After talking to General Mullen and Mr. Strock one thing stood out. Connectors were a concern of both men. Here is a pictorial rundown of just a few of the designs that were hinted at....understand that this isn't everything that is being considered AND these can be called the SSC after next. The SSC is the near term future.
The early candidates....
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| Ultra Heavy Lift Amphibious Connector. |
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| The Power Augmented Ram Landing Craft (PARLAC). |
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| PASCAT 128M High Speed Connector. This is really a blast from the past. I'd like to see a JHSV modified in the same way. This is a personal favorite that I'll be writing McCain about...This has the potential to be a modern day LST. |
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| LCU-F. Note that this is the only design that I see with self defense weapons as part of its concept. |
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| JHSV. The talk about transporting AAVs or ACVs to about 3 miles offshore and doing an "instream launch" is real. That alone would include it in the connector conversation BUT (and this is only my impression) considering the work done with the ramps on these ships to get them into service and the budget crunch I almost expect modifications to allow them to (depending on the beach) drop gear ashore. |
The problem is....Money. Fortunately these designs are all within the realm of the possible. They're not exotic and the only issue is affordability and determining which one gives the most bang for the buck.
Don't get too excited though. If the SSC serves as long as the LCAC then you're looking at 2040 before we see one of these boats in service.
