The Navy Times (read it here) is reporting that the keel will be laid for an MLP named after Chesty Puller. My first reaction was WTF! A Marine Corps great is having a glorified cargo ship named for him but a sorry ass Congressman (Murtha...not speaking bad of the dead, just the truth) gets a real warship?
Time for the Navy to take a serious look at ship namings. This is too close to an insult for comfort. One of the Top 5 Marines of all time gets an MLP. Geez.
I was pissed Murtha got a warship, now this...wow! Are there any top brass fighting this at all? They couldn't have picked Krulak or Mundy? I guess not Mundy, since he's on the board with GD.
ReplyDeleteFirst off let me say it is SUCH A SHAME to name these secondary support ships after such great USMC heros.
ReplyDeleteI would note that CNO has said that an AFSB is to be cut, but it is unclear to me IF that is #2 MLP or #3 MLP. I could easily see #2 not being converted and #3 being cut all-together?
You should gIve up on the Navy changing it ship naming SO LONG AS THIS SECNAV is in office.
I noted the below in the official Navy prerel (and would warn the readers not to believe everything one reads in the news): The Navy seems to think that any semi-submersible can be a boat tender?
"Lewis B. Puller is planned to be the first MLP afloat forward staging base (AFSB) variant, further enabling the capability to transfer vehicles and equipment at sea while meeting AFSB operational requirements such as airborne mine countermeasures and special operations forces missions. At 837 feet long, each ship displaces over 80,000 tons when loaded. The ship will have a maximum speed of 15 knots and range of 9500 nautical miles. The Lewis B. Puller is expected to deliver to the Navy in 2015."