Posted on Jun 18, 2016
Should we sell the 2 LHAs (Assault Ships) in mothballs at Pearl Harbor to Japan and the Phillipines instead of sinking both at RIMPAC?
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1. My friend here on RP, Col. John Cole, lives near the mouth of Pearl Harbor and he has seen two mothballed LHAs that are good candidates for Foreign Military Sales. His fear is that they will be sunk,eventually, as part of the yearly RIMPAC exercise.
2. We should sell one to the Phillipines and another to Japan along with the some of the AV-8 Harries that are going soon to DM AFB.
2. We should sell one to the Phillipines and another to Japan along with the some of the AV-8 Harries that are going soon to DM AFB.
Posted in these groups: 
Philippines
Japan
Philippines Japan
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 18
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I actually am in the unique position that I deployed on LHA 1 (USS Tarawa) in 1989 and also worked in the shipyard that got her ready for being mothballed in 2010. The costs of getting her seaworthy again would be astronomical. I actually would be all for scrapping them both. The steel in them alone is worth millions. Unfortunately, due to environmental laws, shipbreaking is no longerprofitable in the US, and current laws forbid the US Navy from having foriegn nations do shipbreaking. Nothing to do with security, its envirionmental and worker's health that was behind it. The cheapest thing to do is make them reefs. The costs of just keeping them in mothballs is too high to justify keeping them aropund.
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LCDR H. Craig Holoboski
I recommend selling both LHAs to the Philippine govt.
LCDR Holoboski, USN RET.
LCDR Holoboski, USN RET.
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Those are some tired old hulls and would need significant overhaul and SLEP - the AV-8 airframes are also at the end of the line - a lot of them are fairly close to max flight hours. While the Japanese have the technology base to support something like this, the Philipines wouldn't be able to maintain and support an LHA from a logistical standpoint, let alone AV-8.
Further, without appropriate escorts, an LHA is meaningless - so it's just not the LHA and airframes, it's the support infrastructure, suitable escorts (meaning capable AAW and ASUW platforms) - yes an LHA can be a 'baby carrier' but not that simple.
Furthermore the Japanese already have a very capable, much more modern helicopter carrier - the Izumo class 'helicopter destroyer' - while the Izumo class currently does not have a ski-jump ramp, it is a VSTOL capable platform and much more modern.
Further, without appropriate escorts, an LHA is meaningless - so it's just not the LHA and airframes, it's the support infrastructure, suitable escorts (meaning capable AAW and ASUW platforms) - yes an LHA can be a 'baby carrier' but not that simple.
Furthermore the Japanese already have a very capable, much more modern helicopter carrier - the Izumo class 'helicopter destroyer' - while the Izumo class currently does not have a ski-jump ramp, it is a VSTOL capable platform and much more modern.
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LTC (Join to see)
Thanks Gunny. i am being called the Good Idea fairy but that is why i am asking the experts here on RP for their feedback since some have worked on or in the ships and aircraft mentioned.
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GySgt Carl Rumbolo
No problem, beyond the maintenance issues, it is a matter of effective employment. As I stated, withouthe escorts, training, operational doctrine they would just be targets.
Yes the Japanese probably have the operational training and required logistical depth, but they already have a formidable surface fleet. The Phillipines needs patrol craft, frigates, etc, improved training and logistics. Better combat aircraft and maritime patrol aircraft. Those would be a bigger pain in the assignment to the Chinese
Yes the Japanese probably have the operational training and required logistical depth, but they already have a formidable surface fleet. The Phillipines needs patrol craft, frigates, etc, improved training and logistics. Better combat aircraft and maritime patrol aircraft. Those would be a bigger pain in the assignment to the Chinese
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CDR William Kramer
Japanese has LCACs at least as well as heavy lift Helos whjich would both be needed to operate this effectively but as has already been said, the ships themselves are "used up" and would require an enormous hull and engineering plant refurbishment just to be able to operate safely. Tank integrity as well as the critical electronics subsystems and support systems would also need extensive work.
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GySgt Carl Rumbolo
CDR William Kramer - exactly so - these are some tired old hulls - the cost to bring just one back to operational readiness is best invested elsewhere.
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Don't know the strategic case for or against this but a couple of those floating around the Pacific might just put a burr under the ChiCom's plans to intimidate the locals with artificial islands. Sure the higher-ups are keeping their options open on these two ships. It seems like yesterday they were touted as the newest and next best thing to come down the pike. Now they are passe and retired or being retired. 50 years already?
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CDR William Kramer
They are not passe, they are used up. The hulls and engineering plants would require enormous refurbishment at a minimum. The Engineering plants are pretty antiquated steam plants that are very labor intensive to operate and parts are not easy to find. Additional Highly Critical systems such as ballasting would also require complete overhaul.
Naval Ships have a lifespan when they are operated and maintained properly. These ships were run pretty hard for a very long time and that adds to the refurb requirement.
That said, what payloads would you put on them? The AV8 Harriers are in even worse shape and not really airworthy for more then the next couple of years. The more important payload for most navies would be Landing Craft, LCMs, LCUs and LCACs along with heavy Lift helicopters.
Naval Ships have a lifespan when they are operated and maintained properly. These ships were run pretty hard for a very long time and that adds to the refurb requirement.
That said, what payloads would you put on them? The AV8 Harriers are in even worse shape and not really airworthy for more then the next couple of years. The more important payload for most navies would be Landing Craft, LCMs, LCUs and LCACs along with heavy Lift helicopters.
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