Sustaining Naval Surface Combatant Vertical Launch System (VLS) Munitions During Joint Operations - How China Could Exploit Vulnerability in Naval Logistics, Port Reloading Requirement Problem

This important report has been professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction. Maintaining maritime dominance against near peer adversaries will tax an already complex logistics structure that depends upon freedom of movement to deliver critical materiel required to sustain operations. While the U.S. Navy is proficient in delivering fuel and other materiel via underway replenishment, it also depends heavily upon a network of airports and seaports. The Combat Logistics Force, operating from these facilities, carries this materiel and moves it the last tactical mile; however, the Mark 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) represents a critical vulnerability as it can only be reloaded while a ship is in port. Additionally, the Navy relies heavily upon access to port facilities that are often in range of potential adversaries possessing anti-access and area denial weaponry. Protecting this infrastructure and sustaining naval operations requires the cooperation of the other Services to provide air defense, force protection, and just-in-time delivery of munitions via inter-theater air transport. A review of naval operations in the 20th Century reveals operational insights and specific requirements for addressing MK 41 VLS replenishment in austere ports and anchorages. To minimize the burden on the Services for transportation and force protection and to gain increased agility in conducting prolonged combat operations at sea, the Navy should develop a balanced logistics and auxiliary tender force.

This compilation includes a reproduction of the 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community.

Hypothetical Vignette * Chapter 1: Problem Defined * Chapter 2: The Historical Context * Chapter 3: How China May Exploit This Vulnerability * Chapter 4: Implications For Joint Force * Chapter 5: Options To Improve Vls Reloading Capabilities

The Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and Peoples Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) have the ability to overwhelm U.S. Navy (USN) carrier strike groups with anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs), causing surface combatants to expend large numbers of surface-to-air missiles, depleting their defensive munitions. Several other near peer adversaries possess similar Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) capabilities to contest United States (U.S.) military operations. A Navy carrier strike group has the ability to defeat an initial attack but a significant expenditure of missiles, fired from the MK 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS), would diminish its capacity to withstand repeated attacks. The MK 41 VLS limiting factor is its reloading process, which requires the ship to be stable with minimal pitch, roll, and yaw. These conditions rarely occur in the open ocean. Lacking the ability to replenish VLS munitions at sea, a Navy carrier strike group would have to return to port in order to rearm its VLS missiles. During a conflict, the port in which rearming is conducted would require protection from adversary attack. In the event of conflict with a near peer adversary possessing weapons capable of striking the reloading port, the Navy may not be able to conduct VLS reloading at preferred port facilities due to threat of attack or actual damage to key facilities. The Navy may have to withdraw to another port outside the range of likely enemy attack in order to rearm its VLS equipped ships. Unfortunately, withdrawing from the battlespace risks ceding initiative to the adversary, which will slow the tempo of combat operations and present risk for the Combatant Commander. The Navy must have a means to conduct VLS re-arming operations away from its primary ports in order to conduct extended combat operations.