Continuing with my mythical fleet we come to an LSD replacement.
My choice would be the HNLMS Rotterdam class. Stats via Wikipedia...
My choice would be the HNLMS Rotterdam class. Stats via Wikipedia...
General characteristics | |
---|---|
Type: | Landing platform dock |
Displacement: | 12,750t (Rotterdam), 16,800t (Johan de Witt) |
Length: | 166m (Rotterdam), 176.35m (Johan de Witt) |
Beam: | 25.0 m |
Draft: | 5.8 m |
Propulsion: | Diesel-electric system
|
Speed: | 19 knots (35 km/h) |
Range: | 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km) at 12-knot (22 km/h) |
Endurance: | 6 weeks |
Boats and landing craft carried: | 6 x LCU or 4 x LCVP (HNLMS Johan de Witt can accommodate 2 LCACs) |
Capacity: | 170 armoured personnel carriers or 33 main battle tanks |
Troops: | 611 marines |
Crew: | 128 |
Sensors and processing systems: | DA08 air / surface search IRSCAN SATCOM, Link 11, JMCIS |
Electronic warfare and decoys: | 4 x Sippican Hycor SRBOC MK36 launcher 1 x AN/SLQ-25 Nixie torpedo decoy |
Armament: | 2 x Goalkeeper CIWS guns 4 x Oerlikon Contraves 20 mm machine guns |
Aviation facilities: | Hangar for 6 x AgustaWestland Lynx or NH-90 helicopter and stern helicopter flight deck |
By US Navy standards this ship is light, simple and mass production shouldn't be an issue. In my scheme of things this ship could even be specialized to act as mothership in roles in which the LCS would be too small.
Imagine switching out its normal compliment of landing craft for small boats and instead of NH-90's you replace them with AH-1Z's or MH-60S for sea control and attack missions.
You'd have a formidable ship with a battalion of Marines or Special Ops ready to act against pirates. Drugs become a problem (well they already are but if a President ever gets serious about killing the importation of the poison) then you could replace them with Riverines and Master at Arms types and have a Joint Task Force 6 at sea.
My whole point (no insult to our allies that operate these ships...its a selling point) is that these ships are relatively modular, have great load capacity/troop berthing and should be cheap enough to build in large enough number to make a difference.
In my plan LHD's and LPD's would form the capital ships of our amphib forces with these LSD replacements acting as a jack of all trades to be ridden hard.
I like it.