US lacks clear plan to meet amphibious ship requirements, Marine Corps chief says
The USMC has requested a San Antonio-class LPD in its unfunded priorities list as a means of sending a message about the lack of a plan to meet shipping requirements. (Photo: US DoD)
Speaking to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee during a hearing on the Fiscal Year 2024 budget request for the USN and USMC, Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen David Berger said there was ‘no plan’ for the US to meet its statutory minimum requirements for amphibious warships.
The USMC has included LPDs as the number one priority on its unfunded list this year, something the branches of the US armed forces provided to lawmakers as essentially a shopping list of capabilities that did not make it onto the requested budget.
In its 2024 budget request, the USN halted procurement of San Antonio-class ships to perform studies on the platform.
Berger told Senators: ‘This budget proposes early decommissioning of three of those LSDs with no construction, no acquisition of an LPD.
‘From my role as defining what the requirements are and the statutory minimums of 31, there’s
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Ukraine war drives ‘minimum deployable capability’ doctrine in uncrewed systems development]()
Ukraine war drives ‘minimum deployable capability’ doctrine in uncrewed systems development
Ukraine’s battlefield has rewritten the rules of uncrewed systems development. For Syos Aerospace, real-time operator feedback, lean serial production and a system-of-systems philosophy are central to its operating model.
-
![AUKUS advance on UUVs contrasts with Virginia-class compromise]()
AUKUS advance on UUVs contrasts with Virginia-class compromise
The AUKUS partnership is accelerating uncrewed undersea capability while its submarine arm inches forward, and Australia’s decision to settle for three in-service Virginia-class boats raises questions about industrial risk, dependency and whether Pillar II may deliver meaningful capability long before Pillar I can.
-
![Peru partnership may serve as a template for South Korean naval exports into South America]()
Peru partnership may serve as a template for South Korean naval exports into South America
With a growing pipeline of naval modernisation programmes in South America, South Korean companies could be set to expand their presence in the region as recent contract wins highlight growing collaboration.
-
![AUKUS plan B? Japan’s submarines stopgap gains traction]()
AUKUS plan B? Japan’s submarines stopgap gains traction
Australia’s Collins-class life of type extension has revived debate over whether Canberra needs a contingency plan as risks to every stage of the AUKUS pathway mount. With Japan newly open to exports, the case for a diesel-electric stopgap is gaining traction.
-
![Seoul’s SSN programme launch raises questions on fuel, tech and build location]()
Seoul’s SSN programme launch raises questions on fuel, tech and build location
Seoul has unveiled its “Jangbogo-N Project” to develop domestically built, nuclear-propelled attack submarines in close coordination with Washington, marking an escalation of the Republic of Korea’s deterrence posture against Pyongyang’s undersea nuclear capabilities.
