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USS America Comissioned

Renegade One

Renegade One

Well-Known Member
None
SynixMan said:
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/10/navy-mini-carrier/

Interesting take on it as an aviation focused ship, reducing emphasis on the amphib assault. Oh, and I'm sure no bicycle is safe where ever it goes.
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Welcome back to the fleet..."ESSEX Class" carriers. Don't know what to say about the safety of bicycles...probably an issue after my time.

Would like to know what Marine AWs might have to say or think about the "tailored capability" of the new AMERICA Class.
 
P

phrogpilot73

Well-Known Member
Treetop Flyer said:
No well deck? One less reason to cancel the harrier line. Or F-35 line most likely.
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Never understood that part of the APB... Retarded.

My beef? What happens when the fleet is red striped? I saw it. At one point in my first MEU, the only A/C that wasn't red striped was the 46. It adds a quite a bit of flexibility...

Unless the 40 pound brains have figured out that 70% of the earth is no longer covered with water... Going to take a shitload of time to get the BLT ashore without a well deck.
 
scoolbubba

scoolbubba

Brett327 gargles ballsacks
pilot
Contributor
What's the reasoning behind making the big deck amphibs conventionally powered vice nuclear?

What's the difference in cost over the lifetime of driving one with dead dinos and one with decaying rocks?
 
Renegade One

Renegade One

Well-Known Member
None
scoolbubba said:
What's the reasoning behind making the big deck amphibs conventionally powered vice nuclear?

What's the difference in cost over the lifetime of driving one with dead dinos and one with decaying rocks?
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I think that's a VERY good question. The answer as to Life Cycle Costs is...TA-DA!...NO ONE KNOWS. We have yet to decomm our first NP aircraft carrier...but I'm guessing it may be fairly eye-watering. Could be wrong...not my swim lane. ENTERPRISE won't be a good bench mark...one of a kind...I'm sure the NIMITZ-class will be better.

The "better question" might be "why do we continue to build NP carriers when every other ship in the world is conventionally or "hybrid" powered?".

Despite all of the "Kool-Aid"we've all drunk over the decades about the advantages of nuclear power, here's just a couple of factoids for your consideration:

1. Kool-Aid: CVNs can generate more sorties than any other platform:
During DESERT STORM, where there were a total of 6 CV(N)s in the fight, the carrier with the "highest number of combat sorties during the campaign" was USS MIDWAY....operating with only two...count 'em, TWO...catapults. And that was with 4 days "inport" for re-application of non-skid on the flight deck.
2. Kool-Aid: CVNs can deliver more ordnance than any other platform:
During DESERT STORM, the "highest tonnage" [only metric that seems applicable...] was dropped by USS RANGER: Conventionally powered, and armed with a weird "All Grumman" air wing of only Tomcats and Intruders and Prowlers (yeah, Vikings, too...). Go figure.
3. Kool-Aid: Only NP warships can "sprint to the action" in time of need:
Probably true, assuming they want to leave the rest of the CSG and the entire logistics pipeline far behind. Has this "presumed capability" ever meant diddley-squat to world event or US foreign policy?

I would offer the postulate (open for discourse...) that perhaps we have become "so committed" to the concept of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers that we cannot be dissuaded from potentially better alternatives...that ought to be discussed, if not explored.
 
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phrogpilot73

Well-Known Member
Ummm, we're not talking about carriers here. We're talking about AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT SHIPS. The new LHA class removes one element of amphibious assault. R1 - you're REALLY talking out of your ass now, because I see NOTHING in your bio outside carrier stuff...

Unless you were at the leading edge of making sure that the America had no well deck. In which case, I'm going to find you and punch you in the nuts.
 
Renegade One

Renegade One

Well-Known Member
None
phrogpilot73 said:
Ummm, we're not talking about carriers here. We're talking about AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT SHIPS. The new LHA class removes one element of amphibious assault. R1 - you're REALLY talking out of your ass now, because I see NOTHING in your bio outside carrier stuff...

Unless you were at the leading edge of making sure that the America had no well deck. In which case, I'm going to find you and punch you in the nuts.
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Well, I was just responding to SchoolBubba's question about conventional vs. NP for ships in general. Sorry if that got interpreted as me pissing in your MOTO Cheerios.
Yep...CV(N)s only in my portfolio. And I was not consulted about the yes/no of the whole "no well deck" thing for the AMERICA class.
Maybe you want to go punch your Commandant in the nuts...he probably was consulted...some time ago, admittedly. Good luck with that.
 
Flash

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
scoolbubba said:
What's the reasoning behind making the big deck amphibs conventionally powered vice nuclear?

What's the difference in cost over the lifetime of driving one with dead dinos and one with decaying rocks?
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Nukes are so expensive it only really makes sense to put them in the ships that last the longest. Also there is considerable expense in decomm'ing a nuke, it's a lot less to decomm a conventional ship.
 
Hotdogs

Hotdogs

I don’t care if I hurt your feelings
pilot
With the two light carriers in place of two traditional assault ships, the Pentagon apparently believes it has struck the right balance for the future. For copies of the America class after Tripoli, the Navy said it will restore the well decks.
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Everyone must have missed that last part.
 
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