Refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) upgrades for the 38 amphibious ships slated for the Gator Navy are necessary to get the service out of the cycle of “these national treasures not getting modernized,” Marine Maj. Gen. David “Stretch” Coffman, the director of expeditionary warfare (N95), told the Surface Navy Association on Jan. 15.
Such modernization could cost $600 million per ship, Coffman said.
The 38-ship requirement consists of 12 LHDs or LHAs, 13 LPD-17 class Flight I, and 13 LSDs or LPD-17 Flight II ships.
Last summer, the Navy awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries’ [HII] Ingalls Shipbuilding a $165.5 million contract to procure long-lead time materials and non-recurring engineering activities for the first LPD Flight II San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship, LPD-30.
The Navy chose HII as the winner of the LX(R) replacement program in April. The company will build the next type of amphibious transport docks as Flight II San Antonio-class ships. The Flight II ships will replace the 12 aging Whidbey Island/Harpers Ferry-class (LCD-41/49) amphibious ships (Defense Daily, April 12).
The Flight II ships will be able to support equipment like the new Textron [TXT] Ship-To-Shore Connector (SSC), Sikorsky [LMT] CH-53K helicopter, and Bell [TXT]-Boeing [BA] MV-22 Osprey. It will have improved troop armory/weapons stowage.
These kinds of ships are used to embark and land Marines with their equipment using landing craft or amphibious assault vehicles.