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USMC Says It Needs Nine More Amphibious Warships To Carry Out Its Missions
U.S. Navy and Marine Corps leaders concluded that they need 40 amphibious warships to keep three Marine Expeditionary Units deployed simultaneously, nine more than the current fleet of 31. Their analysis calls for 13 large-deck amphibious assault ships and 27 amphibious transport docks to support persistent deployments from the U.S. East and West coasts and Japan. A typical Amphibious Ready Group carries roughly 2,200 Marines across three ships, with the large deck supporting aircraft such as the F-35B and MV-22. The 40-ship figure is a force requirement that the services are taking to Congress.