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  • USNS John Glenn


    USNS John Glenn

    NAVY NAMES SHIP IN HONOR OF JOHN GLENN
    February 2, 2014

    SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- The Navy christened Mobile Landing Platform John Glenn Saturday during a ceremony in San Diego, Calif. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert delivered the ceremony's principal address, while Lyn Glenn, daughter of John Glenn, served as the ship's sponsor. Upon delivery to the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command, John Glenn will be designated as a United States Naval Ship, and will have a core crew of 34 civilian mariners who will operate and navigate the ship. "The christening of the future USNS John Glenn, a ship that will help usher in a new age of Navy and Marine Corps operations, is a fitting tribute to a man whose years of service to his nation as a Marine, a U.S. Senator and an astronaut helped shape the future of the United States itself," Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said.

    The future USNS John Glenn (MLP 2), will honor John Glenn, the legendary astronaut who is the last surviving member of the Mercury 7 crew. He was the first American to orbit the Earth on Friendship 7 and even flew aboard the Discovery space shuttle at the age of 77. In 1942 while a junior in college, Glenn enlisted in the Naval Reserve to become a naval aviation cadet. He then entered active duty to the Naval Aviation Pre-Flight School in Iowa and became a naval aviator while he was a Marine. Glenn flew 59 combat missions as a Marine during World War II along with 90 combat missions in Korea. He was also a U.S. Senator, serving for 25 years.

    John Glenn is the second ship of the Montford Point-Class. Using the commercially designed Alaska-class crude oil carrier as its base, the Navy's Strategic and Theater Sealift Program Office worked in conjunction with General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company to develop a design that supports the Navy's core capabilities while maintaining low costs. The ship will leverage float-on/float-off technology, allowing John Glenn to partially submerge, facilitating easy movement of cargo and craft. Additionally, the ship's size allows for 25,000 square feet of vehicle and equipment stowage space, tankage for 100,000 gallons of potable water and 380,000 gallons of JP-5 fuel storage. With this set of capabilities, the ship is able to easily transfer personnel and vehicles from other vessels such as the large, medium-speed, roll-on/roll-off ships (LMSRs) onto landing craft air cushioned vehicles and transport them ashore. MLP has a maximum speed of 15 knots and range of 9,500 nautical miles. At 785 feet long, MLPs displace more than 78,000 tons when fully loaded. The platform with its open, reconfigurable mission deck will serve as an important flexible and transformational asset to the Navy as it can be reconfigured to support a wide variety of future operations.

    John Glenn was born on July 18, 1921, in Cambridge. He grew up in New Concord.
    Good sailing :)
    sigpic

  • #2
    Originally posted by Minskaya View Post

    USNS John Glenn
    I understand that the big central deck is primarily intended to land LCACs and SSCs, but I am surprised that it isn't also marked for helicopters, doesn't seem to be configured for use with Navy/Marine H-53 or Army CH-47.
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    • #3
      Not a good platform for aircraft.

      That would be a wet deck in a sea and the air turbulence cause by the forecastle and the bridge structure probably makes for some difficult flying conditions.
      “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
      Mark Twain

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      • #4
        What aircraft?



        Mobile Landing Platform - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
        Attached Files
        No such thing as a good tax - Churchill

        To make mistakes is human. To blame someone else for your mistake, is strategic.

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        • #5
          The AFSB variant of the MLP (aka Ponce's replacement) will have a flight deck and hanger.

          Attached Files

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          • #6
            Here is another artist's concept of it in the AFSB role.
            Attached Files

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            • #7
              What I am about to say will upset some people, but I've never been known to hold fire when a target is so inviting. I am happy that Colonel Glenn is "only" getting some sort of gimmicky USNS tub named for him. Don't get me wrong; his career up through his time as one of the Mercury astronauts is deserving of something much grander, one of the Arleigh Burkes, certainly. However, his career in Congress leaves much to be desired, and some of his votes, in fact some that appear to have been cast solely so that he could have a Shuttle ride, would make it seem that he failed to keep faith with those in uniform. He voted for technology deals that gave the Chinese PLA a leg up on many of their weapons systems. Now, this is supposed to be one of the brighter bulbs in the firmament with regard to all things technical owing to his career as a test pilot and an astronaut, so how can he be so freaking stupid as to support technology transfers, that are sure to be weaponized sooner than later, and turned around and pointed at us, certainly by the Chinese, but maybe by the Iranians and North Koreans as well, and then be surprised when it happens. All so he can trip the light fantastic one more time. "Gee thanks Colonel Glenn (I won't besmirch his name further by calling him "Senator." He can thank that cow Boxer for that. I won't even piss on the title "Senator" any more thanks to her), enjoy your fat tub. I hope my son doesn't have to pay for it with his blood some time down the road."

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              • #8
                Originally posted by desertswo View Post
                What I am about to say will upset some people, but I've never been known to hold fire when a target is so inviting. I am happy that Colonel Glenn is "only" getting some sort of gimmicky USNS tub named for him. Don't get me wrong; his career up through his time as one of the Mercury astronauts is deserving of something much grander, one of the Arleigh Burkes, certainly. However, his career in Congress leaves much to be desired, and some of his votes, in fact some that appear to have been cast solely so that he could have a Shuttle ride, would make it seem that he failed to keep faith with those in uniform. He voted for technology deals that gave the Chinese PLA a leg up on many of their weapons systems. Now, this is supposed to be one of the brighter bulbs in the firmament with regard to all things technical owing to his career as a test pilot and an astronaut, so how can he be so freaking stupid as to support technology transfers, that are sure to be weaponized sooner than later, and turned around and pointed at us, certainly by the Chinese, but maybe by the Iranians and North Koreans as well, and then be surprised when it happens. All so he can trip the light fantastic one more time. "Gee thanks Colonel Glenn (I won't besmirch his name further by calling him "Senator." He can thank that cow Boxer for that. I won't even piss on the title "Senator" any more thanks to her), enjoy your fat tub. I hope my son doesn't have to pay for it with his blood some time down the road."
                You are not alone with those thoughts, Skipper! They should ammend the dictionary of medicine to include "politics" as a contagious disease! Another officer that could have gone on to "great" things was also ruined by his catching that little bug! I speak of (OK, I'll leave that title out too!) Captain John McCain! The man that ran for the WH was not the same man that came home from VN in March of 1973!

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by NavyDoc View Post
                  You are not alone with those thoughts, Skipper! They should ammend the dictionary of medicine to include "politics" as a contagious disease! Another officer that could have gone on to "great" things was also ruined by his catching that little bug! I speak of (OK, I'll leave that title out too!) Captain John McCain! The man that ran for the WH was not the same man that came home from VN in March of 1973!
                  Actually, I have two acquaintances who were active in the Naval Reserve here in Phoenix whom I met through the Navy League and again via the Military Officers Association of America meetings that I attend only infrequently (I have a nea-pathological need to NOT BELONG to any organisation who would have someone like me as a member), who were also members of his local staff (as opposed to the DC one). They say he's exactly the officer who arrived here from Vietnam . . . crazier than a shit house rat! His wife is even nuttier. I've met her, and she is a beautiful woman, but man, the elevator ain't going all the way to the top floor in that one. Suffice it to say that I have no use for him either, but I'll spot him his years in captivity. It won't make me any fonder of his voting record, but at least he has an excuse. I just wish I had an acceptable alternative to vote for, but there just isn't one because everyone is afraid of him. Glenn doesn't have that excuse.

                  You know when I really lost all respect for McCain? Back in 1999 (I think; it all runs together after awhile), I accompanied my boss on the Joint Staff, BrigGen Pat Adams, USAF to a brief that the Chairman, General Hugh Shelton, USA was delivering to the Senate Armed Services Committee. It was a presentation on the difficulties in recruiting and retention that the All Volunteer Force was having due to two factors: 1) The REDUX retirement system that was in effect for everyone who joined after 1986, and; 2) the strong economy that the nation was experiencing at that time. The so called "peace dividend" was kicking our asses only no one realized it because the fact that people weren't re-enlisting, or continuing their commissioned careers, was masked by a planned reduction in force (RIF) that followed in the wake of Desert Shield/Desert Storm and the collapse of the Soviet Union. The brief we entitled, "Houston, We Have A Problem" and it had taken some weeks to put together as we had to include RAND studies, work by Northwestern University sociologist Charlie Moskos (a really brilliant guy I was privileged to meet and listen to), and surveys given to all of the services.

                  The bottom line was that people said REDUX sucked, and that they looked around and saw people like me with the old retirement system and asked, "Why not me, and if not me, then why should I stay for 20?" And a great many of them weren't. Anyway, we taught the Chairman all the facts and figures, etc., and he did a masterful job of delivering it. And then the lunatic McCain got on his high horse and basically accused us all, including General Shelton, of being incompetent for not knowing these things sooner. As I said, no one saw it because it was masked by the planned RIF.

                  Anyway, it was downright shameful they way McCain carried on. General Shelton is a great officer and a great American, and he didn't deserve the sort of abuse being heaped upon him that morning. So, I had admired McCain up until that moment and from then on, forget about it! I vote for him because as I said, there is no viable alternative, but trust me, if there were, most middle-right voters in Arizona would be going for it.

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                  • #10
                    I'm sure General Shelton is not the only person McCain has ever abused before the Armed Services Committee. It seems to be the MO for many on that committee.

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                    • #11
                      So the US Navy has contracted Maersk to convert a ship - MV Cragside - into a Maritime Support Vessel (MSV) which will act as a mobile base of operations for special operations forces.

                      Story: Military Sealift Command to charter Maersk ship for

                      Ship: MV Cragside - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



                      My question is how is this different from the coming AFSB ships MLP-3 and MLP-4? Other than that the AFSB is perhaps more multi-role and the MSV focuses on SOF they seem like duplicate efforts. The MV Cragside is almost as large as the MLP class ships.

                      Any thoughts on why both classes might be required?
                      Attached Files

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                      • #12
                        It's considerably smaller than the MLP, but just from reading the short article you kind of get the vibe that maybe they need something in a hurry and for something already planned. The 1st 2 MLP's have minimal or no flight decks and the MLP-3 which does isn't ready yet. How's the Ponce doing? Maybe there is an issue there that isn't public knowledge yet and they need something to hold the fort until the Puller is ready to replace the Ponce. Just speculation of course.

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                        • #13
                          By all accounts, Ponce is doing quite well and should have at least a decade of life left if not more.

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                          • #14
                            Ponce is going to have the Laser Weapon System installed- maybe the Cragside spells her for the period of time it takes to install it?

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                            • #15
                              Going to be used to do vertreps with small boys, pc's and USCG vessels in the SOUTHCOM AOR as well as other logistic support.

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