Compass Points - Plentiful Ships
Ships could be available for Marines.
Compass Points - Plentiful Ships
Ships could be available for Marines.
December 3, 2024
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The Marine Corps needs more ships. But more ships cannot be constructed quickly. US shipyards are overbooked, and US shipyard workers are over-worked. One solution is for Marines to use ships that are already built and are available now. The Stars and Stripes is reporting on recent Marine Corps training using the Expeditionary Sea Base, Miguel Keith (ESB-5) a Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary mobile base. Expeditionary Sea Bases are nearly 800 feet long with a four-spot flight deck and hanger. The ESBs have a range of 9,500 nautical miles at a maximum speed of 17 knots.
The ESBs were originally designated as part of the Military Sealift Command but for a time were redesignated as Navy warships.
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The Marine Corps recently conducted its first live-fire training with a full detachment of helicopters operating from a sea-base ship near Okinawa, showcasing the flexibility of its expeditionary advanced base operations concept. About 100 members of Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 165 (Reinforced) — part of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit out of Camp Pendleton, Calif. — carried out the exercises on Sept. 25 and Oct. 13. Using UH-1Y Venoms and AH-1Z Vipers, the Marines launched day and night sorties from the USS Miguel Keith near Irisuna Jima, an uninhabited island in Okinawa prefecture, the Marines announced Oct. 17. On each training day, four helicopters carried out 18 sorties, employing live ordnance, including 2.75-inch rockets, 20mm semi-armor-piercing high-explosive incendiary rounds and .50-caliber and 7.62mm weapons, according to the release.
. . . “When we say ‘expeditionary,’ part of that means being able to react quickly and get to places quickly,” Harper said. “The other aspect is being able to distribute not just for a short amount of time, but for a sustained amount of time. And so, using these newer or different forms of ships to move Marine forces and support Marine forces is the key.”
-- Stars and Stripes
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If the Marine Corps really believes that "using these newer or different forms of ships to move Marine forces and support Marine forces is the key" then it is time to act quickly. The Navy is putting 17 logistics ships into a "sit and rust" program that will take the ships out of both operations and maintenance. Two of the ships being left to rust are two ESBs the forward-deployed sea bases, USS Lewis Puller (ESB-3), and USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB-4). In addition, a dozen Expeditionary Fast Transports (EPF) are being pulled out of service and left to rust. Military.com reports, "Marine Corps Worried About How to Move and Supply Troops After Navy Sidelines 17 Support Ships."
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The Navy will sideline 17 ships to contend with a shortage of civilian mariners, the Military Sealift commander said last week, prompting concerns from the Marine Corps about how it will support and transport its own forces.
Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck, the MSC commander, told reporters on Thursday that the move to dock more than a dozen ships was meant to give overworked and understaffed civilian mariners a break as the command looks to get "the foundation back intact" for ship maintenance.
While Sobeck said this plan would take place "over the next two years," he wouldn't say how long it will take to get ships back in the water. The result is that ships that support the Marine Corps will not be available, causing worries for the amphibious service that will compound existing challenges getting Marines to the field.
-- Military.com
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The ESBs and EPFs that the Marines need to use today are being pulled out of service. That means less transportation and less support for Marines at the time when the Marines need more ships. The critical need is for civilian mariners. Is there any solution that could get the ESBs and EPFs back in service quickly? There is a solution. The Philippines need US to help patrol and protect the South China Sea. Every week, just off the coast of the Philippines, Chinese ships continue to pressure the Philippines to withdraw from the South China Sea. So far, the Philippine government has refused to bend to China's pressure. But the Philippines need help.
The US has Marines, and the US has the ESBs and EPFs ready for use today. What the US does not have is civilian mariners. The good news is the Philippines can supply civilian mariners. With just a few changes to law and regulation, the US and Philippines could make the ESBs and EPFs a powerful asset for both countries. Using Philippine civilian mariners to crew the US ESBs and EPFs would allow Marines to create small Special Purpose MAGTFs to continually patrol in and around the Philippines.
Very soon both the Department of Defense and the Department of the Navy will have new leaders. The new administration says it is looking for creative new solutions that are both powerful and cost effective. There is a quick way to get more ships in the water and more Marines in hot spots in the Pacific and elsewhere. This is not the time to let the Expeditionary Sea Bases and Expeditionary Fast Transports sit and rust. Now is the time to get the ESBs and EPFs back in the water and back on patrol.
Marine helicopters are operating off the Expeditionary Sea Base, Miguel Keith (ESB-5), near Okinawa. That is an example of the new thinking and experimentation that will be needed to restore, enhance, and upgrade the Marine MAGTF. With new thinking from across the Marine community, the Marine Corps can find ways to quickly change its focus back to what the Nation needs: global crisis response.
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Stars and Stripes - 11/29/2024
Full Marine helicopter detachment trains from expeditionary sea base for first time
By Brian McElhiney
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Military.com - 11/26/2024
Marine Corps Worried About How to Move and Supply Troops After Navy Sidelines 17 Support Ships
By Drew F. Lawrence and Konstantin Toropin
Change the rules and allow Pilipino sailors to man the ships. It's a win-win. Leaving the ships to rust says they're no longer of use to the US. Man them with our allies and put them back to work. It doesn't take a genius to think this plan could work. Those who think it's not a good idea, respond and bring your own solutions.
The author makes valid points and brilliant observations here!