Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:06:00-1:06:55

Covering the loss of USS Bonhomme Richard

The short-term answer relies on allied carrier availability in the Indo-Pacific, while the long-term answer is another amphibious ship and slower retirement of an older hull.

Amphibious WarfareLive Q&ANaval Force StructureRoyal NavyUS Navy
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Question

How could the US Navy make up for the loss of USS Bonhomme Richard?

Short answer

Use allied carrier capacity as a short-term bridge, then build another ship and delay the retirement of an older amphibious vessel.

Notes

The loss of Bonhomme Richard creates a force-availability problem that cannot be solved instantly. In the short term, the United States might lean partly on a British carrier maintaining a presence in the Indian Ocean or Southeast Asia, especially for F-35 capacity. Over the longer term, the US Navy would probably need a replacement ship and might retain an older amphibious vessel in service for longer.