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Military Sealift Command's First Mobile Landing Platform Ship Floated from Dry Dock

Published Dec 18, 2012 9:52 AM by The Maritime Executive

Military Sealift Command's first Mobile Landing Platform ship completed its first float out operation at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego, Nov. 13.

Designated T-MLP-1, the ship will be named USNS Montford Point, honoring African American Marine Corps recruits who trained at Camp Montford Point, N.C, from 1942 to 1949. The first of three MLPs planned for construction at NASSCO, Montford Point is scheduled to be christened in March 2013 and delivered to MSC in May 2013.

"This ship and the others in its class will be imperative to MSC's role in supporting Navy and Marine Corps warfighters worldwide," said Rear Admiral Mark Buzby, commander, Military Sealift Command. "It was exciting to witness this important milestone - getting MLP 1 into her element today brings us one step closer to being mission-ready in 2013," he said.

The MLP is a new class of auxiliary support ship, scheduled to join MSC's Maritime Prepositioning Force (MPF). These ships will be the centerpiece of the Navy's "Sea Base" concept, and will serve as a transfer point for Marine Corps amphibious landing forces between large ships and small landing craft. They will provide the capability to transfer vehicles and equipment at-sea, improving the U.S. military's ability to deliver equipment and cargo from ship to shore when land bases do not exist.

"The MLP class of ships will fill a critical role in enabling U.S. forces to be delivered safely and effectively around the world using mobile, sea-based strategies in areas where secure harbor facilities ashore are not readily available," said Tim McCully, deputy commander, Military Sealift Command Pacific. "By remaining at sea as floating logistics support bases, these ships enhance the independence of U.S. forces to operate near global hot spots without entering their ports," he said.

Unlike the traditional ship launch, the process for "un-docking" the 784-foot-long MLP is a slow, methodical and technical evolution. The launch consists of slowly flooding the building dock, stopping the flooding, balancing the ship, inspecting the ship, and then balancing it again before continuing the flooding. The sequence is repeated several times until the ship is level to the water outside the dry dock, then completed by pulling the ship from the building dock and moving it pier side with tug boats.

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General Dynamics NASSCO completed the complex float out operation for the first Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) ship, USNS Montford Point.

Construction of the USNS Montford Point is progressing ahead of schedule, with the ship currently at 91 percent complete.  The ship will now undergo final outfitting and testing pier side before completing sea trials.  USNS Montford Point is scheduled to be christened in March 2013 and delivered to the U.S. Navy in May 2013.  Fabrication of the second MLP, the USNS John Glenn, began in April 2012.  Following a keel laying ceremony in December, this second MLP ship will be erected in the same building dock as the USNS Montford Point.

The MLP is a new class and type of auxiliary support ship, as part of the U.S. Navy’s Maritime Prepositioning Force of the Future (MPF-F) program. The ship will serve as a transfer station or floating pier at sea, improving the U.S. military’s ability to deliver equipment and cargo from ship to shore when land bases do not exist.  It will provide capability for large scale logistics movements such as the transfer of vehicles and equipment from sea to shore.