The Virginian-Pilot
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A Hampton Roads Army or Navy base could be a homeport for the next generation of rapid transport ship being developed jointly by the services, the Army announced Friday.
The Army is studying possible homeports in Hampton Roads, San Diego, Seattle, Hawaii and Guam for five to 12 of the new Joint High Speed Vessels. The ports that make the cut each would receive as many as three of the ships, which are expected to begin coming into service by the end of next year.
The ships are designed to be fast - 35 to 45 knots - and have a draft of less than 15 feet to allow them to operate in shallow environments and a wide range of ports, according to the Navy. They will carry soldiers, Marines, special forces and their vehicles, and will have a flight deck for helicopters.
With a crew of 31, they will carry up to 350 additional service members and about 700 short tons of equipment.
The Fort Eustis section of Joint Base Langley-Eustis is one possible location for the ships.
Its port has a main pier with 14 berths and it has several other piers and bulkheads available for docking, spokeswoman Monica Miller Rodgers said. The base also has a crane that can lift up to 100 tons, and vessel support offices that provide maintenance and repairs.
The Fort Story campus of the Joint Expeditionary Base does not have any port facilities.
But its Little Creek campus as well as Norfolk Naval Station are in the Hampton Roads area being considered for a homeport for the new vessels.
The areas selected for the study were chosen because they have depot-level maintenance facilities and ports that do not need new construction or improvements, the Army said.
The study, expected to be completed in August, will also examine possible environmental impacts associated with the ships.
Meredith Kruse, (757) 446-2164, meredith.kruse@pilotonline.com
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Hampton Roads is just destined for economic failure
More military???? Please...move them elsewhere, the military here is crushing the job market and increases (local) taxes for residents here. Send the new ships to Charleston, SC or Mayport, FL. What would Hampton Roads do if there was no military here? The City Governments better start looking at other states to find how how they survive without the military to run their city. Locals are waking up to LEAVING this DUMP (in VB) because there's nothing of value to keep people here. Worthless staffing-temp agencies, recruiting agencies that farm you out to other employers and pay you sub-standard wages at $12-hr. for PC Tech. What an insult and a JOKE! As a VB Resident for (25+) yrs. I should be able to park at the Oceanfront for less than $2 and rent a hotel room for $30/night because I support the beach with my (local) taxes when the Tourists go home in September. VB City Council wants to tell locals that we're treated like tourists and pay the same rates as the tourists so the money can "stir" the economy. Hilarious! Locals aren't spending money on entertainment here....there's no reason to. Time to move out of this dump ("area") where housing is more affordable and you g
Oh geeze. . . .
The last thing we need here is more military.
And why....
Do you say that, David?
?
false.