LHAR assault carrier

[ORAC]

January 24, 2006: The United States Defense Acquisition Board has approved the Landing Helicopter Assault (LHA)-Replacement amphibious assault ship program to enter system development and demonstration (SDD) phase. The Northrop Grumman LHA(R) will be the U.S. Navy's newest multifunctional and most versatile, amphibious assault ship, incorporating enhanced aviation capabilities centred around the STOVL F-35B Joint Strike Fighter and the V-22 tilt-rotor Osprey. The LHA(R) will be a variant of the gas-turbine powered LHD 8. This longer and wider ship will provide increased aviation capability, vehicle lift, cargo magazine capacity, better survivability, increased habitability standards and greater service life margins. The LHA(R) will replace the LHA 1 (Tarawa) class of amphibious assault ships, and will have the flexibility to operate in the traditional role as the flagship for an Expeditionary Strike Group

http://www.gizmag.co.uk/pictures/hero/5082_24010685241.jpg

the LHA-R is expected to carry more aircraft than any other amphibious assault ship. The Marines agreed to give up the well deck in the LHA-R design to make room for 23 Joint Strike Fighters, 28 MV-22 Ospreys, or a combination of aircraft. Giving up the well deck means no air-cushion landing craft or amphibious assault vehicles can be launched from the ship.

“Not having the well deck basically gives you more volume for the major mission equipment,” said Arnie Moore, chief engineer with Northrop Grumman Ship Systems. The company is working on the design of the LHA-R. “It’s a long, very large space, and it’s not subdivided into a number of smaller spaces,” he said. “I believe that they’re going to have a lot of capability there to support the air wing that they don’t currently have now.”

Without a well deck, the LHA-R will have to join other vessels for amphibious assaults, according to the Navy. The LHA-R is meant to replace the existing four LHAs in the fleet....

General Characteristics, LHA(R) Class
Builder: TBD (currently undergoing functional design).
Date Deployed: Scheduled for delivery to the fleet in 2013.
Propulsion: Two marine gas turbines, two shafts, 70,000 total brake horsepower.
Length: 921 feet (280.7 meters).
Beam: 116 feet (35.4 meters).
Displacement: Approximately 50,100 long tons (50,905 metric tons) full load.
Speed: 20+ knots.
Aircraft: A mix of: F-35B Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) STOVL aircraft; MV-22 Osprey VTOL tiltrotors; CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopters; UH-1Y Huey helicopters; AH-1Z Super Cobra helicopters; MH-60S Seahawk helicopters.

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be interested in a naval type doing a comparison between the LHAR and CVF...

[Navaleye]

Too small in terms of flight deck size and presumably hangar space to house the desired air group and hence deliver the strike capability requested. Too slow as well. But... much better than an Invincible ! Sooner have CVF any day.

[LowObservable]

Sudden realization hits that JSF and Osprey are both heavier and thirstier than their predecessors. Therefore need a dedicated aircraft carrier (no well deck, functionally all-aviation) if you want to support more than one type.

[Black 'n Yellar]

Having experienced both ways of doing business on 'large aircraft carrying vessels' it seems to me that the best way is to keep jets on one platform and helicopters on another (CVS / LPH). Trying to fly fixed wing aircraft off an LHD that is also operating helos is incredibly challenging, with everybody wanting their slice of the pie. It just needs 1 helo to break down and be unable to fold its blades and the fixed wing are unable to launch.
Also jets adhere much more rigorously to launch times and charlie times whereas helicopters launch when they are ready and recover when they are ready (I have flown both before any accusations flow). Different aircraft types have very different needs which are hard to integrate. I think this will only be accentuated with the advent of F35 and Osprey.

[Washington_Irving]

LHA- Largest Hotel Afloat

We're forgetting the obvious here- one of the two types under comparison in the LHA/CVF debate would presumably be chock-a-block full of cross-dressing, rollmat-swinging Booties in UK service.:E

I know where I'd rather be, and it wouldn't be in the naked milling circle...

[AlanCC]

Sudden realization hits that JSF and Osprey are both heavier and thirstier than their predecessors. ...

... and noisier - so just how noisy will it be on the gallery deck?

[GengisKhant]

It was announced today in Parliment that all RAF UK bases are to close by 2010. The Government has decided to purchase two of the US tried and tested Northrop Grumman LHA(R) multifunction assault ships, incorporating enhanced aviation capabilities centred around the Typhoon (N version), and F-35B Joint Strike Fighter.

A Government spokesperson said "as the RAF are due to downsize to just 100 aircraft (including helicopters) by 2010, two of these ships will save £Ms on main base estate and support costs".

This much needed money will be a welcome addition to the current spending (80%GDP), currently spent to support the projected increase costs of housing for single parents, and for supplying the ever increasing "free" supplies and fixes to the growing number of class A users, who by 2010 will represent 80% of the UK population.

An official spokesperson from the RAF when hearing the statement was heard to say F**kc it...., screwed again... I'm off for a smoke...!!!!!