By Geoff Fein
Demand for Marine Corps expeditionary forces is growing every month, and the service’s operational tempo is pretty high as it is used for both traditional and non-traditional missions, according to a top Marine Corps general.
“The demand is big and it is growing every months,” Maj. Gen. Thomas Benes, director, Expeditionary Warfare, told attendees at the annual Surface Navy Association communications forum in Arlington, Va., yesterday.
“On any given day, we have 12 to 15 amphibious ships at sea,” he noted.
Benes said the Marine Crops is looking at several replacement ships including a dock landing ship (LSD).
It’s possible the Marine Corps will opt to replace its current LSD-class ships with an LPD-17 class amphib, Benes added.
“It doesn’t make sense to build a smaller ship like LSD,” he told attendees. “The requirements are being developed as we speak.”
He added that using the LPD-17 hull “would be a good way to go.”
The Navy may also want to eventually look at buying more than three of the Joint High Speed Vessels (JHSV), Benes said.
“The demand signal for JHSV is about 20 ships worldwide,” he said. “The program of record is less than that, but I am sure at some point we will have to cross that bridge.”
The program of record is for eight JHSVs. The Army will get the remaining five.
Mobile, Ala.-based Austal USA, General Dynamics‘ [GD] Bath Iron Works, Brunswick, Maine; and Bollinger Shipyards, Lockport, La., were all selected earlier this year to develop a preliminary design for JHSV.
A JHSV Milestone B review was scheduled for Oct. 8. However, according to the Navy the Defense Acquisition Board will hold the review later this week.
The Navy had been expected to downselect to a single phase two contract in late 2008 (Defense Daily, Feb. 1).
The Marine Corps will also have to look at replacing its Landing Craft Utility (LCU) fleet as it is aging, Benes added.
The Marine Corps is giving consideration to using LCUs as well as JHSVs as connector ships, even though the JHSV is not a connector per se, Benes acknowledged.
“Right now we are maintaining the current [LCU] fleet. [We are] planning on developing a program in the future to replace that,” he said.
Benes said he is also exploring upgrades for the Naval Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC).
“I am looking at the next [modifications] for NECC…for the next POM (Program Objective Memorandum) cycle,” he said.
Among the areas Benes is reviewing are command, control, computers, communications, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR). Benes said he is pulling ideas from both the science and technology community as well as the Office of Naval Research.
There is also a need for non-lethal weapons. “The 5th Fleet has an urgent need,” he said, because of the issue of piracy and dealing with small boats.
Capt. John Sorce, deputy director surface ships, told attendees the Navy and Marine Corps are working on an analysis of alternatives for surface fire support.
” [DoD Acquisition Chief John] Young signed an ADM (acquisition decision memorandum) earlier this month authorizing the Navy to enter into a concept refinement phase of acquisition and an analysis of alternatives (AoA) for joint expeditionary fires,” he told attendees yesterday.
“The Navy and Marine Corps have a ling way to go. It’s a very challenging issue,” he added.
The AoA is due June ’09, Sorce said.