Oil Tanker-Turned-Aircraft Carrier

[Temple]

Another interesting article on the War is Boring blog:

Oil Tanker-Turned-Aircraft Carrier Is Key to American Naval Expansion

On Sept. 15, shipyard workers at General Dynamics’ National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego floated the John Glenn, the second example of a new but little-known class of dock ship called a “mobile landing platform.”

Few people appreciate it, but the innocuous-looking John Glenn is also a sort of aircraft carrier … in everything but name. But she’s a different kind of carrier than Ford. She’s less specialized and much less heavily armed and armored—and greatly cheaper as a consequence: just $500 million. Her construction, starting in 2012, represents an important trend in the U.S. Navy.

I think the author doesn't quite have it right, since in my understanding both the USNS Montford Point and the USNS John Glenn are not being considered for aircraft usage.

We already have the USNS Montford Point in the DB3000 database (Ship #2350 T-MLP-1 Montford Point), and it seems the USNS John Glenn (T-MLP-2) will be the same, but the next in the series, the USNS Lewis B. Puller (T-MLP-3/T-AFSB-1) will supposedly also have a flight deck above the LCAC float off deck. Maybe we could ask to have that in the database once the specs are more clearly defined. And maybe it's just me, but I think the names of the second and the third ships of the series should be reversed, seeing as how Glenn was the aviator.

[JRyan]

Interesting indeed, didn't know about these..Thanks for the link.

[jomni]

Another one of those modular ships.

[CV32]

ORIGINAL: Temple
I think the author doesn't quite have it right, since in my understanding both the USNS Montford Point and the USNS John Glenn are not being considered for aircraft usage.

I think perhaps you're missing the author's point. He's making the argument that the Montford Point class ships could be pressed into service as an aviation platform of sorts, in a pinch and for much cheaper than the Ford class. [;)]

[smudge56]

And it would carry a lot of fuel [:D]

[Temple]

ORIGINAL: CV32

ORIGINAL: Temple
I think the author doesn't quite have it right, since in my understanding both the USNS Montford Point and the USNS John Glenn are not being considered for aircraft usage.

I think perhaps you're missing the author's point. He's making the argument that the Montford Point class ships could be pressed into service as an aviation platform of sorts, in a pinch and for much cheaper than the Ford class. [;)]

Well, pretty much any ship with a bit of flat deck could be used as an aviation platform in a pinch (think SS Atlantic Conveyor) if you think of it. The point in my comment was that for the purposes of CMANO we could add a T-AFSB class ship which would be already have the dedicated facilities on board.

[mrfeizhu]

In the 1980's the ARAPAHO SYSTEM was designed , it took a container ship , added asw equipment and helicopters and you had an ASW ship. The British in the Falklands war converted container ships to ferry helicopter and harriers . One was sunk by an Exocet .

ABSTRACT
This paper discusses the ARAPAHO System as a means of extending sea control assets during emergencies where a positive submarine /cruise missile threat to sea lanes has been identified, and where commissioned units (CVS, SCS, CV, etc.) are inadequate in number for the task.
Under the plan, selected ASW Helo Squadrons would be trained and equipped for duty aboard ships of opportunity, with prime candidate hulls being the larger, faster new container ships. Designated Squadrons, in addition to their standard aircraft and support gear, they would be assigned as many as 100 standard cargo containers especially modified for aviation support. These 8 × 8 × 20 ft. vans would provide aviation spares, maintenance, power, water, hotel accommodation, ASW stores, sensor systems, and even JP-5 fuel.
Exercised regularly at sea, the Aviation Units would be prepared to mobilize rapidly, deploy aboard the most accessible container ship, maintain round-the-clock air cover, and upon conclusion of the crisis, return to their home stations. The Host Ship immediately would remove the embarked containers and resume normal commercial operation.