LHA-R amphibious assault ship

[noovie]

January 24, 2006 The United States Defense Acquisition Board has approved the Landing Helicopter Assault (LHA)-Replacement amphibious assault ship program to enter system development and demonstration (SDD) phase. The Northrop Grumman LHA(R) will be the U.S. Navy's newest multifunctional and most versatile, amphibious assault ship, incorporating enhanced aviation capabilities centred around the STOVL F-35B Joint Strike Fighter and the V-22 tilt-rotor Osprey. The LHA(R) will be a variant of the gas-turbine powered LHD 8. This longer and wider ship will provide increased aviation capability, vehicle lift, cargo magazine capacity, better survivability, increased habitability standards and greater service life margins.
The LHA(R) will replace the LHA 1 class of amphibious assault ships, and will have the flexibility to operate in the traditional role as the flagship for an Expeditionary Strike Group as well as potentially playing a key role in the maritime pre-positioning force future (MPF(F)). As the Navy's Seabasing plan matures in the next few years, the flexibility to operate with the Expeditionary Strike Group and as part of the MPF(F) will make the LHA(R) a vital cog in the Sea Base.

Northrop Grumman has already delivered USS Tarawa-class (LHA 1) and seven USS Wasp-class (LHD 1) amphibious assault ships to the U.S. Navy, with an eighth, Makin Island (LHD 8), currently under construction.

http://www.gizmag.com.au/go/5082/

looks awesome :nutkick

 

[Cootamundra]

If only the yanks would buy outside the US, we could get them to go in with us on the new Strat Projection Ship. Maybe get a bulk discount!

 

[noovie]

I'am sure the US navy has like a US$223 million contract with Austal
for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) do they buy anything else from aust?

 

[seantheaussie]

Personally I don't call a phib without a welldeck versatile or flexable

 

[LancerMc]

Cootamundra has a good point. I think the U.S. could benefit by working on such a project with a other nations. I think France would be interested after the bill they got from the U.K. this past week for particpation in their carrier program.

http://www.defencetalk.com/news/publish/article_004753.php

France and other countries could benefit from a such a program. They would get a light to medium size carrier and a vessel able to launch amphibous forces by both air and sea.

Though as the US armed forces go, they don't work so well with others. So any project like that would be highly unlikely.

All in all I am impressed with the design and look forward to their service in the USN

 

[Cootamundra]

Personally I don't call a phib without a welldeck versatile or flexable

Sean I agree, plus I can't see why the elevators need to extend outside of the the top deck, I would think a little more acreage on the flat top would be a boon and not that hard to engineer. For a MEU the idea was to put most forces ashore via helicopter assault. But I reckon a good mix between helo's and landing craft via a well deck would be the best way forward. Luckily for the US they have both types of vessels so they don't cafre, but for Australia our single all in one option seems the best way forward...that is if you agree with getting them in the first place ;-0

Cheers mate

 

[Rich]

We have no interest in working with the French in anything. Regarding other arms and ship makers, from friendly countries, I agree there are some first rate systems out there we'd be well served to consider. Unfortunatly every arms maker in America has congress-persons and senators,and, has a home grown employment line. The needs of the taxpayers often comes second to the needs of pork barrel politics. This is with anywheres and not just America.

There are also very few nations I would consider relations to be that "cemented in stone" to where we could buy arms comfortably from them without fear of their electorates blaming "Bush and America", for everything from tsunamis to stars going super nova, and then "holding back" on the system from us. Australia, Israel, and Britain are about the only three trustworthy allies we have that also have a sophisticated high-tech base.

But the bottom line is defense industries are the most sacred barrels of home grown pork any country has. Even so the costs of high tech research and development is so high we'd be better off shareing the costs of many systems with friends.

Italy will be soon launching a nice class of small carrier/amphib ships, built around the F-35 VSTOL. This class of ships gives a nice bang for the buck tho the list of navys deploying them is getting shorter and shorter each year.