The USMC should bite the bullet and buy Mistral LHDs if they're insisting on an aviation centric Marine Corps!

JESUS!  This aviation centric Marine Corps will be the death of good people! The idea of using the MV-22 on LPDs is stupid!  The idea that an LSD can become aviation centric is equally stupid!

They're taking old ship concepts and applying them to new build ships that mirror old concepts!

Wait.  Let me take a step back.  The MV-22 that crashed off the coast of Australia struck the deck of the USS Green Bay.  The GB is an LPD...a San Antonio class ship that is suppose to (by historical standards) help the ground combat element get ashore by LANDING CRAFT, AAVs or in the modern terminology, Ship to Shore Connectors!

They're taking the limited flight deck space of that ship to suddenly transform the Marine Corps to an aviation focused entity?

That's batshit stupid!  I cannot for the life of me figure out the thinking.  I've said it before and I'll say it again.  I think the aviation centric Marine Corps concept is silly, expensive and will break not only the Wing but the war winning ethos of the Corps.

But if we insist on doing it (a big mistake in my opinion) then why not get ships to support the concept!

The Mistral Class LHD is cheaper than the San Antonio and future LX(R), fits the concept that the Marine Corps is pushing AND will allow us to return to our balanced Marine Combat Team roots when someone with commonsense finally sits in the Commandant's chair again.

Get your full buy of America Class LHAs but for the rest of the amphibious fleet neck down to the Mistral class.

The benefits are many.  If you're going aviation centric then you have a proper ship to do it.  If you insist on disaggregated MEU operations then you have a better platform to get that done.  If you want to save money then you save a ton of it with this design!

We're seeing something weird going on with the Marine Corps.  They're trying to make square pegs fit into round holes.  I don't like the direction but if you're going that way then at least get the proper gear and ships to make it work!