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To the layman, the words "amphibious assault" probably conjure up visions of thousands of assault craft landing on the beaches of Normandy or disgorging Marines onto the islands of the Pacific.
Although some aspects of amphibious assault have remained constant during the past 40-plus years, the Navy's amphibious assault force has
The USS New Orleans (LPH-11) was commissioned in 1968, the next-to-last of seven Iwo Jima- class amphibious assault ships. She may well be steaming in the 21st century. One of her CH-46E Sea Knights, guided by a landing signal enlisted (LSE), returns to pick up more Marines, waiting below on the hangar deck. The Marine Corps hopes to begin replacing these helicopters with MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft in the early 1990s but the program has been affected by recent budget reductions.
matured and changed significantly. Modern ships, aircraft, and assault craft are revolutionizing the nature of amphibious warfare. The Navy/Marine Corps team has adopted new tactics and entered new mission areas to capitalize on this new equipment. Today's amphibious force can carry out a variety of missions ranging from conventional assaults to evacuations of noncombatants.
In this day of precision-guided munitions, amphibious forces located within sight of landing beaches are put at an unacceptable level of risk. Most of the changes wrought in the amphibious assault navy, particularly during this decade, have been designed to minimize this risk by providing assault forces with an over-the-horizon capability.
The amphibious assault ship (helicopter) featured on these pages, the USS New Orleans (LPH-11), represents the old, but reliable, technology that will eventually be phased out of the amphibious inventory. Built in the early-to-mid-1960s, these ships were the first evolutionary step for large- deck assault ships. The Navy's five
-vry-inlN iki/Ni ir orni ill rUirvr / r-t /-» •-* /-»w -* I
pose) or LHAs, currently in servic were the next step. The current step1 the LHD, the amphibious assaultt s ’P (multipurpose). The first ship of 1 ' class, the Wasp (LHD-1), was commi sioned this year. Each successive ge eration of large-deck ships, as we other modern ships such as the U ^ Whidby Island (LSD-41 )-class landing ship (dock), has been able to °P^|?' with new types of aircraft and land1 craft, enhancing the assault fotce over-the-horizon capability.
The aircraft featured in these PaSe ' CH-46A Sea Knights, CH-53E Sup Stallions, AH-1W Super Cobras, a UH-1N Huey Cobras, provide Navy/Marine Corps team with an ove the-horizon vertical assault capab' that didn't exist with older helicopte^ Additionally, ships such as the N Orleans have been test beds for v ^ tical/short takeoff and landing STOL) naval aircraft, AV-8 Harris ^ designed to provide close air suppor ^
troops on the beach, and the new '
Osprey, which is designed to rep , the CH-46 and deliver troops launC ^ even farther away from the Ian 1 p
beach. -.t,
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58
Ircraft modernization, has enabled ^Phibious forces to achieve greater
^ar|doff distances. Assault craft such as 5e "Mike boats" (LCM-6 and LCM-8) ^ landing craft (utility) with a top (Peed often knots have obvious liabili- c®s- The advent of the LCAC (landing , a‘f air cushion) with a speed of up to I knots and a 75-ton maximum pay- l has provided a heretofore un- j.eard-of over-the-horizon capability. J^hermore, the LCAC's ability to ig- 0re tides, surf conditions and beach
gradients has allowed amphibious forces to quadruple the number of beach areas they can assault.
In addition to adding new ships, aircraft, and assault craft to their inventory, the Navy/Marine Corps amphibious assault forces are capitalizing on other new technology to increase their combat effectiveness. Night vision goggles enable Marine pilots to operate safely on board ship and in landing zones with minimal ambient light. Newer self-defense systems such as improved close-in weapon systems and Stinger missiles enable amphibious assault groups to provide a more well-rounded defense-in-depth.
During the past 20 years the Navy/ Marine Corps amphibious assault team has also developed tactics to enhance its effectiveness. SPIE rigs (in which Marines are flown into landing zones suspended from the helicopter on specially designed ropes) and fast rope techniques (which allow Marines to touch down in a landing zone from a hovering helicopter) enable the team to put more men in land zone faster. Innovative methods have been found to launch assault craft more rapidly. The Marine Corps has completely reorganized some units to achieve a tailored capability to extract hostages.
The combination of new, superbly capable equipment and new, innovative tactics has made the 1980s an exciting transition period for the Navy/ Marine Corps team.
Commander George V. Galdorisi is the executive officer of the New Orleans and has served in light airborne multipurpose system (LAMPS) squadrons on both U. S. coasts. He most recently commanded a light antisubmarine helicopter squadron, HSL-43, and is the prospective commanding officer of HSL-41.
59
°ceedings / November 1989