The BHS

[Colin Parkinson]

These landing craft weren’t small steel vessels about 40’ in length with Tankage built into the hull with a with a Hydraulic driven thruster that could turn 360° run by a Duetz Diesel?
This is what the Coast Guard used and they were useless pieces of junk. 

 

[Kirkhill]

The Rotterdam/Galicia/Bay LPDs from Royal Scheldt operate with crews of 60-180.

http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/rotterdam/
http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/galicia/
http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/bay_class/

60 on the Bays with no Weapons or Defensive Sensors.
~120 on the Rotterdam and Galicias with a Defensive Suite
~180 on the Galicia with an Amphib C&C Suite

As all the vessels can carry up to 700 troops, or be enlarged a larger C&C capability can be provided.

I don't really understand why 1 or 2 bare cans couldn't be provided as floating warehouses to be manned with Reservists when they need to move.  Forget about thinking of these things as combat vessels.  Rely on the escort vessels for defence beyond a limited point defence capability.

Let's just see about getting places first, and perhaps operating in our own and other benign environments before we consider joining the USMC storming beaches.

As to the issue of one trick ponies, perhaps the Danes can show us a thing or two there with their 6000 ton Absalon Class Command and Support Ships
http://www.navalhistory.dk/English/TheShips/Classes/Absalon_Class(2004).htm

and the derivative Patrol Ships.
http://www.navalhistory.dk/English/NavyNews/2006/0622_PatrolShips.htm

They are essentially Frigates with a troop carrying capacity of 69 and a pair of 40 knot LCVPs as well as a RoRo deck (I don't know if it has a floodable well). 

They are well armed (equivalent to the CPFs and the DDHs).

Just for grins the Danes also have these new 1700 ton Arctic Patrol Vessels you are likely to meet up around Hans Island.
http://www.navalhistory.dk/English/NavyNews/2006/1120_NewOffShorePat.htm

The Air Force got behind the idea of moving guys in green around the world.  What will it take to ease the mind of those that IHS is talking to that seem to have a problem with "launching soldiers".  Does it help if they think of soldiers as "smart missiles in green"? ;D  And no wisecracks about the intelligence levels. >

 

[IN HOC SIGNO]

I took a tour of the Absalon when she was here last year....very nice but I think she's a little small for what we want.

 

[Kirkhill]

Just to clarify - I wasn't thinking about the Absalon as a BHS vessel.  More as a vessel capable of taking up some of those littoral tasks where the Army just needs to put ashore a few dozen bodies - such as along our coasts.  Perhaps along some others as well.  Or perhaps to act as a mother vessel along with some smaller LCS type vessels.

Expeditionary forces come in all shapes and sizes.

 

[HalfmyLife]

Not one person here has mentioned, Maintenance!!!. Can you get the reserves to fix those bad boys at sea, do they fix the MCDV at sea, do they have the training to fix what they have what would make anyone think that without the ability to maintain/fix the BHS, how are you going to land troops. Now don't get me wrong, I like the idea of landing 500+ plus troops ashore, it would be a good compliment to the JSS (which would have the army's truck/avgp's (2500 lane meters). remember the JSS will also be a floating HQ for joint command. Each of these ship will complement on another and the fleet due to the multi-role capability built into the JSS. I.E. RAS Services for the task group afloat/Joint Command/Supply etc. Will we still need the MCDV's, I think so. We may need to clear the area of mines. On another note, MCDV's have the same speed and better handling then there American and Australian counterpart, which were built around the same time, one common misconception is that the MCDV's are patrol ships, they were originally designed for mine-clearing and escorting thru minefields, If this post is a little choppy, I apologize, I had allot to say!

 

[Stoker]

Not one person here has mentioned, Maintenance!!!. Can you get the reserves to fix those bad boys at sea, do they fix the MCDV at sea, do they have the training to fix what they have what would make anyone think that without the ability to maintain/fix the BHS, how are you going to land troops. Now don't get me wrong, I like the idea of landing 500+ plus troops ashore, it would be a good compliment to the JSS (which would have the army's truck/avgp's (2500 lane meters). remember the JSS will also be a floating HQ for joint command. Each of these ship will complement on another and the fleet due to the multi-role capability built into the JSS. I.E. RAS Services for the task group afloat/Joint Command/Supply etc. Will we still need the MCDV's, I think so. We may need to clear the area of mines. On another note, MCDV's have the same speed and better handling then there American and Australian counterpart, which were built around the same time, one common misconception is that the MCDV's are patrol ships, they were originally designed for mine-clearing and escorting thru minefields, If this post is a little choppy, I apologize, I had allot to say!

Have you ever been to sea on a MCDV? We conduct first line maintenance like any other ship in the fleet. If something breaks we fix it if we have the parts. The problem is not the training but the fact we have no room for storage of parts and no proper facilities to fabricate/repair systems. Believe it or not we have some pretty intelligent people on the MCDV's. The JSS will probally be diesel electric just like the MCDV's and we do have considerable experience there. I have no doubt that we could effectively run these ships with the same training that any regular force crew would receive. Now will we be crew on the JSS?, most likely no, but that's because we are mandated to crew the MCDV's and we do our jobs well.