Tag Archives: Mobile Landing Platform

Navy

Mobile Landing Platform

On June 12, 2015 General Dynamics NASSCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (GD), delivered the U.S. Navy’s newest ship, the USNS Lewis B. Puller (MLP-3/AFSB-1). The ship is named in honor of the late U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant General Lewis «Chesty» Puller, the most decorated Marine and the only one to be awarded five Navy Crosses. Construction on the USNS Lewis B. Puller began in 2013.

The USNS Lewis B. Puller (MLP-3/AFSB-1) sails past Point Loma during its Builders Trials on April 9th, 2015
The USNS Lewis B. Puller (MLP-3/AFSB-1) sails past Point Loma during its Builders Trials on April 9th, 2015

«Today’s delivery of the USNS Lewis B. Puller (MLP-3/AFSB-1) to the U.S. Navy symbolizes an immense culmination of efforts made by the hard-working men and women of the General Dynamics NASSCO shipbuilding team», said Kevin Mooney, vice president of operations at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard. «At NASSCO we are building and delivering affordable ships that are providing new and revolutionary capabilities for America’s Navy and Marine Corps».

The Afloat Forward Staging Base (ASFB) modifications add a 52,000 square-foot/4,831 square-meter flight deck, fuel and equipment storage, repair spaces, magazines, mission planning spaces and accommodations for up to 250 personnel. The ship is capable of supporting multiple missions including Air Mine Counter Measures (AMCM), counter-piracy operations, maritime security operations, humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions and Marine Corps crisis response. The ship is designed to support MH-53 and MH-60 helicopters, and will be upgraded to support MV-22 tilt rotor aircraft.

Earlier this year, NASSCO shipbuilders christened the ship with a ceremony at the company’s shipyard in San Diego. The commandant of the Marine Corps, General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., was the ceremony’s principal speaker. Ms. Martha Puller Downs, daughter of General Puller, served as the ship’s sponsor.

The U.S. Navy has awarded NASSCO a contract for the detail design and construction of a fourth Mobile Landing Platform (MLP), to be configured as another Afloat Forward Staging Base. Construction of the fourth MLP-4/AFSB-2 is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2015.

The USNS Lewis B. Puller (MLP-3/AFSB-1) undergoes Builders Trials April 9th, 2015
The USNS Lewis B. Puller (MLP-3/AFSB-1) undergoes Builders Trials April 9th, 2015

 

General Characteristics

Builder:                                              NASSCO

Propulsion:                                      Commercial Diesel Electric Propulsion

Length:                                              785 feet/239.3 m

Beam:                                                 164 feet/50 m

Displacement:                               78,000 tons (fully loaded)

Draft:                        29.5 feet/9 m (fully loaded); 39 feet/12 m (load line)

Speed:                                                15 knots/17 mph/28 km/h

Range:                      9,500 nautical miles/10,932 miles/17,594 km

Crew:                                                 34 Military Sealift Command personnel

Accommodations:                      250 personnel

 

Ships:

USNS Montford Point (MLP-1)

USNS John Glenn (MLP-2)

USNS Lewis B. Puller (MLP-3/AFSB-1)

USNS (MLP-4/AFSB-2) – Under construction

General Dynamics NASSCO Delivers USNS Lewis B. Puller (MLP-3/AFSB-1)
General Dynamics NASSCO Delivers USNS Lewis B. Puller (MLP-3/AFSB-1)
Navy

Pacific Horizon 2015

Last week, the Strategic and Theater Sealift Program Manager, Captain Henry Stevens, said that over months of at-sea testing, USNS Montford Point (MLP-1), the first ship of the U.S. Navy’s class of Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) demonstrated exceptional capabilities and inherent flexibility during her participation in a series of Post-Delivery Tests and Trials (PDT&T) events. These events, held in the Pacific Northwest and Southern California, successfully evaluated and demonstrated the performance of the ship and her systems.

USNS Montford Point (MLP-1) delivered on time and on budget in May 2013 and successfully completed Final Contract Trials
USNS Montford Point (MLP-1) delivered on time and on budget in May 2013 and successfully completed Final Contract Trials

PDT&T began on Montford Point in April 2014, following installation of her Core Capabilities Set (CCS) and in advance of achievement of the ship class’ Initial Operating Capability (IOC), which the U.S. Navy looks forward to declaring in April 2015.

Montford Point participated in many of PDT&T events, including the Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) end-to-end event, designed to determine the operational effectiveness and suitability of the program. Directly following completion of the end-to-end event, and without pulling into port, USNS Montford Point (MLP-1) displayed her capabilities during the Fleet’s Pacific Horizon 2015, a week-long scenario-driven humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise.

Throughout the course of these tests and exercises, USNS Montford Point demonstrated many of her capabilities by interfacing with prepositioning ships and the Improved Navy Lighterage System (INLS) to offload equipment and supplies for transshipment to shore by Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC). These capabilities are the cornerstone of the U.S. Navy’s seabasing strategy, further enabling large-scale logistics movements from sea to shore forces and prepositioned Marine Corps equipment from the Sea Base to the shore, significantly reducing dependency on foreign ports.

The ships' size allows for 25,000 square feet of vehicle and equipment stowage space
The ships’ size allows for 25,000 square feet of vehicle and equipment stowage space

 

Mobile Landing Platform

The Mobile Landing Platform will become the centerpiece of the Sea Base. It will facilitate the selective offload of prepositioned equipment. In concert with JHSV (Joint High Speed Vessel) and prepositioned LMSRs (Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off Ships), MLP will facilitate movement of forces and prepositioned Marine Corps equipment from the Sea Base to the shore via LCAC. The MLP is planned for use across the range of military operations including Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Response (HA/DR), Theater Security Cooperation, and Major Combat Operations.

USNS Montford Point (MLP-1) and vehicle cargo ship USNS Bob Hope (T-AKR 300) are moored alongside of each other during vehicle transfer operations
USNS Montford Point (MLP-1) and vehicle cargo ship USNS Bob Hope (T-AKR 300) are moored alongside of each other during vehicle transfer operations

 

Dimensions and Performance

Displacement:             78,000 tons (fully loaded)

Length, Overall:         785 feet/239.3 m

Beam:                               164 feet/50 m

Draft:                        29.5 feet/9 m (fully loaded); 39 feet/12 m (load line)

Sustained Speed:       >15 knots/17 mph/28 km/h

Endurance: over 9,500 NM/17,594 km at 15 knots/17 mph/28 km/h

Montford Point completes mooring operations with Joint High Speed Vessel USNS Millinocket (JHSV-3), and prepares to deploy Millinocket’s vehicle ramp
Montford Point completes mooring operations with Joint High Speed Vessel USNS Millinocket (JHSV-3), and prepares to deploy Millinocket’s vehicle ramp

 

Propulsion system

  • Twin-screw diesel electric
  • 4 MAN/B&W medium speed diesel main engines
  • 24 MW diesel electric plant
  • 2 MW Azimuth Vertically Retractable Bow Thrusters
During retrograde operations, vehicles are transported onboard a LCAC, to be transferred from Montford Point onto Bob Hope. The vehicles include, 2 M88 Armored Recovery Vehicles (ARV), 3 Internally Transportable Vehicle-Light Strike Vehicles (ITV-LSV), 3 Internally Transportable Vehicle-Prime Movers with Ammo Trailer (ITV-PM/AT), and 3 Armored High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) Expanded Capacity Vehicles (ECV)
During retrograde operations, vehicles are transported onboard a LCAC, to be transferred from Montford Point onto Bob Hope. The vehicles include, 2 M88 Armored Recovery Vehicles (ARV), 3 Internally Transportable Vehicle-Light Strike Vehicles (ITV-LSV), 3 Internally Transportable Vehicle-Prime Movers with Ammo Trailer (ITV-PM/AT), and 3 Armored High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) Expanded Capacity Vehicles (ECV)

 

Vehicle transfer

  • Skin to skin transfer to/from LMSR and JHSV
  • 25,000 square feet of vehicle stowage
  • Fender stowage and handling gear
USMC (U.S. Marine Corps) Vehicles transit from vehicle cargo ship USNS Dahl (T-AKR 313) on to Montford Point and are loaded on two LCACs, which will deliver the equipment ashore during the Pacific Horizon 2015 exercise
USMC (U.S. Marine Corps) Vehicles transit from vehicle cargo ship USNS Dahl (T-AKR 313) on to Montford Point and are loaded on two LCACs, which will deliver the equipment ashore during the Pacific Horizon 2015 exercise

 

Ship services

  • 34 Military Sealift Command (MSC) personnel
  • Including hotel Services to support berthing modules
    • 3 MW 60 Hz power
    • Over 100,000 gal potable water
  • Over 590,000 gal JP-5 (Jet Propellant 5)
An LCAC is launched from USNS Montford Point (MLP-1) during the ship’s participation in Pacific Horizon 2015
An LCAC is launched from USNS Montford Point (MLP-1) during the ship’s participation in Pacific Horizon 2015

 

LCAC support

  • 3 LCAC spots
  • Space for LCAC support containers (O-Level support)
  • 60 Hz
  • AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foam)
  • JP-5
  • Potable water/LCAC wash-down