Mobile Landing Platform Ships

[Kunal Biswas]

Mobile Landing Platform Ships

The Department of the Navy's three Mobile Landing Platform ships will be named the USNS Montford Point, the USNS John Glenn and the USNS Lewis B. Puller, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced today.

"I chose to name the department's new MLPs Montford Point, John Glenn and Lewis B. Puller as a way to recognize these American pioneers and heroes both collectively and individually," said Mabus. "The courage shown by these Marines helped forge the Corps into the most formidable expeditionary force in the world."

The USNS Montford Point honors the approximately 20,000 African American Marine Corps recruits who trained at the North Carolina facility from 1942-1949. Their exceptional service prompted President Truman to sign an executive order in 1948 ending segregation in the U.S. military services. These 20,000 Marines were recently recognized with our nation's highest civilian honor for distinguished achievement, the Congressional Gold Medal.

The USNS Montford Point will be the first-of-class ship. It is expected to deliver in fiscal 2013 and be operational in fiscal 2015.

The second MLP, the USNS John Glenn, honors Col. John Glenn, a decorated Marine Corps pilot, distinguished astronaut, Congressional Space Medal of Honor recipient and U.S. Senator. During his time with the Marine Corps, Glenn flew 59 combat missions during World War II and a combined 90 missions over the course of two tours in the Korean War.

The final auxiliary support ship, the USNS Lewis B. Puller, is named in honor of Lt. Gen. Lewis "Chesty" Puller, the most decorated Marine in history and the only one to be awarded five Navy Crosses.

The MLP is a flexible platform that will provide capability for large-scale logistics movements such as the transfer of vehicles and equipment from sea to shore. It will significantly reduce dependency on foreign ports and provide support in the absence of any port, making it especially useful during disaster response and for supporting Marines once they are ashore.

The MLP in its basic form possesses a core capability set that supports a vehicle staging area, sideport ramp, large mooring fenders and up to three landing craft air cushioned vessel (LCAC) lanes.

The three ships will be constructed by General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) in San Diego, Calif.

Interested media may contact Secretary of the Navy Public Affairs at 703-697-7491.

Defense.gov News Release: Navy Names First Three Mobile Landing Platform Ships

 

[Kunal Biswas]

 

[asianobserve]

USNS Montford Point Christened In San Diego
By US Navy on Tuesday, March 5th, 2013

The Navy's first mobile landing platform ship, USNS Montford Point (T-MLP 1), was christened at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego, March 2.

Owned and operated by Military Sealift Command, Montford Point was christened by its sponsor, Alexis "Jackie" Bolden, the wife of current NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. Gen. James F. Amos, Commandant of the Marine Corps, delivered the ceremony's principal address and Rear Adm. Mark H. Buzby, commander of MSC, also spoke on behalf of the ship and crew.

"This ship, with its unique capabilities, will become the centerpiece of sea-basing, allowing the U.S. Navy to raise forward-operations to a new level," said Buzby.

"Wherever the call, whatever the need, USNS Montford Point will be part of the Navy's global force for good," he said.

The first of three MLPs being built for MSC by NASSCO, Montford Point will join MSC's Maritime Prepositioning Force as a seagoing pier in the event that accessibility to onshore bases is denied.

Montford Point is named in honor of the 20,000 African-American Marine Corps recruits who trained at Montford Point Camp, N.C., from 1942 to 1949. It's the corner stone of the Navy's sea-base concept, serving as a transfer point for a Marine Corps amphibious landing force between large ships and ship-to-shore landing craft. The ship also provides the ability to transfer vehicles and equipment at sea while interfacing with surface connectors to deliver the vehicles and equipment ashore, improving the Navy's ability to deliver equipment and cargo from offshore to an amphibious objective.

Its flexibility is critical for humanitarian response to natural disasters and for support to warfighters ashore. The size allows for 25,000 square feet of vehicle and equipment stowage space and 380,000 gallons of JP-5 fuel storage. A crew of 34 civilian mariners employed by MSC will operate the ship once delivered to the fleet.

"I salute the ship's first master, Capt. Kurt Kleinschmidt, his chief engineer, Bill Maus, and the rest of the U.S. Merchant Marine crew," said Buzby.

"Their determination will stand this ship and its mission in good stead as they sail anywhere on the globe that the mission sends them," he said.

MSC operates approximately 110 noncombatant, civilian-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships, conduct specialized missions, strategically preposition combat cargo at sea around the world and move military cargo and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces and coalition partners.


Read more: USNS Montford Point Christened In San Diego | Navy & Maritime Security News at DefenceTalk

 

[Armand2REP]

I guess this is just for equipment? No Marine wants to live on a cargo ship! :shocked:

 

[asianobserve]

I guess this is just for equipment? No Marine wants to live on a cargo ship! :shocked:

Based on articles on the subject it appears that that this ship will operate like a floating dock where military sea lift ships can unload their cargoes to. From the Mobile Landing Platform these equipments will then be ferried to the shore by LCAC and other landing crafts. So I think troops will pass through this ship on the way to shore. But not stay there for extended periods.