New America-class ships harness F-35B stealth and Osprey power, redefining maritime air dominance and enabling a potent, evolving Marine Corps attack strategy.
by Kris Osborn, Warrior Maven
The growing fleet of US Navy America-class amphibious assault ships is designed to leverage a blend of technological advances to include the ability to project airpower in a maritime environment in ways that were not previously possible.
The arrival of the F-35B and upgraded MV-22 Osprey offer the Navy and Corps a new generation of air-power projection capability, one key reason why the first several America-class amphibious assault ships were built without a well deck to launch fast-attack watercraft or full-scale amphibious assault. This ability is of course always of critical importance, yet the need to capitalize upon range, sensing and attack possibilities introduced by the Osprey and F-35B do impact the tactical equation in a variety of key respects.
Built for Air Attack
Similar to the first-in-class USS America, the USS Tripoli has been engineered with a specific F-35 and Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft-oriented aviation configuration with extra hangar space, additional fuel storage, and other key provisions intended to enable amphibious air-attack platforms. A report from Naval Sea Systems Command several years ago says the ship’s “design features an enlarged hangar deck, aviation maintenance facilities realignment and expansion, a significant increase in available stowage for parts and support equipment, and increased aviation fuel capacity.” Both the USS America and USS Tripoli are capable of deploying with as many as 15 5th-generation F-35Bs, bringing previously unprecedented stealthy 5th-generation air attack and sensing to evolving concepts of amphibious warfare.
The third America-class ship, called the USS Bougainville has now “hit the sea,” bringing a sea-basing kind of manned-unmanned teaming, ship-to-shore, amphibious attack by launching manned and unmanned amphibious vessels from a well-deck. The USS Bougainville will also incorporate next-generation aviation, yet bring-back the timeless ability to attack land from the ocean, if in a different way than it was thought of historically. The Bougainville is built with other design features to include additional ICU-capable hospital beds, X-ray rooms and even an on board surgical team. The ship is also receiving a Raytheon-built A/N SPY 6 v3 Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar intended to support air and cruise missile defense from on board the amphibious assault ship. This EASR radar is also being built into Ford-class carriers.
A New Generation of Amphib
The America-class ships were engineered for an ability to conduct dispersed amphibious assault operations across a wider envelope with increased use of networking, unmanned-manned teaming and 5th-generation air support. The growing number of unmanned systems, and the increasing levels of autonomy with which they operate, can enable the America-class ships to operate as “host ships’ ‘ or “mother ships” supporting a large number of unnamed system coordinating mission details. The big-deck amphibs can perform command and control in support of dispersed groups of surface, undersea and air unmanned platforms to support multi-domain operations.
In recent years, the Navy has continued to pivot intensely toward the greater use of unmanned systems, sea basing and expeditionary operations, often with the thought that big-deck amphibs such as the USS Bougainville can function as “mother ships” or floating bases from which to launch and operate large-scale amphibious assault operations. Concepts of operation for an amphibious assault have been evolving rapidly with fast-emerging new levels of autonomy, unmanned systems and AI-enabled command and control.
New Amphibious Warfare
Future amphibious warfare will not appear similar to the kind of linear, condensed assault of Iwo Jima in WWII but rather be more symmetrical, disaggregated, multi-domain and driven by long-range weapons and AI-enabled unmanned systems. This thinking is likely one reason why the Navy made sure to bring a “well-deck” back to its amphibious assault ships with the third America-class amphib.
The America-class supports the evolution of the Amphibious Ready Group structure and mission alignment more fully with a modern threat environment in which adversaries operate longer-range and more precise weapons, fortified by high-resolution sensors. This means approaching amphibious forces might not wish to be concentrated, aggregated or condensed as it could increase their vulnerability to incoming enemy fire.
WASP-Class - New Amphib Strategy
Ship-to-shore “attack” is the core mission of the famous U.S. Marine Corps WASP-class amphibious assault ships, class vessels able to transport Abrams tanks and 155mm Howitzer artillery onto a beach head to “seize” and “hold”enemy territory.
Wasp-class ships are designed to carry and deploy Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs), which are self-contained, highly mobile forces capable of conducting amphibious assaults.
Using a combination of helicopters, tiltrotor aircraft, and landing craft, they are configured to lead air-sea-land attacks. This flexibility allows commanders to tailor operations to specific environments, whether it be a hostile beach landing, air insertion exercise or a rapid evacuation mission.
In addition to their aviation strengths, Wasp-class ships are equipped with well decks that allow them to launch and recover amphibious vehicles and landing craft. This capability is crucial for transporting heavy equipment, such as tanks and armored vehicles, directly to shore.
Upgraded Amphibs
Wasp class amphibs have been upgraded to accommodate modern strategic thinking in the realm of amphibious assault. US Amphibious Ready Groups and Marine Expeditionary Units are increasingly capable of “dis-aggregated,” yet securely networked operations. While initially configured for closely group operations, technological breakthroughs in networking and surveillance have enabled US amphibs to expand concepts of operation and enable more separate, disaggregated, independent operations for big-deck amphibs, Amphibious Transport Docks and Dock Landing Ships. This has been made possible by advanced antennas, networking connectedness and greater amounts of aviation and command and control built into smaller support ships such as LPDs and Dock Landing Ships. This greatly expands an operational envelope for amphibious operations while not decreasing any ability to operate in closer-in groups.
Wasp-class ships support the broader doctrine of expeditionary warfare. In an era where conflicts can arise quickly and in remote locations, the ability to deploy forces without relying on foreign bases is a significant advantage. These ships enable the U.S. military to operate in contested environments while maintaining logistical independence. This reduces reliance on host nations and allows for greater operational freedom.
Future Marine Corps
As the backbone of the Corps’ amphibious fleet, the WASP-class has been a foundational element of the Marine Corps’ broader shift to a lighter, faster, more lethal and more expeditionary force. As part of this, the Corps’ Marine Corps Force Design 2030 document calls for specific “stand-in” ready forces capable of conducting offensive operations in close proximity to enemy areas within the larger perimeter reach of longer-range weapons. As a result, the Corps has been refining an ability to conduct warfare operations in coastal and island areas throughout the Pacific such as the island chains in the South China Sea.
This transition, which includes a Corps emphasis on multi-domain operations and expeditionary weapons systems, has inspired the service to work with industry partners to anticipate future threats and requirements. For instance, forward operating “stand-in” forces will, according to Force Design, operate with a much greater concentration of drones, unmanned systems and manned-unmanned teaming to ensure mobile ISR and targeting and sustain connectivity with stand-off forces and other command and control nodes. Stand-In forces will also need self-protective capabilities and offensive firepower typically less available to mobile, dismounted, island-hopping units.
Weapons Modifications
These kinds of tactical scenarios drive a need for multi-domain, expeditionary weapons systems, one reason why Corps industry partners have sought to be enterprising and anticipate future service warfighting requirements. For example, Raytheon has been working with the Corps on a land-fired variant of the well-established ship-fired Naval Strike Missile. This weapon would travel with the Marines from ship to shore and help defend stand-in forces holding territory with a land-fired variant able to hold enemy ships at risk
The Operational Concept is to enable closer-in, faster, lighter and more expeditionary amphibious operations and quickly transit weapons and Marines from island to island or along littoral coastal areas without needing to risk a larger, more vulnerable footprint. Quick landings and close-in-ship-to-shore operations will be required to a much greater extent should the Corps find itself in need of protecting or taking over island chain, littoral and coastal areas.
Kris Osborn is President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.