{"id":67245,"date":"2023-12-04T18:11:50","date_gmt":"2023-12-04T18:11:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2023\/12\/04\/reloading-vertical-missile-tubes-at-sea-is-within-a-crane-arms-reach\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T01:07:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:07:10","slug":"reloading-vertical-missile-tubes-at-sea-is-within-a-crane-arms-reach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/opinion\/2023\/12\/04\/reloading-vertical-missile-tubes-at-sea-is-within-a-crane-arms-reach\/","title":{"rendered":"Reloading vertical missile tubes at sea is within a crane arm\u2019s reach"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This is the second commentary in a multipart series exploring ways to strengthen the U.S. Navy\u2019s fleet. The first part is available <\/i>here<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recent events in the Middle East raise questions about how best to sustain finite naval power in strategically important waters. The U.S. Navy destroyer Carney fired missiles<\/a> mere weeks<\/a> into its deployment; the destroyer Thomas Hudner downed drones<\/a> twice in eight days; and the destroyer Mason foiled a piracy attempt<\/a> after which two ballistic missiles were fired toward it. And all this in a maritime theater that does not host America\u2019s \u201ctop pacing challenge<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like these ships, guided-missile destroyers, or DDG,<\/a> form the backbone of the U.S. surface force, which operates 73 of them and has plans<\/a> to field at least 90. While they carry a large arsenal of vertically launched offensive and defensive weapons \u2014 as will the forthcoming Constellation-class frigates \u2014 onloading missiles takes time and precision. Once their magazines empty, ships must retreat to a safe port to refill while other units replace them \u2014 or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have argued that the U.S. should pursue a collaborative shipbuilding approach<\/a> with allies to increase the supply of forces and reduce pressure on the current fleet. But such a campaign would take years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, this is precisely why Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro \u2014 a former DDG commanding officer \u2014 has issued calls<\/a> to prioritize concepts<\/a> like reloading warships\u2019 Vertical Launching System cells at sea to \u201cincrease forward, persistent combat power with the current force.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf we are able to rearm our warships\u2019 vertical launch tubes at sea,\u201d Secretary Del Toro argues<\/a>, \u201cwe can stay \u2018in the fight\u2019 far longer. We won\u2019t have to withdraw from combat for extended periods to rearm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike underway replenishments \u2014 when ships resupply while traveling tethered \u2014 onloading missiles requires immovability. Consequently, aside from strategic, geographic, environmental and logistical factors, stillness becomes a critical prerequisite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When loading ammunition pierside, the ship is tied to a fixed structure that keeps its direction steady and prevents movement from the lapping waves. The crane sits on land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, at sea, ships are vulnerable to the effects of wind, waves and current, which induce rolls and change the ship\u2019s direction, or heading. While commercial technology called dynamic positioning<\/a>, or DP, allows the crane ship to hover nearly motionless, DDGs lack such capability and are subjected to the powerful hydrodynamic effects of the crane ship\u2019s thrusters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nevertheless, recent Vertical Launching System, or VLS, rearming experiments \u2014 including one aboard<\/a> the DDG I commanded \u2014 demonstrate its promise. Additional doctrinal advances and equipment investments could help realize at-sea rearming\u2019s operational potential even sooner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, refine engineering solutions to steady ships when transferring ordnance at sea. One option is to revive so-called Med Mooring<\/a> techniques used in ports with tight slips (but less commonly employed by today\u2019s U.S. Navy ships) where both the bow and stern are fixed to an anchor or buoy. This stabilizes the receiving ship\u2019s heading by preventing it from swinging. Another includes lightering<\/a>, in which the delivery and receiving ships compensate for motion by tying together without engines running, allowing both vessels to move or drift in harmony. Still another is to revisit sea-basing concepts where the DDG first moors to a larger ship \u2014 like a tender, expeditionary sea base or auxiliary (the basis for previous trials<\/a>) \u2014 to mitigate the sea churn caused by the DP thrusters. Standard operating procedures and go\/no-go criteria would guide commanding officers and ensure safety of personnel and equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, identify deep-water harbors, protected anchorages and foreign ports<\/a> in which to reload safely, and invest in low-cost mobile facility enablers \u2014 like those used<\/a> in the 1940s \u2014 as an alternative to permanent infrastructure. These include floating pier-like pontoon platforms<\/a> to secure ships during ordnance transfers, and fenders and separators<\/a> for ship classes like DDGs whose bow flare and protruding sensors complicate side-by-side mooring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Sailors maneuver a docking module for the Improved Navy Lighterage System over the side of the maritime pre-positioning force ship USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo during lift-on, lift-off operations in Apra Harbor, Guam, on July 10, 2019. (Petty Officer 1st Class John Philip Wagner Jr.\/U.S. Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Third, procure and pre-position<\/a> commercially produced offshore support vessels<\/a>. These ships \u2014 with geo-stabilized cranes and DP propulsors designed for oil platform resupply, wind turbine maintenance and more \u2014 are built by numerous Gulf Coast-based American firms and can be adapted for military rearming. Navy program experts explored this idea in 2020, and Navajo-class towing, salvage and rescue ships currently in production integrate some of these technologies<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fourth, incorporate at-sea rearming hull, mechanical and electrical requirements into future platforms like DDG(X), and explore retrofitting them onto newer DDG-51s and frigates whose service lives extend for decades. Absent traditional ballast systems, adding DP thrusters or drop-down auxiliary power units<\/a> could help DDGs minimize movements during these precise evolutions. A back-to-the-future return of foldable VLS \u201cstrike-down\u201d cranes<\/a> capable of handling modern missile cannisters during replenishments may make operational sense, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fifth, ask allies for help. At least 11 allied nations<\/a> employ a variant of the American-made MK 41 VLS. Many are home to thriving manufacturing industries capable of tackling these challenges. Collaborating on this capability would fit neatly into the Department of the Navy\u2019s enduring priorities<\/a> to strengthen maritime dominance and enhance strategic partnerships. Moreover, it would build collective operational resilience among likeminded navies and demonstrate that at their core, alliances are mutually beneficial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2022 National Security Strategy<\/a> declares: \u201cA combat-credible military is the foundation of deterrence and America\u2019s ability to prevail in conflict.\u201d Reloading ships at sea will \u2014 excuse the pun \u2014 deliver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cmdr. Douglas Robb commanded the U.S. Navy\u2019s guided-missile destroyer Spruance, and is currently a U.S. Navy fellow at the University of Oxford. The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the views of the U.S. Defense Department, the Department of the Navy nor the U.S. government.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the second commentary in a multipart series exploring ways to strengthen the U.S. Navy\u2019s fleet. The first part is available <\/i>here<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here are five ways to help sustain naval power in strategically important waters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":118689,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":17,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[160,16,36,17],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3474],"class_list":["post-67245","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-naval","category-newsletters","category-opinion"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"QI6AVFMVUNC7BLUN4NDJ2RPDXE","arc_canonical_url":"\/opinion\/2023\/12\/04\/reloading-vertical-missile-tubes-at-sea-is-within-a-crane-arms-reach\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\nReloading vertical missile tubes at sea is within a crane arm\u2019s reach - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Here are five ways to help sustain naval power in strategically important waters.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Reloading vertical missile tubes at sea is within a crane arm\u2019s reach\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Here are five ways to help sustain naval power in strategically important waters.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/opinion\/2023\/12\/04\/reloading-vertical-missile-tubes-at-sea-is-within-a-crane-arms-reach\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Defense News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-12-04T18:11:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T01:07:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Cmdr. 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