INTERCEPTS
“The aging of the inventories and equipment used by the
services, the decline in the size of the Navy and the growing
stress on the force means that a train wreck is coming in the
areas of personnel, acquisition and force structure.”
The Independent Quadrennial Defense Review Panel
From its report “The QDR in Perspective: Meeting America’s National Security
Needs in the 21st Century.”
Inside Defense, July 26
“Before, the Iranian naval threat was seen as key. Now, we
have the possibility of al-Qaida-type groups that appear to be
learning from the tactics of pirates.”
the E-2D to Roughead. The aircraft
is assigned to Carrier Airborne Early
Warning Squadron 120, the fleet
readiness squadron that trains air
and maintenance crews for the
Hawkeye fleet.
The E-2D outwardly resembles
its E-2C predecessor but features
structural enhancements and new
mission equipment, including the
Lockheed Martin APY- 9 search radar
that enables the aircraft to scan larger areas, detect smaller targets at
longer ranges, and transmit target
data at greater speed and volume to
other units in the battle force.
Mustafa Alani
A security analyst at the Gulf Research Institute in Dubai
On the potential threat to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz after investigators in
the United Arab Emirates determined a terrorist attack had damaged a Japanese
oil tanker sailing in the region July 28.
New York Times, Aug. 7
unanimous in identifying shortcom-
ings in U.S. defense planning in its
report, “The QDR in Perspective:
Meeting America’s National Security
Needs in the 21st Century.”
Recapitalization of the equipment
of the armed forces after the attrition
and wear of the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan was one of the foremost
concerns of the panel. It also recom-
mended a buildup of Navy forces in
the western Pacific out of concern for
the increased modernization of Chi-
na’s People’s Liberation Army Navy.
“The United States must be fully
present in the Asia-Pacific region to
protect American lives and territory,
ensure the free flow of commerce,
maintain stability and defend our
allies in the region. A robust U.S.
force structure, one that is largely
rooted in maritime strategy and
includes other necessary capabilities,
will be essential,” the report said.
The panel recommended increas-
ing the size of the Navy to 346 ships,
compared with the 313 to 323 rec-
ommended by the QDR and the cur-
rent force of 286. Its force-level rec-
ommendations include 10 to 11 air-
craft carriers, 55 attack submarines,
and four guided-missile submarines
(SSGNs) — notably recommending
building a follow-on to the four cur-
rent Ohio-class SSGNs.
Roughead Accepts
Advanced Hawkeye
Chief of Naval Operations Adm.
Gary Roughead has accepted the E-
2D Advanced Hawkeye radar early
warning aircraft into fleet service,
another milestone in the plan to
replace the current E-2C version
on the Navy’s aircraft carrier decks.
In ceremonies July 29 at Chambers Field on Naval Station Norfolk,
Va., Gary Ervin, corporate vice president and president of Northrop
Grumman’s Aerospace Systems unit
in Redondo Beach, Calif., presented
Second LHA Replacement
Funded by NAVSEA
Naval Sea Systems Command has
awarded a contract to Northrop
Grumman Shipbuilding for advance
procurement of materials for the
Navy’s second America-class amphibious assault ship (LHA).
The $175 million contract,
awarded June 30, funds the purchase
of long-lead materials and major
components such as the main reduction gears for the ship. The lead ship,
LHA 6 — the future USS America —
is under construction at Northrop
Grumman’s Gulf Coast shipyards.
The America class will replace
the Tarawa-class LHAs in the
amphibious warfare fleet. Two of
the five Tarawa-class ships have
been decommissioned.
The 844-foot-long America will
displace 44,854 tons and feature a
hybrid propulsion system of gas turbines and electric drive. The ship,
with a crew of 1,204 Sailors, will be
able to accommodate a landing
force of 1,871 Marines. The ship,
which does not feature a well deck,
is designed to operate the MV- 22
Osprey tiltrotor transport aircraft
and the F-35B Lightning II. ■
Reporting by Seapower Correspondent
Megan Scully. Managing Editor Richard
R. Burgess and Assistant Editor John C.
Marcario contributed to this report.
12
SEAPOWER / SEPTEMBER 2010
