Posted on 03/23/2016 11:42:21 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
The USS America, a Gator Navy amphibious assault ship built specifically to accommodate Marine Corps F-35Bs, has just left port for sea trials after having to be overhauled for ten months immediately following its original introduction into the fleet due to issues over carrying the aircraft it was designed for.
The USS America already had its well deck, used for launching and recovering hovercraft and beach landing ships for ambibous operations, omitted in its design to focus on aviation capabilities. In other words, it is an aircraft carrier not an amphibious assault ship.
The main problem is that the ship was concurrently designed and built long before the F-35B was tested, under parameters that were totally bogus. It ends up that its deck cannot accommodate the extreme temperatures and force of the F-35B’s exhaust during heavy operations. This was just one of the many other necessary modifications that had to be retrofitted after the ship hit the seas. You can read all about this ridiculous situation in this past Foxtrot Alpha feature.
The next ship in the America class, the USS Tripoli will also need similar deck modifications. The third ship in the America class will have its well deck restored and will not need modifications to its deck to operate F-35Bs. The USS Tripoli is slated to enter service in 2024.
Let’s hope they got it right this time.
That must be an expensive lesson.
I am skeptical of the premise of this article. I don’t understand how not having a well deck helps with heat issues up on the flight deck. The same website has articles about the US needing more smaller carriers, which belies a misunderstanding of the principle advantage of larger carriers.
They’ve been designing and using amphibious assault carriers since the ‘50s and amphibious landing ships for longer than that. Do you think they might get it right by now?
BTW, when/if they get F-35s, will they change the classification from Landing Helicopter Assault (LHA) to Landing Platform Assault (LPA)?
Yep.. The useless F-35 mega-cost not only affects the aircraft but massive expenses for these type ships and other infrastructure as well.
AV-8B had no problems landing on them.
I was wondering how the gender neutral heads were working and if they’d installed birthing & daycare centers aboard the vessel?
The AV-8B had a shipboard mishap rate that belonged in the 50’s, not the 21st century. That aircraft needed to go a long time ago.
It still needs to go but F-35 is far worse.
Most capable aircraft I see on the deck is the V-22.
More capable than that Seahawk? In what universe?
I’m glad the critics are so smart. Look at it this way, the naval architects are starting with some very basic assumptions. They are also building a ship that’s going to be in the fleet for 50 years and the building time is measured in years. The aircraft designers are working on their own time-line and, BTW, are designing a radically new lift mechanism. Throw in congressional delays that stretch and compress service budgets, and it’s not surprising that you arrived at this situation.
You’re an engineer. Rev the design.
My understanding was that deleting the well deck had more to do with expanding hangar & magazine space. Essentially we’ve built a very expensive escort carrier. OK, maybe a light carrier. The distinction really depends on the utility of the airwing rather than the vessel itself.
The ship will remain an LHA from what I’ve read. Has something to do with the hull classification and legalities. The Burke-destroyers are essentially light cruisers, but we don’t make that distinction anymore. And the Big Navy wants a new cruiser, so the Burke’s remain ‘destroyers’.
Don’t forget the lactation rooms.
The well deck is a red hearing in this article. This ship and the next in line, were always meant to carry a lot more F-35’s than a typical assault ship.
They are also battle group command and control ships.
So with all the extras needed, the well deck was converted for extra manned spaces.
However, the decking was an issue to start with, but it was know it was going to be since no one knew what was really going to be needed for F-35 operations.
This was due to the massive, ten year, schedule slip in the F-35 program. The requirements for the decking were supposed to be well known before the keel was even laid!
So it was either don’t build the ship on schedule, or build it and modify it when the F-35B was available and it’s decking requirements were know.
Expensive and dumb, yeah. But that’s life.
Should both Navy, Air Force, Marine and contractor heads have rolled over the F-35? Yep.
Now! Move on, clean up the mess and get on wit the mission.
Bingo!
For this uneducated AF Sergeant, what does Gator Navy mean?
Not sure why it isn’t LPH-13
“Gator Navy” is a nickname for amphibious assault ships.
Thanks!
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