Surface Land Attack Gunner Platform Conversion (BB-AKE)

LT Amber Mason, USN; LT Jessica Olena, USN; LT Justin Parker, USN

SincetheretirementofthelastIowaclassbattleshipin1992,theUnitedStatesNavyhasbeen
withoutatruelongrangeNavalSurfaceFireSupport(NSFS)capabilityforthesupportofMarine
Corpsforcesashore.ThisstudyevaluatedtheTAKELewisandClarkclassdrycargoand
ammunitionshipsforconversionintoeffective,efficient,andeconomicalmoderndaybattleships.
Twospecifichullsofthisclassweretargetedforconversion:USNSLewisandClark(TAKE1)
andUSNSSacagawea(TAKE2),bothforwarddeployedaspartoftheMaritimePrepositioning
Force(MPF).Morethantheotherexploredoptions,thesehullsprovidedforastrongsecondary
missionareabymaintainingaportionoftheshipsoriginalMPFmissioncapabilities.
Furthermore,asthefocusofbothmissionsissupportofMarinesashore,theshipsareableto
retaintheircurrentforwarddeployedhomeportsandseamlesslytransitionbetweenroles.

ThefinaldesignincorporatedtheinstallationofthreeMK45mod45gunsystemsarrangedina
superfiringconfigurationforwardofthemainsuperstructure.Thegunswerearmedwiththe
forthcominghypervelocityprojectiles(HVP)inordertoachievetherequiredNSFSgunnery
range,andlargemagazineswereaddedtoprovideasubstantialammunitionstowagecapacity.
Overall,thedesigndecreasedtotalshipweightwhilemaintainingoriginalservicelifemarginsand
asimilarspeedprofile.Thedesignretainstheabilityforintegrationoffutureweaponssuchasthe
railguninfurtherdesigniterations.

The table below summarizes the characteristics of the modified ship:

T-AKE Characteristics

PRE-Conversion POST-Conversion
GMT 2.78 m 2.96 m
Draft at Full Load 9.27 m 9.14 m
Maximum Speed 20.62 kts 20.56 kts
Design Endurance Range 16770 NM 16797 NM
Arrangeable Area 24626 m2 24894 m2
Storage Capacity 39,800 m3 35,730 m3
1,800 Rounds HVP;
Ammunition Hold -
16,000 Rounds 20mm
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