Again, a vessel for amphibious operations is not defined by having a well deck, but by having the capability to transport troops, cargo, vehicles, have command or medical facilities and so on. Even INS Viraat has these capabilities, just like the latest America class carriers and none of the have a well deck!
A JSS has these capabilities too, no matter if it is designed with a stern ramp, a well deck, or even with none of them, like LSTs. And as I said, there is no problem in designing a JSS with a well deck, but refuelling masts at the deck and you don't even deny that. The logistical support capability is an additional capability that a JSS/LSS has and that makes it more useful in different roles, but it still remains to be an amphibious vessel!!!
A vessel for amphibious operations is not defined by having a well deck BUT AN LPD IS. JSS is not an LPD. As for the capability to transport troops, JSS can take few troops compared to Rotterdam and de Witt and has little organic capability to land them (she has 2 LCVP, no dock, and gets 2 non/navalised Army Chinooks on board). The whole point of the JSS for the Dutch navy is as replacement for an AOR, while adding asefull additional transport capability. It can serve as transport (not assault) ship. As is evident from its vlms and cargo capacitiy, relative to the LPDs, all of which are in addition to oil, fuel, ammo and cargo capabilities the LPDs do not have to the same extent.
Viraat started life as an aircraft carrier of the Centaur class and was subsequently
converted to a Commando Carrier. Landing craft and berthing for 800 troops were added and her airwing became approximately 20 Sea King helicopters. A further mild conversion was performed to become an anti-submarine warfare carrier. Later she was made fit for accepting Harriers. But while she got troop carrying capability and 4 david mounted LCU, no one attempted to shoe-horn in a well deck. Nor have there been any such conversions in other vessels. Or design modicications along these lines (please do provide an example of a design being modified to accept a well deck).
The America class (LHA-6) sacrifices the dock to support F-35Bs and MV22s (i.e. removing the ballasting equipment). Removal of the well/dock for landing craft provides for an extended hangar deck with two significantly wider high bay areas, each fitted with an overhead crane for aircraft maintenance. Approximately 45% of the design is based on LHD-8. This is the only design example that I am aware of where this (redesign to loose a dock) has been done.
The USN Harpers Ferry class is a class of dock landing ships completed in the early 1990s that is modified from the Whidbey Island class dock landing ships and that sacrifices landing craft capability for more cargo space, making it closer to an amphibious transport dock per se. Just like the De Witt relative to Rotterdam. Still, as with the Dutch ships, the dock is maintained.
Now, I don´t care about discussion about definitions. Fact is, that JSS is NOT a member of the Enforcer family, there is not a shared design base. (that does not rule out that some Enforcer variants carry a RAS rig, but at the same time, as illustrated by Spain´s PdA and JC1, having a RAS rig does not a replenishment ship make) Moreover, JSS is not intended as an amphibious assault asset like the LPDs are. Rather they provide sealift capability. Sealift can be divided into
strategic and
tactical sealift. Strategic sealift is the transportation of vehicles and equipment to a staging area equipped with
port facilities, with personnel arriving by other methods. Tactical sealift occurs when a ship is carrying personnel along with vehicles and equipment, and is able to deploy them directly and operationally, like in an
amphibious assault.
JSS has only very limited organic ability to deploy what it carries independently. Her role is more strategic than tactical. Seabasing is a naval capability that provides commanders with the ability to conduct selected functions and tasks at sea without reliance on infrastructure ashore. In that context, JSS supports the LPDs in their primary mission and all ships in the LPD´s protective force.
She does not have a dock, just a steal beach (rear ramp) and a dock cannot be easily designed in (look at waterline relatied to vehicle deck, position of rudder machinery, position of main machinery, absense of LPD ballasting system etc). She carries 2 lcvp on davids, rather than at least 2 LCU and at least 4 LCVP as the LPDs do. She hosts Army Chinooks rather than having an organic helicopter complement. But on the whole, it is in the 8000 m3 of F76 fuel she can carry that she is by design is very significantly different from LPDs (which have 1250 to 2150 m3 each at best) and the 1000 m3 of F44 fuel (compared to 240-300 m3 each for the LPDs).·The LPDs (notably de Witt) are equipped to receive command staffs, the JSS is not. But she has better hospital capability
See also Canada´s JSS defunct project
The Joint Support Ship Project consists of 2–3 multi-role vessels that will replace the
underway replenishment capability of the
Protecteur-class auxiliary vessel, as well as provide basic
sealift for the
Canadian Army, support to forces ashore, and
command facilities for a
Canadian Forces "joint force" or "naval task group".
The Joint Support Ship Project should not be confused with the
Amphibious Assault Ship Project, which is another separate procurement project also under consideration by the Royal Canadian Navy; planning for the Amphibious Assault Ship Project is at a much earlier stage.
Joint Support Ship Project - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
You did notice the Dutch navy on its website does not group JSS together with the LPDs as amphibious ships? Also, it carries an A-designation, not an L-designation like the Rotterdam/DeWitt/Bay/Castilla, to signifies its primary role.
