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By
RICHARD R. LAZISKY
Richard
Lazisky, a retired Marine officer, is manager of expeditionary programs
in the Techmatics Division of Anteon Corporation.
As America
looks to the 21st century, the Navy-Marine Corps team finds itself in
the midst of a transformation process shaped by a new strategic
backdrop, one that promises to be dynamic, uncertain, and lethal. The
Navy took the first steps in addressing this challenge by introducing
its landmark white papers, "... From the Sea" in 1992
and "Forward ... From the Sea" in 1994. Those
documents, which present a common vision for the future, redefined the
Navy's strategic focus and emphasized the importance of using
forward-deployed forces to influence events in the littoral regions of
the world.
In 1996 the
Marine Corps developed a new approach to amphibious operations with its
"keystone" OMFTS (Operational Maneuver From the Sea) concept
and the supporting implementation concept, STOM (Ship-to-Objective
Maneuver). These warfighting concepts, described as a "marriage
between maneuver warfare and naval warfare," clearly chart a new
course for the Navy-Marine Corps team by putting an unprecedented
emphasis on sea-based operations in the littorals. This new vision is
driving an ongoing process of technological innovation that is rapidly
modernizing the Navy as it enters the 21st century.
The Navy-Marine
Corps team will test and refine the new operational concepts and develop
key enabling capabilities needed to meet two critical lift requirements:
to deliver naval forces to an area of operations, and then move embarked
forces directly to their inland objectives. To meet the second
requirement, the Navy and Marine Corps are developing new platforms
collectively known as the "mobility triad"--the LCAC (landing
craft, air cushion), the AAAV (advanced amphibious assault vehicle), and
the MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. This triad will provide U.S.
landing forces with unprecedented mobility and maneuverability,
capabilities that will be essential for the conduct of future
expeditionary operations.
Defining
the Future
On 5 January
1999, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jay L. Johnson and then-Marine
Corps Commandant Gen. Charles C. Krulak testified before the Senate
Armed Services Committee on the importance of modernizing today's
platforms as the first step in meeting tomorrow's challenges. Johnson
stated that more than half the Navy's ships are "on any given
day" deployed at sea conducting operations and ensuring peace and
stability throughout the world. "The visibility of the Navy's power
and its obvious ability to respond quickly from the sea to any
contingency--without the requirement to obtain host-nation
approval--make the Navy indispensable against the backdrop of the
uncertainties and challenges of the 21st century," Johnson said. He
went on to emphasize that "taking care of our Sailors is my number
one near-term priority; my longer-term priority is building enough ships
to modernize and recapitalize the Navy our country needs."
Krulak stated
that the nation faces a particularly critical time in the immediate
post-Cold War years--an era in which global terrorism and world crises
have become increasingly prevalent. He went on to say that "this
trend suggests not just crises between nations and within nations, but
also a greater degree of general instability--a time of chaos and
asymmetric threats.
"We can,
and must, meet the challenges of today," Krulak said, "while
concurrently building the defense capabilities our nation will require
in the future. ... Our bases and stations are the 'carriers' from which
we launch our forward-deployed forces. They must be kept afloat."
Reshaping
Amphibious Warfare
To meet
tomorrow's challenges the two services initiated a concept-based
approach to requirements that will maintain and build upon the
capabilities of existing platforms to further enhance the effectiveness
of forward-deployed naval forces. The still-emerging OMFTS and STOM
concepts promise significant operational advantages through the
integration of advanced technology and the application of new principles
and practices such as using the sea as maneuver space and sea-basing the
command-and-control, logistics, and fire-support functions of deployed
forces.
Maj. Gen.
Dennis T. Krupp, director of the Expeditionary Warfare Division in the
Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, focused--in his 24 March 1999
testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on
Seapower--on "the newest of our amphibious ships," the LPD 17
or San Antonio class of landing platform docks. "This class of
ships," he said, "is pivotal in our force level transition
from the amphibious fleet of the 1980s to that of the 21st century. When
LPD 28 enters the fleet in 2009, the amphibious fleet will consist of 36
ships, or 12 three-ship ARGs [Amphibious Ready Groups], each containing
one LHA or LHD [amphibious assault ship], one LPD 17, and one LSD 41/49
[dock landing ship]. By 2009, these 36 modern, highly capable amphibious
ships will replace ... 63 less capable amphibious ships of just 10 years
ago."
The Navy of the
future will undoubtedly be smaller but more lethal than the Navy of the
Cold War era. Amphibious operations will no longer be visible to the
enemy as an ominous force of ships massed five to eight miles off the
coast. The OMFTS force of 2010 and beyond will operate OTH (over the
horizon) from sea bases stationed 50 nautical miles (nm) or more
offshore and with an operating range of 200 nautical miles. The new
"Super Set" ARG also will be more efficient in terms of both
lift and flexibility, and will be fully capable of multimission use as a
geographically separated "split-ARG."
The
Mobility Triad
When an ARG
reaches the objective area, its landing force will use the sea as
maneuvering space to gain an operational advantage. Using its
technologically advanced mobility triad, the ARG will rapidly deliver
tailored forces from its ships directly to objectives ashore, easily
bypassing topographic or defensive barriers. This modernized
surface-maneuver force will generate a high operational tempo to unhinge
an enemy's defensive operations. With the mobility triad, amphibious
forces will be able, for the first time in the history of naval warfare,
to maneuver ashore in a single seamless stroke, allowing both the ships
and landing forces sufficient sea space for maneuver, surprise, and
self-protection.
The
LCAC
The LCAC, which
was introduced in 1986, is the workhorse of the amphibious fleet and the
oldest member of the triad. This multipurpose craft represents a
dramatic innovation in modern amphibious warfare technology. Capable of
transporting 75-ton payloads, including the heaviest assault
equipment--such as the M1A1 tank and the M198 155mm towed howitzer--it
also will be the sole lift source for the Corps' future seven-ton truck.
Riding on a cushion of air four feet above the surface, the LCAC can
land on 70 percent of the world's coastlines, making it well-suited for
conducting noncombat evacuation and humanitarian operations in extremely
remote areas inaccessible to displacement-hull craft such as the LCU
(utility landing craft).
The LCAC's high
over-water speed of more than 40 knots and 200-nm range (300 nm at 35
knots) facilitates OTH joint assaults that also will include aircraft
such as the CH-46 helicopter or, in the future, the MV-22. The vessel's
"cargo-on-cushion" capability allows the LCAC to proceed
inland and discharge its payload well away from the surf zone and
established enemy beach defenses. The typical ARG will carry eight or
nine LCACs, whose high speed and heavy-payload capacity enhance landing
operations by shortening the intervals made between trips, allowing more
equipment to reach shore within a shorter time frame.
An LCAC program
official said that the Navy's near-term goal is "to preserve and
modernize the vehicle's current capabilities." The Navy requires
and maintains an active inventory of 74 LCACs with 10 additional LCACs
kept in reduced operating status as a war reserve. Beginning this year,
the official said, the 74 LCACs now operational will go through a SLEP
(service life extension program) that will extend the craft's 20-year
life span to 30 years, enabling the Navy to maintain the current
inventory until a next-generation LCAC can be developed and delivered to
the fleet.
LCAC program
officials said that the SLEP would be accomplished in two phases. Phase
I, to be completed by 2010, will upgrade the craft's C4N (command,
control, communications, computers, and navigation) electronics suite.
The C4N recapitalization will change the architecture to an open
1553-bus structure and replace obsolete electronics systems. The C4N
upgrade will give the LCACs and their crews a precision navigation
capability, in-creased situational awareness/safety, improved
reliability, a reduced cost of ownership, and extended supportability. A
modest corrosion abatement effort also is included in this phase of the
program.
Phase II, which
will be performed at the factory when each craft reaches 15 years of
age, includes buoyancy box replacement, the C4N upgrade (if not already
accomplished), compartmentation modifications, and design im-provements
to the fuel and skirt systems. These modifications will improve the
craft's range, potentially enhance LCAC operations in higher sea states,
and also reduce total ownership costs.
The
AAAV
The Marine
Corps is developing the AAAV to replace its older and less capable
AAV7A1 amphibious assault vehicle, which cannot adequately support OMFTS.
By 2012, the AAAV will be the service's primary platform for the
over-water transport of Marine surface assault forces. The AAAV will be
able to retract its tracks and suspension system as it extends a bow
plane and rear transom flap to provide a smooth surface underneath the
vehicle, allowing it to plane on top of the water. A 2,700-horsepower
diesel engine with dual 23-inch-diameter water jets will power the AAAV
at a sustained high-water speed of 25 knots in sea state 3 conditions.
The vehicle's dramatically improved mobility will enable the Navy-Marine
Corps team to seamlessly link maneuver from the sea to objectives
ashore.
Lt. Col. Ron
Yowell, the AAAV director of operations, test, and evaluation, said that
the Marine Corps plans to replace its current fleet of 1,322 AAV7s with
a modernized fleet of 1,013 AAAVs, which are scheduled to reach IOC
(initial operational capability) in 2006. However, Yowell said, "an
IOC in 2005 is within reach."
In the
meantime, to ensure that the current AAV7 can continue to operate safely
and effectively, the AAV7 fleet will be upgraded with various RAM
(reliability, availability, and maintainability) improvements to return
the vehicles to "like-new" condition. The RAM program will
provide the AAVs with new engines and will replace the vehicles'
suspension units by adapting nondevelopmental (i.e., already in use)
items from the Army's Bradley Fighting Vehicle. The RAM modification
program will restore the AAVs to their original performance
specifications and maintain their combat availability until they are
fully replaced by the AAAVs around 2012.
Yowell said
that future ARGs will typically carry a total of 14 AAAVs: a reinforced
platoon of 12 vehicles to transport an infantry company; one
command-and-control AAAV variant for the commander of the Battalion
Landing Team and his staff; and one "chase" AAAV to provide
security and support for the command vehicle. Yowell highlighted the
AAAV's warfighting capability by citing six critical combat qualities,
all driven by current and future threats:
- High
Water Speed. The AAAV's high water speed will transform the
littoral sea space from an obstacle to be crossed into maneuver
space to be exploited. This capability is essential to implementing
the OMFTS concept.
- Land
Mobility. A land speed of 45 mph and the advanced suspension
unit offer mobility at least equal to that of the M1A1 Main Battle
Tank.
- Survivability.
In addition to the improved armor protection provided by its
composite/ceramic modular armor, the AAAV incorporates an
overpressure air filtration system to protect the crew and embarked
troops in NBC (nuclear, biological, and/or chemical) environments.
(Other vehicle-survivability features are addressed in a classified
program.)
- Firepower.
A fully stabilized 30mm automatic cannon and coaxial machine gun are
packaged with a laser range finder, a full-solution fire control
system, and a second-generation FLIR (forward-looking infrared)
system. Fire delivered by the AAAV will be more lethal and more
accurate than that of the AAV, and can be delivered while on the
move--over water or across terrain--day or night, even in hazy or
smoke-obscured conditions. A two-man weapon station gives the AAAV a
dedicated gunner. (The AAAV weapon station has already been adopted
by the Navy for installation on the San Antonio-class LPD, and is
being considered for use on other platforms.)
- Command
and Control. Every vehicle will have a satellite communications
capability, moving map displays, and tactical situational awareness
displayed graphically in near real time. The displays will be
available to the crew as well as to the embarked infantry commander.
- Reliability.
Onboard diagnostics and prognostics systems, coupled with modular
design, reduce the chance of suffering mission-critical failures.
The AAAV
represents a revolutionary leap forward for the Navy-Marine Corps team
and significantly improves its ability to conduct ship-to-objective
maneuvers. The AAAV satisfies OMFTS operational requirements, providing
capabilities that will make the vehicle an important battlefield asset
well into the 21st century.
The MV-22
Osprey
The tiltrotor
MV-22B Osprey is designed to serve as the medium-lift replacement for
the Marine Corps' aging CH-46E Sea Knight and CH-53D Sea Stallion
helicopters. The MV-22B is the world's only transport aircraft capable
of taking off and landing vertically and converting in-flight to fly at
speeds comparable to those of conventional turboprop aircraft. The
MV-22B design incorporates advanced technologies in composite materials,
survivability, airfoil design, fly-by-wire controls, digital avionics,
and manufacturing.
On 8 September
1999, the Defense Department showcased the first production tiltrotor
Osprey with a flight demonstration at the Pentagon. Department officials
said the event marked the "advent of a brave new world" that
will revolutionize military aviation. Lt. Gen. Frederick McCorkle, the
Marine Corps' deputy chief of staff for aviation, said that the
demonstration flight "was a great day for our Corps. ... Perhaps
more for the 'Infantry Marine,' as I truly believe this aircraft will
not only increase combat power ... but will also save many lives."
Pentagon officials said that the Osprey's tiltrotor technology could be
applied to several different missions, including, notably, the
"rapid movement of Marines and their materiel, special operations
forces, and combat search-and-rescue personnel."
The Osprey's
flexibility, speed, and improved survivability greatly increase the
combat power of the ARG and provide other operational advantages that
satisfy the mobility needs of expeditionary forces. The MV-22B can
transport 24 combat-equipped troops or a 10,000-pound external load. It
has a service ceiling of 25,000 feet, a cruising airspeed of 270 knots,
and a strategic self-deployment capability of 2,100 nautical miles with
a single aerial refueling. The combined speed, range, and payload
improvements nearly triple the depth of the naval "area of
influence" currently provided by the older CH-46E and CH-53D
fleets.
The MV-22B
program is currently in the EMD (engineering and manufacturing
development) phase. Four EMD aircraft currently support continued
developmental tests and operational assessments. Sea trials commenced in
January 1999, and an Operational Evaluation is scheduled for late this
year. The first LRIP (low-rate initial production) MV-22B was delivered
to the Marine Corps on 27 May 1999. The Corps plans to procure a total
of 360 MV-22s, with an IOC scheduled for FY 2001.
A special
operations variant, the CV-22B, also is under development. The major
changes incorporated in the CV-22 version are: (1) a SIRFC (Suite of
Integrated Radio Frequency Countermeasures) unit that includes an active
jammer and a MATT (Multimission Active Tactical Terminal); and (2)
ballistic protection for critical areas of the aircraft. Other changes
will provide a terrain-following/avoidance radar, an additional 900
gallons of fuel, rope ladders, a survivor-locator system, chaff and
flare dispensers, and additional radios and computers.
In June 1999,
an EMD MV-22B was delivered to Bell Helicopter Textron to be converted
into a CV-22B development aircraft, the first flight of which is planned
for early summer of 2000; the scheduled IOC for the CV-22B is fiscal
year 2000. The long-term Department of Defense procurement goal is to
provide the U.S. Special Operations Command with 50 CV-22Bs--to be
procured by the U.S Air Force. An additional buy of 48 HV-22 Ospreys is
being considered by the Navy.
Flexible
Capabilities
The OMFTS
concept was developed by the Marine Corps to meet the challenges of the
21st century and capitalize on the promise of emerging technology. The
Navy and Marine Corps are working together, officials said, to pursue
"a bold new course" that, when all components of the
mobilitity triad are fully operational, will give the ARGs the
capability they need to take decisive action as an independent force, a
component of a joint force, or a partner in combined operations.
The Marine
Corps will in most future operational scenarios be a fully integrated
component of a dispersed naval force. That force will be lighter, more
mobile, faster, harder to detect, and better able than its predecessors
to leverage long-range precision fires for increased lethality. The
force of 2010, moreover, will be part of a networked battle fleet with
total asset visibility and OTH network-centric communications systems
that fully integrate the capabilities of all platforms, provide greater
situational awareness throughout the battlespace, and reduce its
vulnerability to threat forces and weapons.
The new
amphibious shipping al-ready on the way will provide greater stowage
space for vehicles and the cargo capacity of forward-deployed assets,
adding significantly to the ARG's geographic coverage capabilities. The
enhanced maneuverability
and range of the sea-based mobility triad also will reduce the logistics
footprint of the landing force and provide a fast and highly mobile lift
capability, giving the ARG true operational-maneuver potential. In
short, today's naval forces are being modernized, program officials
summarize, "so that they can continue to influence, directly and
decisively, events ashore from the sea--anywhere in the
world." |
