![]() ![]() ![]() Smith said the Marine Corps has and will continue to have seven Marine Expeditionary Units. Eric Smith addressed the divide between the two naval services, noting there are always arguments over how to spend limited funds, but that the Navy and Marines are approaching the issue respectfully and thoughtfully. In an April 5 panel, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Currently the 10-year average availability is 63%, and recently it has been as low as 43%,” he said, arguing the Navy’s proposed plan would damage the Marines’ ability to keep two Marine Expeditionary Units deployed on amphibious ships at any given time and its ability to surge more forces forward in a crisis. “The 31 number is predicated on an availability of 80% as dictated in the Navy’s Optimized Fleet Response Plan (OFRP). Four amphibious ships would be decommissioned in 2023 alone, he noted.Ĭoupled with the shrinking amphib force is the decreased readiness of those ships in the fleet, Heckl said. Heckl said the proposed FY23 funding plan would shrink the amphib force to just 25 ships in the next five years, with the Navy planning to build two ships in 2023 but none in the rest of the decade. Karsten Heckl told Defense News in a statement April 4 “the Marine Corps has a requirement for absolutely no less than 31 amphibious warfare ships,” including 10 large amphibious assault ships and 21 LPDs. Deputy Commandant of the Marine Corps for Capabilities Development and Integration Lt. Top Marine officials said these plans add risk to their mission. And the Navy’s Constellation-class frigate program, which previously could have brought in a second construction yard as early as 2025, wouldn’t see another yard added until FY28 or later. LAW, previously pushed from FY22 to FY23, would be delayed again to FY25. That would put it a decade after LHA-9, despite manufacturer Ingalls Shipbuilding calling for these ships to be built at four-year intervals. The America-class amphibious assault ship production line would be dramatically slowed, with LHA-10 being purchased in FY31, according to the Marines.
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