Navajo-class ships ready to rescue in potential China conflict
One of the effects of the American pivot to the Pacific is the commencement of the production of new oceanic rescue ships. These modern units are intended to provide the American fleet with assistance following a potential exchange of blows with China.
What to do with a damaged aircraft carrier? During World War II, the United States lost four such ships in battles. The loss, although severe, was not catastrophic. The most valuable resource, trained sailors and pilots, was almost entirely saved – 90% of the survivors were rescued.
Contemporary simulations show that, during a potential war with China, the American fleet might win but, depending on the scenario, also suffer heavy losses.
Especially since valuable and scarce (the US Navy currently operates a total of 11 such units) aircraft carriers will become priority targets for the Chinese. They may get damaged, or perhaps one might even sink. What then?
The problem is that contemporary carrier strike groups are relatively few in number. At best, it’s an aircraft carrier and a dozen or so (usually just a few) ships, which are not capable of rescuing large, damaged units or taking on board a larger number of survivors. This is precisely the problem that the Navajo-class rescue ships aim to address.
Navajo-class rescue ships
At the Houma shipyard in Louisiana owned by Bollinger Shipyards, on June 10, 2024, at 10:00 AM ET, the ceremonial christening of the first serial (second overall) Navajo-class unit took place. The USNS Cherokee Nation is part of a 10-ship series whose production began in 2018.
The Navajo-class ships are only 80 meters long, 18 meters wide, and have a draft of 8 meters. Despite the short hull length, they displace as much as 5,600 tonnes, due to their unusual, bulky shape.
The ship looks different from most vessels – it has a very high-built bow section where a large superstructure is located. The stern part of the ship is flat and very low.
This design is due to the role of the Navajo-class ships, which can be modified by placing additional mission modules on the hull. The primary task of these units is to serve as rescue ships, capable of providing assistance to much larger ships at sea.
The Navajo-class rescue ships can work with manned and unmanned submarines, extinguish fires, combat fuel spills and contamination, take in survivors, and most importantly, tow large, damaged vessels. Despite their small size, a single Navajo-class unit can tow any US Navy ship, including the largest aircraft carriers with up to 20 times their displacement.
Support for the US Navy
The construction of Navajo-class ships is part of a broader context of preparations by the US Navy and the entire armed forces for a major confrontation in the Pacific. Alongside new warships, the United States is building numerous units tasked with supporting fleet operations.
Aside from the Navajo-class ships, worth mentioning are the fast transport catamarans of the Spearhead class, some of which are being configured as hospital ships. The Pentagon has also concluded that currently available large aircraft carriers may not be enough.
Hence, there has been a return to the World War II concept of "escort carriers" – smaller units with limited capabilities that, despite their limitations, provide adequate saturation of the theatre of operations with carrier-based aircraft. Large amphibious assault ships, such as the new America-class units being built, are being adapted to this role.
These efforts are accompanied by the intensive expansion of Pacific infrastructure, with priority given to the base on Guam, where new long-range radars and air and missile defence systems are being built.
Difference in experience
This is happening amid alarmist reports of the much greater capabilities of the Chinese shipbuilding industry, the numerical superiority of the Chinese navy over the US Navy, or the insufficient ability of the American industry to quickly produce armaments.
The numbers are not favourable for the United States, but – as experts like Dawid Kamizela point out – China suffers from a colossal difference in experience. Unlike technology or new weapon plans, this cannot be copied or stolen.
Since the end of World War II, the United States has been constantly engaged in some sort of war or military intervention, and the navy has been an integral part of these actions.
American ships attack, are attacked, hit mines, fight for survival after attacks by kamikaze boats, engage with surface units, or targets inland. All this translates into a wealth of experience influencing both the design and modernization of American ships and the procedures they follow.
The Chinese navy lacks all of this experience; despite having impressive numbers or technical parameters, it has no experience from actual combat, apart from harassing Vietnamese or Filipino defenders of disputed atolls.
Nevertheless, the Pentagon does not underestimate the threat from China. Proof of this is how the American fleet is being modernized, as well as the reform of the Marine Corps, the development of innovative rocket artillery (Dark Eagle - LRGW program), new equipment for the army (M10 Booker, XM30) or work on a new air superiority fighter NGAD. The direction of changes pushed by the Pentagon clearly shows that the strategic rival of the United States ceased to be Russia a long time ago, and it’s now China taking that place.
