thedrifter
10-18-05, 03:20 PM
CNO raises questions about sea basing plan
By Christian Lowe
Marine Corps Times staff writer
The mix of ships that will transport Marines and their gear into battle and protect them from enemy naval forces of the future is the most challenging issue facing the Navy Department, the sea service's top admiral said Oct. 13.
The Corps has been pitching a plan that would accommodate as much as a brigade of troops, helicopters, amphibious vehicles, tanks and other equipment floating aboard a variety of ships that could sit safely off shore and launch forces deep into enemy territory without forming an interim base ashore.
The plan, dubbed sea basing, could cost billions and runs up against tough competition in a constricted Navy budget that still must find the funds for combat ships, aircraft and other priorities.
"How many ships of what kind" is one of the major topics of discussion between the Navy and Marine Corps' top officials, said Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen during an Oct. 13 meeting with reporters in Washington.
"And we haven't totally solved that yet."
The top issues are "specifically what kind of ships for the future, how many of them, how we're going to fight in the future … and the pre-positioned force for the future and conceptually how we're going to use them," Mullen added.
In June, the Navy tentatively signed off on a plan that could be the precursor for the Corps' Sea Basing force. The plan envisions an armada of amphibious assault ships, roll-on/roll-off supply ships and newly designed "mobile landing platform" ships that could carry a rapid-response force of about 30,000 Marines and their aircraft, vehicles and supplies.
The ships would be able to assemble off an enemy's coast within two weeks, fight its way to shore and defeat an enemy within 30 days.
But Mullen's comments cast doubt on how firm the Navy's plans are for the Corps, which is counting on a fleet of spacious ships and amphibious vessels to host its future expeditionary plans.
The Navy plans to revisit this and other "major USN/USMC issues" in upcoming meetings of the Navy Marine Corps Board - a joint forum designed to help the Navy and Marine Corps integrate their weapons programs and other initiatives - through fiscal 2006, according to new command guidance issued by Mullen's office Oct. 14.
Mullen also said the definition of a sea base may be open to interpretation.
He argued that the mix of ships that delivered aid to tsunami victims in Indonesia in December 2004 is one kind of sea base.
Navy and Marine forces that helped the victims of Hurricane Katrina operated aboard another kind of sea base.
The armada of ships that hosted U.S. forces for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom is yet another.
"Sea basing is defined as a group of ships," Mullen explained.
"This is really an important point to make - is that the sea base is made up of lots of different capabilities."
By Christian Lowe
Marine Corps Times staff writer
The mix of ships that will transport Marines and their gear into battle and protect them from enemy naval forces of the future is the most challenging issue facing the Navy Department, the sea service's top admiral said Oct. 13.
The Corps has been pitching a plan that would accommodate as much as a brigade of troops, helicopters, amphibious vehicles, tanks and other equipment floating aboard a variety of ships that could sit safely off shore and launch forces deep into enemy territory without forming an interim base ashore.
The plan, dubbed sea basing, could cost billions and runs up against tough competition in a constricted Navy budget that still must find the funds for combat ships, aircraft and other priorities.
"How many ships of what kind" is one of the major topics of discussion between the Navy and Marine Corps' top officials, said Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen during an Oct. 13 meeting with reporters in Washington.
"And we haven't totally solved that yet."
The top issues are "specifically what kind of ships for the future, how many of them, how we're going to fight in the future … and the pre-positioned force for the future and conceptually how we're going to use them," Mullen added.
In June, the Navy tentatively signed off on a plan that could be the precursor for the Corps' Sea Basing force. The plan envisions an armada of amphibious assault ships, roll-on/roll-off supply ships and newly designed "mobile landing platform" ships that could carry a rapid-response force of about 30,000 Marines and their aircraft, vehicles and supplies.
The ships would be able to assemble off an enemy's coast within two weeks, fight its way to shore and defeat an enemy within 30 days.
But Mullen's comments cast doubt on how firm the Navy's plans are for the Corps, which is counting on a fleet of spacious ships and amphibious vessels to host its future expeditionary plans.
The Navy plans to revisit this and other "major USN/USMC issues" in upcoming meetings of the Navy Marine Corps Board - a joint forum designed to help the Navy and Marine Corps integrate their weapons programs and other initiatives - through fiscal 2006, according to new command guidance issued by Mullen's office Oct. 14.
Mullen also said the definition of a sea base may be open to interpretation.
He argued that the mix of ships that delivered aid to tsunami victims in Indonesia in December 2004 is one kind of sea base.
Navy and Marine forces that helped the victims of Hurricane Katrina operated aboard another kind of sea base.
The armada of ships that hosted U.S. forces for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom is yet another.
"Sea basing is defined as a group of ships," Mullen explained.
"This is really an important point to make - is that the sea base is made up of lots of different capabilities."