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Subject:
RE:comparison with UK in next future
Rule Britannia
1/9/2005 1:54:47 AM
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?BAY class are improved cargo and not full amphibious ships.?
Where did you get that from?
The Bay Class were designed by Swan Hunter Shipbuilding and Engineering and are based on the Enforcer LPD type, a tailored variant of the Netherlands Navy LPD HMS Rotterdam. The certainly could not be equally substituted by Ro-Ro transports in capability. The only real operational difference between them and the Albion Class LPD?s is that they provide the central command and control function for the amphibious group while the LSD?s transport the mainstay of Troops and heavy equipment into the battle zone. The facilities on board are completely tailored to it?s role as an amphibious Landing Ship Dock with secondary disaster relief and other humanitarian mission capabilities. The Bay class has a docking area able to accommodate a single LCU Mk10, 2x LCLU or 4x LCAC type hovercraft. The Bay class is capable of accommodating and supporting either 1 Harrier V/STOL type aircraft, 1 Chinook, 1 V-22 Osprey or 2 EH-101 Merlins. As offloading at sea is now the ubiquitous method of conducting an amphibious operation as opposed to beaching valuable landing ships, a lesson learned in the Falklands in the Bluff Cove disaster, the Bay class offer some very prominent advantages; Able to offload in conditions up to and including Sea State 3, Able to carry more than twice as many vehicles (about 1200 Linear metres of vehicles and carry 12 x 40 TEU or 24 x 24 TEU containers.) as the Sir Class and with a stern dock for landing craft means that you are able to offload them at sea much more quickly rather than relying totally on Mexeflotes. Able to carry considerably more troops (356 fully equipped troops, although this can be increased to 500 using undesignated space, or to 700 in war "overload" conditions.) The upgraded RFA Sir Bedivere will remain in service, complimenting the capabilities of the Bay Class.
Nowadays we offload at sea, ?over the horizon? and protected by the task group. As the design brief states how the vessels will be utilised as part of an Amphibious force, the Royal Navy Amphibious Task Group (ATG) will include at least one Albion Class Landing Platform Dock (LPD) as the command ship, one Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH - either HMS Ocean or an Invincible Class Aircraft Carrier in its secondary LPH role), and normally two Bay Class Auxiliary Landing Ship Dock (LSD?s). In an assault landing operation, the first wave of troops are landed on the beach by landing craft from the LPD?s - HMS Albion and/or Bulwark and by a "vertical assault" on vital points somewhat inland by helicopters from the LPH (e.g. HMS Ocean), to establish a beachhead and landing zone. The LSD's are initially positioned about 20nm offshore and remain over-the-horizon during the first wave assault, they may use landing craft and helicopters to help offload the second wave and subsequent waves of troops and equipment from themselves. When the beach area and landing zone have been finally confirmed as secure, the LSD's will approach the landing zone and from just one or two thousand yards off-shore will deploy Mexeflotes (motorised pontoons) to assist in the quick and efficient offloading of the heavy vehicles and equipment that they carry. Once a harbour has been secured, Point Class and Sea Centurion/Sea Crusader "Ro-Ro" Strategic Transport's and ships taken up from trade (STUFT) will bring in further reinforcements and re-supply the force (although if this is not available they can offload via Mexeflotes and Landing Craft supplied from the LSD?s.
?but no more power than commissioned civilian ships of France in a real war.?
I think you are forgetting that the UK can also call upon this factor and have access to large high performance fast ferries like the Stena HSS and Seacat fleets on top of our considerably larger merchant navy. The Point class gives the Royal Navy a reliable and unrivalled task force and landing support capability outside of the US to support rapid deployments as part of Joint Rapid Deployment Force (JRDF) operations.
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