Its time.
The US Navy has been deploying carriers with half its true compliment for over a decade now.
That is an improper use of resources.
Instead of sending a detachment of Marines to a carrier, my grand proposal is for the Navy to turn over a carrier to the Marine Corps.
Instead of deploying with 3 ships to house a MEU, you could sail with one. It would be a MEU (-) but it would be a sight to behold and would be a formidable rapid response force.
You have a carrier loaded with a wing of F/A-18C's and D's...AV-8B's, CH-53E's, CH-46 or MV-22's, AH-1Z's and UH-1Y's.
Your Battalion (+) Landing Team (s) would all be your air battalions instead of just an air company.
If a hot spot were to occur you would be steaming at almost 40 knots to the area of concern and would be able to influence events much sooner not only because of the speed of the carrier but because of the reach of your enhanced air wing.
Small boat swarms?
Really?
Not with this beast sailing around with Marines ready to pounce on them form the air in rotary and fixed wing assets.
Pirates an issue?
Your wing would fly out and protect commercial shipping and if necessary not only bomb pirate/terrorist bases but could also conduct helo raids.
Reinforce a tough situation in Afghanistan?
Again, you're moving at 40 knots and you're flying your Marines in from the sea by CH-53 and MV-22 to help put the situation right.
Enough of not using the resources we have. Lets fully utilize our carriers. The Marines are ready is the Navy?
Let's not and say we did.
ReplyDeletehay solomon,
ReplyDeletejust to be clear, your advocating that a possibily $15 billion dollar peice of kit, with anything upto 10000 people onboard, steams to a hot zone without any serious escorts? or submarines or any serious support like a naval taskforce.
If god forbid that carrier was sunk, with the lose of life on that scale the marines would never recover. The public would be out for blood, especially when they find out the carrier would be steaming to a hot zone without any screening escorts, the heads, of both the U.S.N. and Marines would find themselves possibly on death row, literally, for gross negligence.
I hope your talking about a full carrier battlegroup, with submarines, frigates, oilers etc etc etc
That would be acceptable, but it'll never fly, the navy wouldn't allow it.
not a carrier strike group...a revamped expeditionary strike group (enhanced)...wow, i like my designations. anyway we'd need to mix it up a bit but no it wouldn't sail unescorted. you'd still have your destroyers, subs probably a bit more of them...remember i'm talking about taking out of action two MEU's so we'd be freeing up units. the deployments would be longer but so would the dwell time.
ReplyDeleteHello Solomon,
ReplyDeletehow about the Marines standing up an amphibious carrier wing (C.V.M.W.?) which could stand in for a conventional Navy wing in areas where a ground intervention may be more likely than a bombing campaign.
The Marine Corps providing 2 dozen each of F35Cs and CH53Ks with the Navy providing a flight each of SH60Ss,SH60Ss and E2Ds.
Spare hangar space,magazine space and berths could be filled with Marines and their vehicles,equipment and supplies.
A self contained,ready made "small war force" which could cruise aboard a carrier instead of a Navy wing whenever the situation demanded it.
GrandLogistics.
a naval aviator made that recommendation over at USNI. i shot it down because you'd start stepping on MEU rotation schedules...
ReplyDeleteyou'd rob peter to pay paul in that kind of set up and besides. when the F-35B arrives you'll have that kind of capability on our current amphibs.
unless you clear out an entire aircraft carrier and turn it into an enhanced amphib i just don't see the benefit of staffing a few Marines onboard.
but something tells me that your small wars carrier package is gaining favor at Headquarters Marine Corps.
hmmmm. maybe it does have merit.
let me chew on your idea for a bit.
Hello Solomon,
ReplyDeleteI just noticed an error.
"SH60Ss,SH60Ss and E2Ds"
Should read as:
"SH60Rs,SH60Ss and E2Ds".
You know a lot more about the the Corps works than I do and I know you might see that as conflicting with the L.H.Ds.
I just look at those CH53Ks,F35Cs,JLTs and M777s and think a big flat top with lots of hangar space,magazine space and berthing space is a great platform for those assets.
Take a look at this picture and then imagine those are 53Ks instead of Wessexes:
http://www.merchantnavyofficers.com/RFA/albion.jpg
GrandLogistics.
Hello Solomon,
ReplyDeleteI must be getting tired,that was supposed to say JLTV not JLT.
GrandLogistics.