F-35, MV-22 Osprey, Drones: USS America Ushers in New Era in Amphibious Warfare – F-35, Osprey, Drones

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

The fast-emerging fleet of US Navy America-class amphibious assault ships is designed to capture a growing blend of technological advances to include the ability to project airpower in a maritime environment in ways that were never historically 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 captilalize upon range, sensing and attack possibilities introduced by the Osprey and F-35B do impact the tactical equation in a variety of key resepcts. 

The U.S. Navy is now surging ahead with its 3rd America-class amphibious assault ship designed to support new concepts of amphibious assault moving into the future. There is an increased need for new concepts of operation involving the greater use of unmanned systems and the need to project 5th-generation air power from the ocean.

America-Class, Explained

The original concept for the America-class amphibious assault ship was to leverage the range and capacity of aviation assets such as the F-35B and Osprey tiltrotor to project power from the sea in support of air-sea attack operations.

The first two America class ships, the USS America and USS Tripoli, were built without a well-deck to fully optimize air assets; the Osprey operates with a 450 nautical miles combat radius and can transport Marines, weapons and equipment behind enemy lines for Mounted Vertical Maneuver operations.

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 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.”