The Navy has made some progress in addressing deficiencies identified with the LPD-17 amphibious transport dock ship class. Testing showed the collective protection system and decontamination procedures worked as intended. However, more testing is still needed to demonstrate the reliability of critical ship systems and that the class meets operational requirements. The Navy continues working to correct identified deficiencies but has not verified through testing that the issues have been fully addressed. Reliability and survivability concerns remain until demonstrated otherwise through additional operational testing.
The Navy has made some progress in addressing deficiencies identified with the LPD-17 amphibious transport dock ship class. Testing showed the collective protection system and decontamination procedures worked as intended. However, more testing is still needed to demonstrate the reliability of critical ship systems and that the class meets operational requirements. The Navy continues working to correct identified deficiencies but has not verified through testing that the issues have been fully addressed. Reliability and survivability concerns remain until demonstrated otherwise through additional operational testing.
The Navy has made some progress in addressing deficiencies identified with the LPD-17 amphibious transport dock ship class. Testing showed the collective protection system and decontamination procedures worked as intended. However, more testing is still needed to demonstrate the reliability of critical ship systems and that the class meets operational requirements. The Navy continues working to correct identified deficiencies but has not verified through testing that the issues have been fully addressed. Reliability and survivability concerns remain until demonstrated otherwise through additional operational testing.
The Navy has made some progress in addressing deficiencies identified with the LPD-17 amphibious transport dock ship class. Testing showed the collective protection system and decontamination procedures worked as intended. However, more testing is still needed to demonstrate the reliability of critical ship systems and that the class meets operational requirements. The Navy continues working to correct identified deficiencies but has not verified through testing that the issues have been fully addressed. Reliability and survivability concerns remain until demonstrated otherwise through additional operational testing.
LPD-17 San Antonio Class Amphibious Transport Dock
Executive Summary • The Navy demonstrated the efficacy of LPD-17’s collective protection system, its countermeasure wash-down system, and the crew’s ability to decontaminate the ship’s equipment, personnel, and spaces, and to conduct amphibious operations in chemical protective suits during FOT&E in February 2012. • The Navy conducted FOT&E in August 2012 to examine the reliability of systems during the first five hours of an amphibious assault. Testing was not sufficient to demonstrate that the ship class satisfies its requirements. • The Navy is working to correct deficiencies identified during IOT&E that led DOT&E to assess the ship not operationally effective, not operationally suitable, and not survivable in a hostile environment. However, correction of a number of these deficiencies has not yet been verified by follow-on operational testing. - Two Mk 46 30 mm gun systems and smaller caliber • The Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) weapons (e.g., Mk 2 .50-caliber machine guns) to assessed the material condition of LPD-17, LPD-22, and provide the ship’s self-defense against small surface LPD-23 as satisfactory. threats - A Shipboard Wide Area Network that serves as the System data backbone for most of the ship’s computer systems • LPD-17 is a diesel engine-powered ship designed (LPD-17 is one of the first ships built with a fully to embark, transport, and deploy ground troops and integrated data network system). equipment. Ship-to-shore movement is provided by - Design features that reduce the ship’s radar cross Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC), Landing Craft Utility section and are intended to make the ship less (LCU), Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAVs), MV-22 susceptible to attack tiltrotor aircraft, and/or helicopters. Key ship features and systems include the following: Mission - A floodable well deck for LCAC, LCU, and AAV • A Fleet Commander will employ LPD-17 class ships as operations part of a notional, three-ship Amphibious Ready Group or - A flight deck and hangar to support Navy and Marine independently to conduct Amphibious Warfare. Corps aircraft and helicopters • The Commanding Officer will use these ships to: - Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and - Transport combat and support elements of a Marine Intelligence facilities and equipment to support Marine Expeditionary Unit or Brigade Corps Landing Force operations - Embark, launch, and recover LCACs, LCUs, and AAVs - Self defense against anti-ship cruise missile capability for amphibious assault missions provided by the Ship Self-Defense System (SSDS) - Support aerial assaults by embarking, launching, and Mk 2-based combat system, which includes the recovering Marine Corps aircraft Cooperative Engagement Capability radar tracking - Carry and discharge cargo to sustain the landing force system and data distribution system, the Rolling - Conduct non-combatant evacuation operations and Airframe Missile point defense system, the SLQ-32B other crisis response missions (V)2 (with Mk 53 Decoy Launching System with Nulka electronic decoys) passive electronic warfare system, Major Contractor and radars (SPQ-9B horizon search radar and SPS-48E Huntington Ingalls Industries – Pascagoula, Mississippi long-range air search radar)
LPD-17 169 N av y P R O G R A M S
Activity • The Navy completed FOT&E designed to demonstrate amphibious assault operations. The Joint Staff issued the capability to conduct operations in a chemical warfare Joint Interoperability Certification (with conditions) on environment (onboard LPD-21) in February 2012. October 26, 2012, but the Navy still needs to successfully test • The Navy conducted limited reliability FOT&E on ship the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System onboard systems during the first five hours of an amphibious assault LPD-17. (onboard LPD-20) in August 2012. • The Navy’s INSURV assessed the material condition Recommendations of LPD‑17, LPD-22, and LPD-23 as satisfactory during • Status of Previous Recommendations. The Navy has Acceptance Trials. satisfied recommendations relating to interoperability • The Navy, using the Probability of Raid Annihilation Test testing with AV-8B aircraft; completion of chemical, Bed Modeling and Simulation tool, commenced a modeling biological, and radiological defense testing; review of past and simulation study to determine if upgrades and corrections INSURV inspections; initiation of the Probability of Raid to the ship’s combat system improve the ship’s capability to Annihilation modeling and simulation effort; and improving defeat raids of anti-ship cruise missiles. the performance of the SPS-48E in the Advanced Enclosed • The Navy provided its final survivability assessment Mast Structure. The Navy should act on the remaining 10 identifying 99 deficiencies to DOT&E in FY12 and recommendations, which are listed below. commenced corrective actions. However, the Navy has FY08 not submitted the shock deficiency correction plan nor 1. Test fixes to critical systems including the Shipboard Wide demonstrated the effectiveness of corrective actions taken to Area Network and review the effect of ship’s manning, date. training, and logistics support on the reliability and maintainability of ship systems. Assessment FY09 • The Navy demonstrated the efficacy of LPD-17’s collective 2. Address and test fixes to reliability problems with protection system, its countermeasure wash-down system, amphibious support equipment and propulsion equipment and its crew’s ability to decontaminate the ship’s equipment, during FOT&E. personnel, and spaces, and to conduct amphibious operations 3. Continue to pursue mitigations to address integration in chemical protective suits during FOT&E. problems with self defense in multiple warfare areas. • The Navy has made progress in improving reliability and 4. Conduct FOT&E in order to demonstrate improvements to availability of critical ship systems affecting communications performance problems related to the Advanced Enclosed and propulsion based on results from INSURV and limited Mast Structure (verify installation of the shroud on the reliability testing onboard LPD-20. However, reliability SPS-48E radar corrects performance problems). and availability of the ship’s critical systems require further FY10 improvements to assure the ship is both operationally effective 5. Improve reliability of critical systems including gun and survivable. systems, Magnetic Signature Control System, and • Since IOT&E, the Navy has not conducted any operational effectiveness of SSDS Mk 2-based combat system. testing to demonstrate improvements to LPD-17’s capability 6. Measure Total Ship Operational Availability over an to defend itself against the threats it is likely to encounter to extended period after completing reliability improvements. permit a reassessment of that capability. However, operational FY11 testing on other SSDS Mk 2 platforms has revealed similar 7. Correct remaining deficiencies from Shock Trial Reports. combat system deficiencies to those found during LPD-17’s 8. Complete FOT&E to test Information Assurance. IOT&E, confirming these issues are not LPD-17 specific. 9. Conduct FOT&E using the Advanced Mine Simulation DOT&E’s classified report to Congress in November 2012 System to determine vulnerability of LPD-17 to enemy titled “Ship Self-Defense Operational Mission Capability mines. Assessment Report,” provides details. The Navy is 10. Incorporate outstanding test events as FOT&E into the conducting a study of Probability of Raid Annihilation against LPD-17 Test and Evaluation Master Plan. anti-ship cruise missiles and expects to provide their report in • FY12 Recommendations. The Navy should: the spring of 2013. 1. Develop an FOT&E test plan for adequate, rigorous testing • Although improvements have been made, the Navy of the critical ship systems that must perform reliably to has not yet demonstrated the fully effective Command, assure LPD-17 is operationally effective and survivable. Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence 2. Complete and disseminate the Probability of Raid capabilities needed to support LPD-17 when performing Annihilation study.
