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Sea-Air-Space
2014 Show Daily News - AFSB |
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General
Dynamics NASSCO showcases the Afloat Forward Staging Base at Sea-Air-Space
2014 |
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At
the Navy League’s 2014 Sea-Air-Space Exposition, General Dynamics
NASSCO is showing a model of its Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB)
ship. The ship is designed to facilitate a wide variety of future mission
sets in support of special operations. |
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AFSB scale
model on General Dynamics booth at Sea-Air-Space 2014
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Speaking
to Navy Recognition during the exposition, Tom Wetherald (Director
of Business Development at GD NASSCO) explained that there is an accommodation
block located forward for up to 250 personnel for the flight crew or
other mission personnel such as Navy Seals or Marines. This space also
features a hangar capable of fitting two MH-53 helicopters plus aviation
maintenance and mission specific spaces. |
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The AFSB
current design could be modified in order to accomodate MV-22 tilt rotor
aircraft
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The
ship retains the capability of ballasting down. Eventhough the ship
is configured for air mine countermeasure missions with MH-53 helicotpers,
NASSCO believes the US Navy is about to order a study on the ability
of AFSB to handle the MV-22. It should not be a significant job to modify
the existing design in order to handle the MV-22. AFSB will have an
endurance of over 9,500 nautical miles at a speed of 15 knots. |
