“So you close forces to the seabase, assemble the necessary units to accomplish the assigned mission, maneuver them from the seabase to their objective ashore, sustain them from the seabase – to the extent practicable – then reconstitute them to the seabase and prepare them for potential follow-on mission assignments.”
You can take about 20 percent of the sustainment stocks previously stuffed into 20-foot containers and restow those at the pallet level on the T-AKE, which has massive cargo holds serviced by large elevators.
Prior to current tighter and uncertain budgets, significant improvements were made to maritime prepositioning ship squadrons to better support the seabasing concept, he added.
“In years past, those squadrons were designed for arrival and assembly ashore, so getting at any equipment meant you had to offload ashore and then cherry-pick what was needed to accomplish the mission. Now we are adding LMSRs [Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off cargo ships] into those squadrons, along with variations of the Navy’s new T-AKE ships, with one per squadron. You can take about 20 percent of the sustainment stocks previously stuffed into 20-foot containers and restow those at the pallet level on the T-AKE, which has massive cargo holds serviced by large elevators.
“So the notion now is selective offload from the LMSR, cross-deck it to MLPs, then into LCACs, maneuver rolling stock ashore in open ocean sea-state 3 (waves from 4.5-to-5.5 feet). Or have palletized sustainment stocks coming off the T-AKE and going ashore using over-the-side lift-on/lift-off into landing craft or, more commonly, send those palletized stocks ashore using aircraft, such as the V-22.”
Mobile Landing Platforms
Operated by the Military Sealift Command, the T-MLPs will become part of the MSC’s existing Maritime Prepositioning Force, serving as a transfer point between large ships and small landing craft for Marine amphibious landing forces. They also will facilitate the transfer of vehicles and equipment at-sea for delivery from ship to shore where there are no U.S. land bases.
An artist’s conception of an MLP ship. The image shows three LCACs on board that can be used to move equipment from the MLP to shore. U.S. Navy illustration courtesy of NASSCO
“The MLP will come alongside an LMSR, then equipment and vehicles will be taken down a ramp to the MLP. It can take on board up to three LCACs [Landing Craft Air Cushion], which can move heavy equipment ashore quickly,” Austin explained. “MLPs are able to further facilitate offloading from the larger ships and minimize the requirement to go pierside.
“These are civilian vessels, aligned with our three MSRONs [Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadrons]. So it’s not like a rotational construct for warships, with one deployed, one in port, etc. They’re not replacing anything, but are a more augmented, faster and efficient effort. We’re still working on the best place and way to deploy those; we have ideas conceptually, but we’re still working out the ops status based on demand.”
With a range of 9,500 nautical miles (nm), the 785-foot long, 80,000-ton MLPs will help keep part of the original seabasing concept alive, even as the idea of multi-ship sea bases fades from the Navy’s lexicon.
“The MLP class of ships will fill a critical role in enabling U.S. forces to be delivered safely and effectively around the world using mobile, sea-based strategies in areas where secure harbor facilities ashore are not readily available,” according to Tim McCully, MSC’s Pacific deputy commander. “By remaining at sea as floating logistics support bases, these ships enhance the independence of U.S. forces to operate near global hot spots without entering their ports.”
“The MLP class of ships will fill a critical role in enabling U.S. forces to be delivered safely and effectively around the world using mobile, sea-based strategies in areas where secure harbor facilities ashore are not readily available,” according to Tim McCully, MSC’s Pacific deputy commander. “By remaining at sea as floating logistics support bases, these ships enhance the independence of U.S. forces to operate near global hot spots without entering their ports.”
MSRONs are the largest components of the Navy’s Maritime Expeditionary Security Force (MESF) to deploy. According to OpNav, the MESF is “task-organized, designed to meet the operational requirements of the Joint Force Maritime Component Commander/Navy Component Commander to support existing and evolving missions in major combat operations, maritime security operations or maritime homeland security/maritime homeland defense. MESF units can operate as a supporting element to a carrier strike group, Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG), Amphibious Task Force (ATF), Marine Air/Ground Task Force (MAGTF), Joint Task Force (JTF) or joint rear area commander.”