What’s the Navy’s options? The ugliest option may be the best one. The Navy could accelerate production of America-class assault ships with big-decks that combine troop-berthing, vehicle-storage, floodable well-deck for landing craft and a full-length flight deck.
Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HII) shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., is the only site that builds the aviation-optimized Americas. America and Tripoli already are in commission. Bougainville began production in 2019 and could join the fleet in 2024. Accelerating the unnamed LHA-9 would require hundreds of millions of dollars in advance funding.
Instead of building a new assault ship to replace BHR, the Navy could acquire a different kind of vessel or mix of vessels with equivalent capabilities. Marine Commandant Gen. David Berger has argued for this approach in order to expand and diversify the amphib force.
The Navy already is buying substitute ships for BHR-like vessels. The service is in the process of buying up to six expeditionary sea-base ships (ESB) with a flight deck that can accommodate every rotorcraft in the inventory. Under the flight deck is an open-air well-deck for landing craft. The ESB can slightly submerge its lower deck to allow landing craft to sail on and off. There’s berthing for hundreds.
The main difference between the two ships is that the LHA can support Marine F-35Bs. The flight deck on the ESB is too flimsy for fixed-wing aircraft. The ESB also is lightly-built and lightly-armed compared to America.
It may be fair to call the ESB “ugly,” according to Forbes. But that’s not to mean it can’t fight. National Steel and Shipbuilding in San Diego, which has built all the ESBs to date, is busy building fleet oilers.
But the ESB design isn’t overly-complex. Another shipyard - namely, HII-Pascagoula - should be able to build it. (Source: Forbes 08/01/20) https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2020/08/01/big-ugly-dock-ship-could-replace-the-us-navys-burned-up-bonhomme-richard/#5661c5a92957
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