Marines need to be deployed to isolated outposts in the western Pacific to help the Navy wrest control of the seas from the Chinese navy. Supplying and redeploying them once the shooting starts doesn't seem to be a big concern for the Navy.
If the Marines are feeling a little exposed by the Navy, they have some justification:
The Navy’s upcoming medium landing ship could cost billions more than the service plans, according to a new report by the Congressional Budget Office.
The CBO believes an 18-ship fleet would cost between $6.2 billion and $7.8 billion in 2024 (inflation-adjusted) dollars, or $340 million to $430 million per ship. That’s a stark contrast to Navy figures, which, according to the CBO, has an 18-ship program at $2.6 billion total, or about $150 million per ship. ...
The medium landing ship is part of the US Marine Corps Force Design 2030 effort, which has the Corps shifting away from some traditional missions and towards capabilities that supporters say will be most relevant in the Pacific. The new ship is intended to transport Marine littoral regiments in and around a conflict, with a focus on a potential conflict with China.
We'll just skip over my concerns the Marines have overdone their shift.
How can a simple barge with pretensions cost more than expected? It's an open-air vehicle deck that doesn't look like it has advanced much beyond the mass-produced World War II LST in basic functionality. Where are the cost overruns coming from? Shipboard WiFi?
But no worries. Building them to civilian survivability standards as that CBO report states could lower the cost.
FFS.
I'd like something a little more robust when Marines are being dangled at the ass ends of nowhere, vulnerable to being isolated by the Chinese.
I've long advocated an armed amphibious transport (APD) converted from warships. I modeled the proposal on the World War II use of old destroyers and destroyer escorts converted on a large scale to move company-sized ground elements around the Pacific. In Proceedings I advocated using old Perry-class frigates to test the concept prior to building purpose-built ships. But since then, we lost our supply of retired frigates, if memory serves me.
But the demise of the LCS is an opportunity not to completely waste the money already plowed into the ship class. Rather than simply mothball or scrap them, why not equip them to move the Marines around?
Maybe the costs could be a little less with some needed combat capabilities included.
Remember, the reason the Marines are being put on those outpost is because the Navy needs their help to gain control of the seas. Doesn't using easily sunk medium landing ships kind of assume control of the seas is established rather quickly to avoid Marines withering on the vine?
NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.
NOTE: I'm adding updates on the Last Hamas War in this post.
