US Navy Commissions Mesa Verde

The United States Navy reports that it will commission the USS Mesa Verde on 15 December in Panama City, Florida. The Mesa Verde is the first ship of that name in the Navy, a San Antonio class amphibious transport dock ship (LPD).

LPDs will carry Marines and deploy them in air cushion vehicles, Expeditionary Fighting Vehicles and Osprey, tilt-rotor aircraft (MV-22). The ship has a flight deck aft and a launch port aft to deploy the vehicles. The crew consists of 360 officers and Sailors and three Marines. It can carry 800 US Marines, at surge level, and travel at 22 knots. Home port is Norfolk, Virginia, and its first commanding officer is Cmdr. Shawn W. Lobree.

The LPDs will replace a number of classes of ships: LPD 4, LSD 36, LKA 113, and LST 1179.

They cost approximately $419 million each. Earlier ships in the class had many problems in construction, but Mesa Verde came through the process in much better shape.

It is armed with Two Bushmaster II 30mm Close in Guns, one fore and one aft, and two Rolling Airframe Missile Launchers, fore and aft, not to mention any weapons that the aircraft aboard will be able to deploy.

It will carry two LCACs (hovercraft) or one LCU, and 14 Expeditionary Fighting Vehicles. The 90 foot hovercraft can carry a tank, many Humvees and other assorted material, and reach a speed of over 50 knots. The ship can launch two Ospreys or up to four helicopters of various kinds. At this point, nine of the ships are planned.

With nine of the ships afloat (three have been built so far), and assuming that in an emergency all can be deployed at once (a difficult task), the Marines will be able to land 7200 soldiers in one fell swoop. If older ships are kept on line for a time, that number will be even greater. San Antonio class ships travel with other support ships and often have air cover provided by an aircraft carrier.

The new ships are more spacious, and more survivable in battle conditions. They play a key role in quick deployments abroad, and function as a major deterrent to belligerent nations.

Especially in a world with failed states or weak central governments, the ships with their Marines are an important tool. Naturally, they will play a large role in the war on terrorism, as they are special forces capable.

Whenever the Mesa Verde or one of its sister ships is in an area, local terrorist groups or hostile nations will have to be one guard.

Mesa Verde Commissioning, USN