South Korea's new 14,500-ton amphibious assault ship....are we building the right ships for amphibious assault?

via Korea Herald.

South Korea's new 14,500-ton amphibious assault ship will make its public debut Monday, boasting improved combat and radar systems using the country's own technology, the state arms agency said.

Defense Minister Song Young-moo plans to host the launch ceremony for the Marado ship at the shipyard of Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Co. in Busan in the afternoon, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.

The minister's wife Koo Ja-jeong is scheduled to cut the rope tethering the vessel with a hand axe in a symbolic tradition for the ceremonial launch of a naval ship.

Named after the nation's southernmost island, it will be the South Korean Navy's second large-scale transport ship after the Dokdo of the same class.

Story here.

I've always wondered why most of our allies have been able to produce and use "small" amphibs while even our LPD and future LSD are both heavier than their largest offerings.

Does our way of doing business make sense?

We have LHA's that can carry the equivalent of a full MEU's personnel solo.

We have bastardized the LPD's mission to become "aviation centric" and done the same to the upcoming future LSD.

Would it not make more sense to halt the madness and if "aviation centric" is going to be the way forward to have a fleet composed of Big Deck LHA's for the F-35 and every other amphib based on the excellent French Mistral class or even this ship?