The Navy is proceeding with plans to deploy a mobile base to support forward operations as the military looks to expand its presence in the Asia-Pacific and toward a larger maritime role in the Middle East.
The plan was outlined in a budget document released last week that calls for funding the development of “a new afloat forward staging base that can be dedicated to support missions in areas where ground-based access is not available, such as counter-mine operations.”
The afloat forward staging base (AFSB) will be needed because of greater focus in the Asia Pacific, and with the looming withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, the Middle East will “become increasingly maritime,” the document said.
The Navy has not said how many AFSBs it envisions buying under a need identified by Central Command, which overseas military operations in the Middle East and South Central Asia.
In the meantime, the Navy in February will begin work to convert an amphibious transport dock ship to the role of an AFSB. The USS Ponce (LPD-15), which had been scheduled for decommissioning at the end of March, will instead undergo minor modifications to carry out the mission on an interim basis, Lt. Cmdr. Mike Kafka, spokesman for Fleet Forces Command, said.
This will add about two to three years to Ponce’s service in the fleet, he said.
“As an AFSB(I), USS Ponce will no longer be an LPD or an amphibious ship prepared to conduct amphibious operations, but she will continue to serve our Navy and our Nation as an interim solution to CENTCOM’s long-standing request for an AFSB in theater,” Kafka said.
The ship will be operated by Military Sealift Command and is expected to deploy this summer.