS Enterprise) and my Chinese carrier group (Around the Liaoning) are both completely finished...as is my Chinese ARG...but all I have is one Type 071 in that group and its escorts. I wish I could find a Type 072A LST model...I would build two of them for the Chinese group.

Ultimately, there will be a Ford Class carrier, a Zumwalt class DDG, a QE class carrier...etc. which I will build and replace in my groups as the new models of those vessels become available. It is a work in progress and will go on for years.
 
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