Marines Issue Warning on Amphib Fleet
The assistant commandant says 31 large amphibious warfare ships are needed to avoid risk.
CAITLIN M. KENNEY | FEBRUARY 14, 2023 05:20 PM ET
MARINE CORPS NAVY CONGRESS INDUSTRY SHOW NEWS
The U.S. takes on more risk when it doesn’t keep a fleet of 31 large amphibious warships, the Marine Corps’ No. 2 officer said Tuesday. The Navy had plans to cut the fleet to as few as 24 until Congress intervened last fall.
“Every time that number dips below 31, that is increased risk passed to a combatant commander, passed to a junior commander, passed to a lance corporal, passed to a seaman. So 31 is the answer and we can't accept less. And when it does, we just have to highlight that there's increased risk now for us, for those American citizens waiting to be evacuated for humanitarian assistance disaster relief operations,” Gen. Eric Smith, the Marines’ assistant commandant, said in a keynote speech at WEST 2023 in San Diego.
Smith noted that Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday and Marine Commandant Gen. David Berger see eye to eye on the need for 10 big-deck amphibious assault ships and 21 amphibious transport dock ships. Both leaders testified as much last May during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.
https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2023/02/marines-issue-warning-amphib-fleet/382959/
