Pentagon Is Poised to Cancel Marine Landing Craft (EFV)

The New York Times ^ | January 5, 2011 | CHRISTOPHER DREW

[wally_bert]

How about WHALES?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kG6Auwt81Q

[Anotherpunkedamerican]

Union labor will always drive the price of projects beyond a reasonable price for a finished project every time giving the libs and rinos all the ammunition they need to take an ax to any much needed piece of equipment.

Just sayin.

[gandalftb]

The EFV was canceled because of the Navy's new SSC (Ship to Shore Connector) that will replace the current LCAC (Landing Craft Air Cushioned). The EFV was a good idea but impractical in terms of bad weather and required farther stand-offshore distances.

The reason for launching amphibious ops farther offshore is not because of land based missiles or arty. It is because we need to be over the horizon to avoid most land-based radar detection. That's about 24 miles currently and we would prefer 40 miles.

Here's a look at the SSC:

http://www.ship2shoreconnector.com/

Also, there was no reliable way to predict cross currents and wave height in advance of the 24 mile travel time of the EFV.

Finally, having done a beach assault last year from an LCAC, I cannot imagine the rough ride you would get in a much smaller EFV.

I hope the SSC is faster and better able to handle rough water, the LCAC was a nightmare.