note also the propulsor units inside on the cargo deck. Brits use Mexeflotes as barge ferries much like USN uses INLS pontoons. But all INLS are on MPS and Lo/Lo discharged. A gap in USN inter-operability between amphibs and sealift ships IHHO.
Mexeflotes are just a easy to load and handle as USN INLS pontoons, if not somewhat easier since they are slightly larger sections. See their use in Haiti and more recently in NATO/British exercises. And more to the point, regular RFA ships can bring them along with OUT covering their main decks. That was the big problem with sideloading them on the old Newport class and on current MPS.
NO USN amphib/warship has much interoperability to INLS. Somehow the regular navy sees them as "for sealift only" dumb! They say the JHSV can take INLS alongside?
RFA Bay clas ships were rated as LSD(Auxiliary) and built to commercial rules.
ReplyDeleteNote the sideloaded Mexeflotes on the ship, a capability that the USN has given up.
i like the mexeflotes but how hard are they to deploy???
ReplyDeletenote also the propulsor units inside on the cargo deck. Brits use Mexeflotes as barge ferries much like USN uses INLS pontoons. But all INLS are on MPS and Lo/Lo discharged. A gap in USN inter-operability between amphibs and sealift ships IHHO.
ReplyDeleteMexeflotes are just a easy to load and handle as USN INLS pontoons, if not somewhat easier since they are slightly larger sections. See their use in Haiti and more recently in NATO/British exercises. And more to the point, regular RFA ships can bring them along with OUT covering their main decks. That was the big problem with sideloading them on the old Newport class and on current MPS.
ReplyDeleteNO USN amphib/warship has much interoperability to INLS. Somehow the regular navy sees them as "for sealift only" dumb! They say the JHSV can take INLS alongside?