Tag Archives: Wasp Class

Light Carrier Studies Already Underway As Navy Considers Role for CVLs in Future Fleet

Light Carrier Studies Already Underway As Navy Considers Role for CVLs in Future Fleet

An MH-60S Sea Hawk, assigned to the “Eightballers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8, flies next to the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) and the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) while they transit the Pacific Ocean Feb. 15, 2020. Operating as an Expeditionary Strike Force, the Navy-Marine Corps team integrates carrier strike group combat power with the flexible capability of an expeditionary strike group to provide the fleet commander with a capable, credible combat force that can be deployed anywhere in the world. US Navy photo.

The Navy’s engineering community has already started conducting light carrier design and engineering studies, even as the Navy and the joint force still consider whether they’d even want to invest in a CVL to supplement supercarriers to bring more distributed capability to the fleet for less cost. Read More

South Korea Seeking More F-35Bs for Future LPX-II Carrier

South Korea Seeking More F-35Bs for Future LPX-II Carrier

An F-35B Lightning II assigned to the ‘Dragons’ of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265 (Reinforced) lands on the flight deck of amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA-6) on Jan. 15, 2020. US Navy Photo

The South Korean Ministry of National Defense (MND) has decided in August to double its fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets. A total of forty additional “Joint Strike Fighters” will be procured, including 20 F-35B short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant for its light aircraft carrier project known as LPX-II. Read More

South Korea Plans to Build F-35B Lightning Aircraft Carrier

South Korea Plans to Build F-35B Lightning Aircraft Carrier

Concept image of the LPX-II Lighting Carrier from South Korea. Republic of Korea Navy Image

South Korea’s 2021-2025 defense blueprint, which was revealed yesterday, provides fresh details on the plans to develop an aircraft carrier capability for the Republic of Korea (RoK) Navy. The LPX-II project will be a dedicated light aircraft carrier for F-35B; it will not be an amphibious assault ship. Read More

Navy Prefers Fielding 'Revolutionary' Combat Capability Through New Weapons Rather than New Hull Designs

Navy Prefers Fielding ‘Revolutionary’ Combat Capability Through New Weapons Rather than New Hull Designs

Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001) pulls along pierside in Naval Base San Diego, Dec. 7, 2018. US Navy Photo

SAN DIEGO – The Navy is striving to field “revolutionary combat capability” in new ships and through mid-life modernizations, but it can do so while keeping risk low by focusing on new weapons and systems rather than radical new hull designs, the program executive officer for ships said. Read More

Navy Wants to Invest In Amphibious Ship Upgrades, But Funding, Timing Still Unclear

Navy Wants to Invest In Amphibious Ship Upgrades, But Funding, Timing Still Unclear

The amphibious dock landing ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Momsen (DDG 92) transit in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Murtha and Momsen are underway conducting routine operations as a part of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group in the eastern Pacific Ocean. US Navy photo

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – The Navy is committed to upgrading its amphibious ships to support the Navy and Marines’ new way of operating and to leverage the power of the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter, but it’s still unclear when dollars will start flowing to pay for these upgrades to communications and command and control systems. Read More

Berger: Marine Corps May Have to Shrink to Afford Modernization, Readiness Goals

Berger: Marine Corps May Have to Shrink to Afford Modernization, Readiness Goals

U.S. Marines with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, currently attached to 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, conduct morning accountability before dawn on April 5, 2019 during Exercise Balikatan at the Navy Education Training Command, Philippines. US Marine Corps Photo

CAPITOL HILL – The next commandant may need to reduce the size of the Marine Corps and focus on a smaller number of priority missions, to ensure that the service can stay ready to meet its requirements under the National Defense Strategy in a resource-constrained budget. Read More