Deadly Combo: The Navy Has Combined F-35s with Helicopter Assault Ships

[rangerrebew]

October 4, 2019

Deadly Combo: The Navy Has Combined F-35s with Helicopter Assault Ships

Smaller aircraft carriers that still pack a major punch.
by Sebastien Roblin

Key point: The F-35 is very capable and can turn smaller flattops that would normally carry helicopters and U.S. Marines into serious aircraft carriers.


Were the USS America to cruise alongside the French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, the average Joe might struggle to distinguish their purposes. Both flat-tops measure longer than two-and-half football fields in length and carry jet fighters and helicopters.

But the America and her sistership Tripoli are technically “Landing Helicopter Assault” vessels numbered LHA-6 and LHA-7 respectively: super-sized members of the “gator navy” of amphibious assault ships designed to deploy the expeditionary units of the U.S. Marine Corps onto hostile shores. In addition to the Navy crew of 1,000-1,200 sailors and officers, each LHA can carry nearly 1,700 Marines.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/deadly-combo-navy-has-combined-f-35s-helicopter-assault-ships-85281

[PeteS in CA]

USS America and USS Tripoli are probably also more reliable than the CdG.

By replacing the sub-sonic AV-8Bs with F-35s, the America and Wasp Class LHA's effectively become light carriers with built-in ability to "Send in the Marines". They also almost double the force projection capability that used to "just" consist of the Nimitz and older super-carriers.