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Don’t gut gator fleet

The question keeps coming up: How many amphibious ships do the Navy and Marine Corps need?

The issue is especially acute now, as the Corps switches to fighting in a landlocked country and the Navy Department faces tough budget decisions in a time of economic crisis.

But Navy leaders refuse to discuss numbers in relation to any ship until the Quadrennial Defense Review is released in the coming year. And they also refused to meet requirements this year to provide Congress with a 30-year shipbuilding plan, making it all the more difficult to understand the service’s plans for future force structure. The Navy says the QDR will help shape that plan.

As Navy leaders comb through the numbers, they should remember that those who would dismiss amphibs because the Marines have not stormed contested beachheads for decades are missing the point: Amphibs are arguably the most versatile and relevant ships in the Navy.

They have carried Marine expeditionary units and equipment to today’s war zones. They’ve doubled as hospital ships thanks to their ability to send air and watercraft to shore and back. They’re also essential for humanitarian relief and foreign engagement missions. And while those jobs aren’t sexy, they fit in with the Pentagon’s vision of employing “soft power” to discourage threats to global security.

Add to that the fact that today’s older amphibs are in dire need of repair — and replacement — and you have a large bill coming due for a fleet that desperately needs these ships.

The Navy has wasted billions chasing a boutique destroyer program, only to turn around and say it doesn’t need the ships. Amphibs are versatile workhorses that provide an excellent return on investment. As the Navy prepares for the QDR, amphibs should be a major priority.