Navy officials said the fire aboard USS Bonhomme Richard, an amphibious assault ship undergoing maintenance and upgrades at a San Diego port, was extinguished last Thursday. Reaching temperatures of up to 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 650 degrees Celsius), it melted aluminum and incinerated cables, plastics, and fuels such as drywall, bedding, and office supplies, while filling the 850-foot (260-meter) container with thick smoke. .
The true extent of the damage, however, remains unknown. Engineers will need to enter the spacecraft to assess the destruction once the interior spaces cool, authorities said.
Senior Navy officer Admiral Mike Gilday said Friday there would be a full investigation into the cause of the fire.
“We will thoroughly investigate what happened here so that we can learn as much as we can from this terrible tragedy,” said Gilday, chief of naval operations.
“It is too early to make any predictions or promises about the future of the ship,” said Rear Admiral Philip Sobeck, commander of the Navy Expeditionary Strike Group Three. “It will be determined whether or not it will be repaired.”
It would be one of only four ships in the U.S. fleet with the ability to handle F-35Bs, meaning its absence will be felt.
“As tensions rise with China in the South China Sea, as well as with North Korea, the loss of this ship and its capabilities will make it more difficult for the Navy to meet all of its war requirements,” he said. John Kirby, a CNN Military Analyst and former Admiral in the U.S. Navy.
Timothy Heath, principal investigator of international defense at Rand Corp., said that continuously deploying F-35s in the Indo-Pacific region would have served as a visible reminder of the US military’s technological advantage over rivals like China.
“The F-35’s advanced capabilities exceed those of any Chinese fighter, providing an advantage in air-to-air combat,” he said. “The effort of the US Navy to continuously operate F-35 expeditionary task forces in the Indo-Pacific will be a severe blow.”
The long-term consequences.
For now, the USS America, a newer version of the amphibious assault ship capable of deploying F-35, is replacing the Bonhomme Richard, which operates from the US Navy base in Sasebo, Japan.
And naval commanders noted that USS Tripoli, the Navy ‘s newest amphibious assault ship, was commissioned on Wednesday, joining the fleet when Bonhomme Richard, 22, was burned.
But the absence of any boat can take its toll.
“There are always tracking effects when a ship unexpectedly withdraws from service,” said Carl Schuster, former director of operations at the United States Pacific Command Joint Intelligence Center.
“The Bonhomme Richard was supposed to return to the fleet this fall, releasing another to receive the necessary maintenance and upgrade. Now, that’s not going to happen. So, the maintenance and upgrade needs of another ship will be delayed and it will open. a capacity gap. ” “
This is likely to cause a snowball effect, Heath said.
“The US military will either have to cut back on the missions it takes on, or it will have to stress the remaining crews to fulfill their obligations. Both carry risks,” he said.
“Reducing the operations of the US Expeditionary Task Forces can leave gaps in the operational presence of the US Navy, which could encourage countries like China to step up coercive measures.”
“However, stressing crews by reducing maintenance, rest, etc. increases the risk of further mishaps and disasters. Both could further harm the credibility of the United States in the region.”
Although the Navy has not yet been able to determine the cause of the fire at Bonhomme Richard, the loss of a major war platform from a dock fire raises questions about whether procedures were followed correctly.
“By itself, the disaster (Bonhomme Richard) may have been simply unfortunate, but it occurred after a series of mishaps with the United States Navy in the Indo-Pacific,” Heath said. “With the nationwide messages from the US. About inconsistent and erratic alliances, these setbacks in the US Navy become even more damaging to the credibility of the US. In the region.”
“We have taken extraordinary measures to protect our sailors from Covid,” said Rear Admiral George Wikoff, commander of the Carrier Strike Group 5, led by USS Ronald Reagan.
Messages and insights
Schuster said the dual-carrier exercise in the South China Sea was designed to send a message to Beijing: “The United States Navy is back following the reduced activity driven by Covid-19.”
The Navy said the exercises also showed their commitment to allies in the region. However, the loss of one of its baby carriers could lead allies to question whether Washington can keep its commitment.
“What exercises and other plans do we directly reduce or cancel? Those decisions will affect perceptions of our commitment and capacity,” Schuster said.
Back in Washington, there will also be financial concerns. The Bonhomme Richard cost around $ 750 million to build, and was undergoing some hundreds of millions of dollars in improvements to prepare it for the F-35s.
A new amphibious assault ship, like the Tripoli, costs around $ 3.4 billion, according to the United States Government Accountability Office.
Despite all the problems that the fire at Bonhomme Richard has created, Kirby said they can be overcome.
“OMG, if our strategy in any part of the world depends on the availability of a particular boat, well, we have much bigger fish to fry,” said Kirby.
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