| By SCOTT R. GOURLEY
Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm
highlighted both strengths and weaknesses in U.S. military equipment. In some cases the
weaknesses were based on performance. In others they were caused by a lack of adequate
resources.
The aftermath of the 19901991 conflict
found representatives from all of the armed services dissecting and analyzing every aspect
of the Persian Gulf operations in an effort to identify shortfalls that had to be
addressed.
One of those analyses was a
Congressionally mandated effort, known as the Mobility Requirements Study (MRS), conducted
by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Participants focused on Department of Defense transportation
experiences in the Gulf and recognized an urgent need for greater sealift capacity to
transport military equipment and supplies during wartime and other national emergencies.
Their findings led to introduction of the
Strategic Sealift Acquisition Program and the newest class of Military Sealift Command
(MSC) vessels: large medium-speed roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) ships (LMSRs). Like the other
ships in the MSC fleet, LMSRs carry the designation "USNS" (United States Naval
Ship) and are not commissioned ships. Crewed by civilians, the 19 LMSRs being converted
and/or built at U.S. shipyards under this program will provide MSC planners with an
additional five million square feet of capacity early in the next century. The LMSRs are
capable of transporting a small number of personnel together with the equipment required
for an entire ground task force, including 58 tanks, 48 other tracked vehicles, and more
than 900 additional wheeled vehicles. The vessel design includes a slewing stern ramp as
well as a removable ramp (which services two side ports). Interior ramps between decks
ease the traffic flow after cargo is loaded aboard ship.
In addition, two 110-ton single-pedestal
twin cranes are provided to load and unload cargo in areas where shoreside infrastructure
is limited or nonexistent. The ships also are equipped with a commercial helicopter deck
for emergency daytime landings.
MSC Commander Rear Adm. Gordon S. Holder
points out that the LMSRs do not provide new capabilities, but they do offset known
shortages (both in deck space and in cubic volume) for both the prepositioning
("prepo") of equipment at selected locations as well as for emergency
"surge" deliveries of equipment during conflict. Some of the LMSRs will be
assigned to prepo missions, while others will provide a standby surge capability to be
ready to load on short notice if and when needed. Holder, who assumed command of MSC in
February 1999, says that the LMSR program is important "because first, they are
tremendously capable ships. They give us, for the Army, prepositioning capabilities to be
on scene to respond rapidly. ... Then, if that first initial surge of reaction is not
enough, we can, by activating those surge assets, bring on additional capability for both
the Army and the Marine Corps."
NNS and NASSCO
Conversions
The initial phase of the LMSR program
involved the conversion of five existing container ships to the LMSR configuration. Two
classes of LMSRs were developed through this conversion process.
Newport News Shipbuilding converted two
container ships into Gordon-class LMSRs. Originally built in Denmark in 1972 and
lengthened by Hyundai in 1984, the two ships of this class--USNS Gordon (ex-Jutlandia)
and USNS Gilliland (ex-Selandia)--displace 55,422 tons, measure 956 feet in
length and 106 feet at the beam, and have a top speed of 24 knots. They have a cargo
capacity of 284,064 square feet, plus 49,991 square feet of deck cargo spaces.
A parallel set of early-1990s LMSR
conversions was conducted by National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO). The
Shughart class included three conversions of container ships originally built in Denmark
in 1981 and lengthened by Hyundai in 1987: USNS Shughart (ex-Laura Maersk),
USNS Yano (ex-Leise Maersk), and USNS Soderman (ex-Lica Maersk).
The Maersk ships displace 55,298 tons, measure 907 feet in length and 106 feet at the
beam, and also have a top speed of 24 knots. Cargo capacity is 260,779 square feet, plus
51,682 square feet of deck cargo.
Holder cites a number of positive MSC
experiences with the LMSR conversion ships. "We have done pretty well with getting
them converted. Certainly there have been some surprises but people worked very hard to
push through those. We now have five conversions at $1.1 billion. Newport News
Shipbuilding did the Gordon and the Gilliland and NASSCO did the Shughart,
the Yano, and the Soderman. The good experience, with the conversions and
the actual new builds, include our ability to press them immediately into service. In the
past we have done a shakedown activity ... then brought them back for post-shakedown
availability. In both of these cases, we were able to use--for instance the Soderman,
which was a conversion--to immediately press her into service for some Marine Corps prepo
after the Bobo [the MV 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo--another MSC vessel, but not one
of the LMSRs] had to have some emergency repairs. So we were able to immediately take
advantage of the ships."
Early Action for New
Builds
With deliveries of conversion vessels
extending into late 1997, the LMSR program entered a phase that now includes 14
new-construction LMSRs as well. Seven of the latter are being built by NASSCO; the other
seven are on order from Avondale Industries.
NASSCO's Watson-class ships, named for
recipients of the Medal of Honor, are the USNS Watson, USNS Sisler, USNS Dahl,
Red Cloud, Charlton, Watkins, and Pomeroy.
Avondale's seven Bob Hope class of
new-construction LMSRs are the USNS Bob Hope, USNS Fisher, USNS Seay,
Mendonca, Pililaau, Brittin, and a seventh yet to be named. The ships
are roughly the same size, with an overall length of 951 feet, a beam of 106 feet, and
displacement of: (a) 62,069 tons (Bob Hope class); or (b) 62,968 tons (Watson class).
Cargo capacities range from 380,000 square feet (Bob Hope) to 393,000 square feet
(Watson). The main difference in the two classes is in the propulsion system. The Avondale
ships are powered by four Colt Pielstick diesel engines; the NASSCO ships are powered by
twin GE Marine LM gas turbines. Each system provides a top speed of 24 knots.
Like the converted Soderman, which
went into early service to supplement the Bobo, the new-construction LMSRs also saw
action earlier than anticipated. "We took the Sisler and sent her from NASSCO
to Hawaii where we picked up some Army folks, the 25th ID [Infantry Division], and took
them to Texas," says Holder. "After carrying out that operational mission Sisler
was placed in an availability status. That is really capitalizing on the assets we have.
So, from a taxpayer's point of view, I think that has got to be a win-win situation."
Sisler is the second of the seven
new-construction ships being built at NASSCO. According to Steve Eckberg, NASSCO's program
manager for sealift ships, Sisler was sent on a "very short"
post-delivery cruise, "but then immediately following that it went on a 'loadout of
opportunity' to Hawaii. The Navy has been using them as soon as they get them."
In the Watson's case, the initial
NASSCO ship was delivered to the Navy on 23 June 1998. Immediately following delivery, the
crew was alerted for an early July departure to redeploy the Army's 2nd Armored Cavalry
Regiment from Europe to the Continental United States. The ship, which already had been
assigned to a prepositioning role in the Arabian Gulf, was diverted for a late July pickup
of the regiment's equipment in Bremerhaven, Germany, with subsequent hardware delivery to
Beaumont, Texas, in mid-August. Following that delivery the Watson took on its
stockpile equipment and assumed its preassigned role.
Integrated-Trials
Breakthrough
NASSCO personnel are currently preparing
for what they describe as "a historic event" involving their third
new-construction LMSR, the Dahl. "The event is called 'Integrated
Trials,'" Eckberg said. "When you are ready to deliver a ship," he
explained, "you typically go on two sets of sea trials: a builder's sea trial and an
acceptance sea trial. But because of the relationship that we have been able to develop
with the Navy and the INSURV [Inspection and Survey] Board and the level of quality that
we have been able to demonstrate, they have concurred with us that we can go out on a
single sea trial to demonstrate the ship. It goes to sea for a 36-hour trial. We will go
out at about 4:00 in the afternoon and the whole first night the INSURV Board will just
sleep on board while we conduct our builder's trial with the regulatory bodies. And then
when they get up in the morning we will be all ready to start acceptance trials."
Eckberg acknowledges that the Dahl
trials might help in an ongoing study involving some "vessel design issues."
Indicating that certain design improvements might be incorporated following the Integrated
Trials, he stressed that any enhancements required will be made early enough to ensure
actual delivery well in advance of the Dahl's contracted delivery date of 28
October.
Looking further into the future, NASSCO
has projected early delivery dates for its remaining ships, with the seventh and last
new-construction LMSR, Pomeroy, now scheduled for delivery in June 2001, more than
three months ahead of the contracted schedule. Meanwhile, MSC has taken delivery of the
USNS Bob Hope from Avondale and has christened the next two ships of the class,
USNS Fisher and USNS Seay.
Although the LMSRs and their
prepositioned cargo do not fit the traditional definition of a "deterrent
force," that is exactly how they are described by Gen. Johnnie Wilson, commanding
general of the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC). "I can remember when we started
with, 'Okay, let's get some trucks together and see if we can come up with a plan,'"
Wilson says. "Now, with the eighth set of equipment just approved by the U.S.
Congress, we are about to have eight sets of brigade combat hardware prepositioned
throughout the world. What it really means is, when you take those prepositioned sets [of
equipment], and you take the ships and aircraft, you can now move soldiers and put them on
station in a very short period of time. I think when you can do it as rapidly as we have
demonstrated recently in Southwest Asia, it will cause some countries to think harder
before making trouble. And I think that is a major deterrence by itself."
A Viable Reshuffling
Although Congressional approval of the
latest brigade combat set has no direct impact on the overall LMSR structure, it
apparently has prompted some "reshuffling" of assets. According to AMC
representatives, the eighth brigade set will be positioned afloat but will not affect
total ship requirements. The prepo component of the program will remain the same, with
eight LMSRs dedicated to that mission. But the eighth brigade apparently will be
"accommodated" by altering the current mix of ships. An AMC spokesperson
explained that the original prepo plan was based on a mix of five "smaller
ships" (conversions) and three "larger ships" (new-construction LMSRs).
With the decision to place the eighth brigade set afloat, "the Joint Chiefs of Staff
have directed Military Sealift Command to change the mix to seven large ships and one
small ship."
Department of Defense statements to the
contrary, NASSCO's Eckberg indicates that changing Army requirements might indeed
contribute to a modest future increase in the size of the LMSR fleet. "I really do
not know what their overall plans are going to be, but I know that we have been in some
discussions with our NAVSEA office about the potential for providing an eighth sealift
ship," he noted--adding, though, that "their requirement may not be as great as
the capability provided in one of the single sealift ships that we provide. But, given
where we are in the program, ship performance, and our ability to deliver with a cost and
schedule that is acceptable, it may be a viable alternative."
The LMSR activity is primarily an Army
support effort, but Holder stresses that it is just one aspect of overall MSC support
activities. "The important part for our nation to understand is that the Navy and the
Marine Corps have always been forward-deployed and a power-projection force," he
concludes. "People who read Sea Power understand that. What everyone has to
understand is that the Army is moving to that concept very rapidly. The Army understands
the value of being forward, being in a position to respond, and the mobility that the
LMSRs give us."
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