Mile long Seabases

[LouDobb]

Does anyone know any details on the status of the mile long airstrip seabases that are being planned?

Look up Mossww or moss marine for images.

 

[alexsa]

Does anyone know any details on the status of the mile long airstrip seabases that are being planned?

Look up Mossww or moss marine for images.

Hmmm, I would love to see the sheer force and bending moment curve for that one. Long thin structures have a lot of fun if a signfincat sea. I wouel assume they have used a column stabalised stucture for this but it would still be intersting.

Mooring would be another issue. Given the need to be able to face into or close to the wind for air operations it would need to bea ble adjust its mooring arrangement or use a single end mooring. either way the vesel will have to be assisted by anchor handling vessels.

 

[Distiller]

It's Moss Maritime, not marine.

Great target for subs!

 

[Tasman]

At five times the length of a super carrier they would certainly be huge. The illustration in the link suggests aircraft lifts like those of a carrier. Moss Maritime says:

One such project, which constitutes a quantum leap in technology, is the Flexible Bridge Mobile Offshore Base named SeaBase™, designed by Moss Maritime for the U.S. Department of Defence. This structure will, if built, become the worlds largest steel structure ever made (5,000 x 450 feet).

http://www.mossww.com/mossmaritime/

MSC Software reports in its website that:

In a project for the U.S. Navy, engineers are using a ývirtual oceaný to test the design of the largest floating structure ever envisioned: a self-propelled military base bigger than ten aircraft carriers.

Consisting of five separate modules joined by a series of hinged connectors, the proposed mobile offshore base (MOB) would provide the United States with a mobile, sea-based alternative to fixed land bases on foreign soil. Operating on the high seas, it would partially submerge when on location, providing a stable platform for launching and logistical support of troop deployments, command and control operations, and humanitarian efforts such as disaster relief and evacuation.

Over a mile long, the structure measures 500 feet wide by 250 feet high and includes a runway long enough to land fully loaded C-130 and C-17 cargo planes, interior quarters for up to 20,000 troops, and 85 acres of storage space for up to 150 aircraft, 5,000 cargo containers, and 3,500 trucks, tanks, and other vehicles.

http://www.mscsoftware.com/success/details.cfm?Q=285&sid=296

So it seems that the concept is for a giant self propelled base.


There is also a project reported in the Guardian Newspaper in August, 2005 for a floating runway at Iwakuni, Japan, that would support the USS Kitty Hawk based at nearby Yokosuka.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1558282,00.html

Cheers

 

[alexsa]

Consisting of five separate modules joined by a series of hinged connectors, the proposed mobile offshore base (MOB) would provide the United States with a mobile, sea-based alternative to fixed land bases on foreign soil.

Hinged connectors, oh brother. They won't want too much movement or it will make the strip a little too mobile in a seaway. The 'connectors' would be a major stress poiunt depnding on how thye are fixed and all the longtitudinal forces will concentrate there. Basically it appears to be a series of interconected column stablised platforms of the kind used for MODU's

Propelling such a flexible snake with thrusters will also be interesting. suggest they would have to tow it in the same manner MODU's are positioned, either way it is going to be a very slow process moving the beast around.

 

[alexsa]

Slightly off topic, but related..... This sort of proposal has been floating around for some time. If you are interested in grand schemes of a maritime nature have a look at this.

http://www.freedomship.com/

The regulator in me shudders.

 

[B.Smitty]

Does anyone know any details on the status of the mile long airstrip seabases that are being planned?

Are there any actually being planned? Last I heard they were just conceptual.

The current USN seabasing plan doesn't include such a thing, AFAIK.

 

[rossfrb_1]

Slightly off topic, but related..... This sort of proposal has been floating around for some time. If you are interested in grand schemes of a maritime nature have a look at this.

http://www.freedomship.com/

The regulator in me shudders.

The egalitarian in me shudders, all I can smell is elitism. All that crap about high school soccer teams playing international round robins... JFC, how many high school kids would that benefit?

http://www.aboardtheworld.com/

rb

 

[Galrahn]

Are there any actually being planned? Last I heard they were just conceptual.

The current USN seabasing plan doesn't include such a thing, AFAIK.

You would be correct. It is a non starter on cost, but a study nontheless to test theories of very large persistant deep ocean platforms stable enough to conduct military operations at sea.

 

[icelord]

This is the response to US not being granted access to some bases in Iraq, might be cheaper to give away a few planes to the country then this. The idea is old, from Vietnam as i understand where Ships would be connected along the water used for seabasing. Might be easier even to go back to that idea of connecting a wasp with 2-3 LPAs, supply vessel and have smaller ships running round, although security would be tight as makes easy target.

 

[alexsa]

This is the response to US not being granted access to some bases in Iraq, might be cheaper to give away a few planes to the country then this. The idea is old, from Vietnam as i understand where Ships would be connected along the water used for seabasing. Might be easier even to go back to that idea of connecting a wasp with 2-3 LPAs, supply vessel and have smaller ships running round, although security would be tight as makes easy target.

I would not get too excited about it. Nice pictures in a concept and engineering reality at two different things and even using "hinged connectors" there are some signficant enginnering hurdles to overcome.

 

[Galrahn]

I would not get too excited about it. Nice pictures in a concept and engineering reality at two different things and even using "hinged connectors" there are some signficant enginnering hurdles to overcome.

Exactly right, mile long sea bases is not what the US Navy has in mind for Sea Basing. The Defense Science Boards study confirmed as much, and one naval war college paper stuck a giant city at sea on the 3rd page and said in big bold letters "THIS IS NOT SEABASING."

 

[Awang se]

In WW2, Churchill proposed for the use of Ice Pykrete to make an unsinkable aircraft carrier.

 

[Tasman]

In WW2, Churchill proposed for the use of Ice Pykrete to make an unsinkable aircraft carrier.

IMO, Churchill had many weird ideas! :shudder

He was actually responding to a suggestion from Mountbatten and after he became enthusiastic it was seriously discussed with the Americans.

Here is a link to a video:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/235665/2_million_ton_pykrete_aircraft_carrier_in_ww2/

Cheers