Expeditionary Sea Base

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

I've seen these mentioned before, but you don't see much press on them. Sounds very "Dr. Evil" or Team America.

https://news.usni.org/2022/10/24/nassco-lays-keel-for-the-future-uss-robert-e-simanek


USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB-3) was modified from the original Montford Point original design to serve as a platform for special operations and mine countermeasures forces.

Kind of odd shaped. Why the squared off stern, PANAMAX? I guess the flight deck is an add on to the base design, but what advantages would on open deck like that have?

So you send these when a carrier is too much, a marine exped force is more mobile than needed and you just want to hang out in a neighborhood for awhile?

[sinister]

It IS specifically for "Team America" missions. I deployed from a much smaller version for the Haiti invasion.

It's far smaller than an aircraft carrier or amphib (dock or helicopter landing ships), so you're not diverting a full-on carrier or Marine Expeditionary Unit from "Vanilla" General Purpose Forces missions or obligations -- but you can still launch and recover SOF missions from both sea and air.

[Averageman]

It IS specifically for "Team America" missions. I deployed from a much smaller version for the Haiti invasion.

It's far smaller than an aircraft carrier or amphib (dock or helicopter landing ships), so you're not diverting a full-on carrier or Marine Expeditionary Unit from "Vanilla" General Purpose Forces missions or obligations -- but you can still launch and recover SOF missions from both sea and air.

Didn't they have something roughly similar as far back as VietNam working in the Gulf?

[sinister]

Correct. Tank landing ships were often tasked to support Vietnam Brown Water Navy operations. This was technically also a mission for littoral ships.

You can also modify oil rig and offshore support vessels to do similar missions.
https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/84163526_1544487599025205_1639181071746596864_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=kGdPC-DAUW0AX_uunvM&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AT-nyZFeTmVGkQ85ZOr87_-hFnf96EMCoteXmHx9Zr6tuA&oe=637FDF4A

[ABNAK]

It is specifically for "Team America" missions. I deployed from a much smaller version for the Haiti invasion.

It's far smaller than an aircraft carrier or amphib (dock or helicopter landing ships), so you're not diverting a full-on carrier or Marine Expeditionary Unit from "Vanilla" General Purpose Forces missions or obligations -- but you can still launch and recover SOF missions from both sea and air.

IIRC reading at the time, didn't the Navy have plans to use retired aircraft carriers as floating bases (or launchpads) for Army light Infantry units like the 10th Mountain or 7th ID?

[sinister]

I don't know about that.

When General Schoomaker was the JSOC Commander he ensured the force was trained to work off carriers. His leaning WAY forward resulted in being able to launch JSOC and 10th Mountain off the America and Eisenhower for Haiti.

https://i0.wp.com/cms.sofrep.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/IMG_0147.jpg?fit=915%2C915&ssl=1&w=800
https://www.wearethemighty.com/uploads/legacy/assets.rbl.ms/17493682/origin.jpg
https://cdn10.picryl.com/photo/1994/04/01/us-army-soldiers-of-co-a-2nd-battalion-75th-rangers-move-across-the-flight-28a61d-1600.jpg
https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/18978/1_RGR_BN_jpg-2577302.JPG

[1168]

(Warm and fuzzy memories)

Remember when dudes had left side Scrolls?

RLTW

[chuckman]

We've done it with carriers and amphibs off Africa and Afghanistan, too. This is just giving an organic platform for the mission.

[ABNAK]

I don't know about that.

When General Schoomaker was the JSOC Commander he ensured the force was trained to work off carriers. His leaning WAY forward resulted in being able to launch JSOC and 10th Mountain off the America and Eisenhower for Haiti.


Yeah that is what I was referring to.