VLS Reloading: time, distance, & opportunity cost

...progress at the speed of rust...

Sure, we’ve been talking about the importance of expeditionary reloading of VLS for a while back at the OG blog and here, I think back to at least 2017 - but it is becoming harder and harder for most people to ignore.

If you go back to the 2017 post, the length of time if would take for the USA to fight WWII twice, we were “almost” there. That we still do not have a deployable system is simply inexcusable - but here we are.

Let’s kick off the week on the topic again, this time with a picture from Michael J. Sanchez via NavyLookout that has a lot going on;

That is HMS Diamond, one of the only half-dozen Daring Class destroyers of the Royal Navy that we talked a little bit about on yesterday’s Midrats.

She looks a bit worn out and has a poorly maintained topside … but that isn’t today’s topic.

That looks like a standard-issue commercial rent-a-crane … but that isn’t today’s topic.

Where is she? She is at Gibraltar reloading Sea Viper missiles to replace those she expended conducting operations in the Red Sea.

What does this inform us about?

As always here on CDRSalamander when we need to address a question at sea, we pull out a chart.

With his permission, I’m going to steal some of the back of the cocktail napkin work by our friend Brent Sadler to make sure everyone has an idea what the Anglosphere nations are losing by not having the ability to conduct expeditionary VLS reloading.

Heading to Gibraltar for the Royal Navy impacts her how?

Let’s call in 20 days at sea and at least 72-hrs in port … all to get a reload. If you have a 20-kt speed of advance, which Brent advises is a bit optimistic, you might get there in 7.3 days.

Still, 3,500nm is 3,500nm.

For reference, the distance from Guam to Taiwan is a bit less than half of that, 1,500nm. From Taiwan to Midway Island is 3,300nm.

For all you Atlanticists; from Norfolk, Virginia to Portsmouth, England is about 3,200nm.

All for a reload.

Unlike the parade of DDG we outlined back in December, none of our allies have that deep of a bench. Of their six Daring destroyers, besides Diamond - how many can serve in the Red Sea right now?

I think we know.

OK, that is the Royal Navy. What about the US Navy?

Souda Bay isn’t all that much closer , as those who have been there know.

What about Diego Garcia?

Better, but still.

Let’s go back to 2017, about two worldwars ago. What progress are we making?

Via Naval News;

… on 15 February, Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Carlos Del Toro said he had instructed the navy to perform an at-sea demonstration of VLS reloading with the Transferrable Re-Arming Mechanism (TRAM) equipment in mid-2024. TRAM, which has been developed ‘in-house’ by the Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme Division to allow the reloading of vertical launcher cells in conditions up to Sea State 5, uses an articulated crane that can lift and rotate a missile canister vertically, then lower it into the launcher cell.

Do you want to see them demonstrating it to the CNO?

Gird your loins.

Well, I think there is a Chief of Naval Operations hiding amongst all those Army guys, but … I’m not sure how I am to critique Royal Navy destroyers corrosion problems when the US Navy can’t even find a non-rust-bucket training shame to show the CNO.

I’m sorry but I’m not sorry; all that shows is a lack of respect and a view of what your job is in so many ways. I’ve said enough - it speaks for itself.

So, things are moving at the speed of rust - but perhaps at this rate we’ll have something available for the fleet by … 2030?

Here’s something to chew on that we can give a nod to our Army friends - real Army friends, not those who play dress up as one.

Have you noticed the difference between how HIMARS is reloaded (modular, efficient) compared to how the Soviet/Russian designed Grad MLS (manual, inefficient) are reloaded?

Are there lessons here?

h/t Charlie B.