Posted on 02/07/2025 6:46:12 AM PST by george76
For years Marine Corps leaders have been calling for more amphibious ships to transport Marines and their warfighting equipment around the globe. But a recent government oversight report revealed what bad shape the Navy’s existing amphibious ships are in – and raised major concerns about challenges for the Marine Corps in fulfilling critical national security missions.
Of the 32 amphibious warfare ships now in inventory, only half are in “satisfactory” shape, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released in December showed. Sixteen ships are classified in “poor material condition,” including five of the nine amphibious assault ships, the largest and most capable of the amphibs. In addition, inspectors found ships that needed much more maintenance than their documentation indicated; missing ship availability reports from the Navy and Marine Corps; and canceled maintenance periods for ships that are marked for retirement, even though they still have upcoming missions and deployments.
All this matters because the Navy’s amphibious ships are what enables “America’s 911 force,” the Marine Expeditionary Units that assemble and deploy anywhere in the world within hours for humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions, as well as conflict response and deterrence. The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which was already deployed on three amphibious ships near the Middle East, contributed the first regular ground troops to enter Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Arriving via helicopters from the flight decks of the ships, the Marines hit the ground in November 2001 with gear and weapons ready.
Even during shorter “intermediate maintenance periods,” which can happen as often as once per quarter if a ship isn’t deployed, there’s a rapid activation timeline: ships are supposed to be able to get underway and into the fight within 96 hours if the Navy needs them.
ships are supposed to be able to get underway and into the fight within 96 hours if the Navy needs them.
Wow.
I have little interest in projecting power around the world. Why do I want the Marines to hit the beaches anywhere at all?
We have nukes. We probably have Rods From God. No one is going to seriously mess with us. We don’t need to send in the Marines.
Mission INcapable. Pete may be unaware right now but not for long. Shipyard work is serious.
Marines looking to deploy on foreign ships because the U.S. doesn’t have enough..
Leading from behind. Barack Obama
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3302901/posts
Does the new Marine Corps (Pacific) doctrine even require as many of these large-deck amphibs? From what I’m seeing they’re emphasizing raiding as opposed to kicking the door down & taking over the place.
Outdated waste of money.
Maybe the Billions we’ve spent on Ukraine would have been better spent on our military.
The Iwo was primarily a floating base for helicopters. My company spent about three weeks on that thing going from Okinawa to Dong Ha. The food was far better than C-Rations.
Congress critters love taking bribes / kickbacks from the Billions we wasted on Ukraine
Didn’t one of these capsize and sink off the California coast a few years ago? Taking all soldiers down with it? Or was that a smaller landing craft? I recall hearing it was found to have been not up to ready sea-worthy condition and the seas were too rough for practicing in too.
What would use them for, Gaza Riviera beach?
Those ships in this modern technological era are floating coffins and should all be retired.
they may want to brush up on their ship fire fighting skills also.
( not dissing grunts,,marines are my most admired service )
MEUs, or whatever name the Corps uses now, are mission-critical and have been for over fifty years. The Corps wants to become more tech-reliant and use less heavy equipment. However, it is still about boots on the ground to stabilize a situation until the Army can deploy troops, mechanized support, and heavy artillery. The MEUs have been used more often than people realize. Sometimes, they sit off a hotspot for weeks, waiting to go in if needed. Other times, they are rapidly moved from the Gulf to the Mediterranean. The Corps has downsized its MEUs, and this needs to be revisited. An honest assessment needs to be done to determine how fast the Army, Navy, and Air Force can respond if we need to send in Marines to evacuate an Embassy or control a region. I suspect the Air Force will be okay, but the Navy and the Army will not be able to respond as needed without moving forces out of critical regions. The Army is a large force, and logistically and physically, they need time to deploy. Imagine we are forced to move a fleet and MEU out of the Pacific into the Gulf because Iran attacks Kuwait. China, as a BRIC nation, seizes the opportunity and attacks Taiwan as our presence is diminished in the Pacific region.
MEUs come out of Camp Lejeune in the East and Camp Pendleton in the West. I am past my best if used by date, but when I was working with the DOD, the availability of assault ships like the USS Iwo Jima was already stretched. MEUs rotate in regions, so if the 25 MEU (East Coast) is due to end its deployment, the 15 MEU (West Coast) will deploy. During the year between deployments, the Navy struggled to complete the work on the Assault ships, making them ready for the next rotation. God forbid the $hit hit the fan in between, and an unscheduled MEU deployment had to occur. The MEU also responds to hurricanes in Haiti and tsunamis in Indonesia, yet their primary mission remains the same. In a better time, another MEU would deploy in support. But that requires ships.
I am not disagreeing with you, but could you please elaborate on what makes them "floating coffins"?
Can they sail to our border states?
No but that is where they are needed.
A new “ Black Jack “needs to lead them there
You may be conflating several different (recent) problems.
While in the repair yard, one amphib carrier was set on fire by a Navy sailor. It was a total loss.
Several assault VC22 helo-planes have been lost, none during actual assault landings - since we at war only with Washington DC and not other countries.
Operations and training losses of the other planes and small landing craft during practice landings of both hovercraft, traditional beaching craft, and VC22 have happened.
Idiots who say we got nukes and who needs a Navy and Marines have their HUA. America needs a robust balance of the nuclear Triad, policy projection and countering threats like China.Chicons are all over the planet especially eyeing our hemisphere.
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