Unit Request or Help: USS WASP LDH1

[White Elk]

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USS WASP . LDH1
Amphibious Assault Carrier

The Wasp-class are the largest amphibious ships in the world. WASP class ships are the first to be specifically designed to accomidate the AV-8B Harrier jump jet and the LCAC hovercraft, along with the full range of Navy and Marine helicopters, conventional landing craft and amphibious assault vehicles to support a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) of 2,000 Marines. The ships also carry some of the most sophisticated communications, command and control capabilities afloat, alongwith state of the art electronic systems and defensive weaponry.

These ships conduct prompt, sustained combat operations at sea as the centerpiece of the Navy's amphibious strategy of "Forward... From the Sea." They provide the means to deliver, command and support all elements of a Marine Landing Force in an assault by air and amphibious craft.

globalsecurity.org

The LHDs also have expanded medical facilities that are surpassed only by those on Navy hospital ships. These consist of six medical operating rooms, four dental operating rooms, medical laboratories, and hospital facilities capable of caring for up to 600 patients. This level of capability is vital for effectively treating combat casualties during hostilities and for supporting disaster relief and other non-combat efforts.

In the future, every LHD will carry all the elements of the Navy and Marine Corps tactical mobility triad - the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, the Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle, and the LCAC. These craft are critical to the conduct of over-the-horizon assault and other aspects of expeditionary maneuver warfare. Additionally, the ships of the Wasp class will also be able to deploy the Marine Corps' STOVL version of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), which will begin replacing the Harrier later this decade. Consequently, the Wasp-class ships will continue to play a key role in U.S. sea-based expeditionary operations for years to come.

exwar.com

More pictures and Ship Characteristics of the USS WASP LDH 1 . navysite.de

 

[White Elk]

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So this forward thinking piece of warcraft can transport an amphibious assault force ready to fight under cover of support aircraft ranging from attack helos to jump jets. I can think of a couple ways this unit can be utilized.
But I don't know code so I don't know what SDK limitations there will be.

So I have two initial questions...

Can a unit transporting units be transported?
I'd like to load Marines into helos and landing craft. Then be able to deploy them from the LDH into immediate combat. In the ViSa mod there are transport helicopters that can load onto naval transports. But the unit must be unloaded first. So it can not carry other units during transport. The fighting units must unload from the naval transports onto land, and then load into the helo transports. If you order the troops to load the air transport the same turn you unloaded them from the naval transports then they are ready for combat the following turn. This makes perfect sense to me. The loaded Men and Machines on a transport must be disembarked, assemble, and reembark before they can be ready to fight. This takes time...

But with amphibious assault vehicals and carrier based helicopters, armies can deploy as combat ready directly from one transport via another. The LDH is perfectly suited to launch amphibious operations while providing close air support. I'd like to add this unit with an accomponying tech for a much expanded modern era Tech Tree. This Tech Tree will have detour paths of specialization suited to various basic strategies (WarMonger, Builder, Spacers, Politicians, TradeMongers, Missionaries and more?) This unit is a natural addition for the Warmonger branch.


If a unit can't transport units transporting other units, then is
it possible to hack the Airlift Command to work for a unit?
The reason I ask is that I noticed with the ViSa mod, I can load an Infantry unit into an Armidillo (land transport) and then Airlift them both to a city. The Armidillo has used up its movement but the unit inside still has its movement and can attack. So a phantom unit called Amphibious Mission, could be created to 'airlift' a unit into battle. Like the Spy, this Mission unit can't attack or be attacked. It could only load onto LDHs, and its only purpose would be to carry one Marine ashore. The graphics for this Mission unit could be either a landing craft or helo. The LDH unit could have two of these Amphibious Mission units. The LDH could also transport 2 close air support units helo and/or Harrier [Vanilla Carrier then transports 6?]). And since the LDH also fills the role of naval hospitals, it could be granted the Medic1 promotion... maybee.

Ideally though...
Transports can transport transports and the transported don't lose their movement in the process.
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[White Elk]

Can units fly over coastal terrain like they fly over land terrain?
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[White Elk]

I'm still not yet a graphics artist so I am requesting graphics help (either a volunteer creator or a helpfull step by step instruction for creating CIV units in GIMP). Additionally I seek any and all input related to the design and gameplay aspects of this unit.


Since Im here and asking for artists help and thinkers brainstorming....

I'm also thinking of adding a USS Akron. The Akron was a lighter than air craft (blimp) designed to support naval operations. It also transported SparrowHawk Bi-planes for extended recon and defense missions. In the right circumstance it could have increased the aerial bombing range in its day. The Akron saw service and there was at least one other air-borne aircraft carrier (USS Macon) in service at the time. I think this would be great in a modded game for which there was actually time to specialize ones tech tree research. A specialization that sets the warmongers apart from the peacemongers... and also one that sets apart the ground focused warmonger from the air focused warmonger). If the cards fall right, then the warmonger who pursued this alternant path could be rewarded well for this gambit. If the cards fall wrong then your opponent has researched deep into aeronautics before the Akron could be of any real use. Yet if the opponent goes for tank or artillery, but not advanced air based warfare; then he who studied the Akron Class will rule supreme in the air and reap havak on the ground. An enticing tech tree offshoot that can win big or lose big all depending on your opponents field of study.

For this unit I would hope for a way to allow for chances of a catastrophic failure (loss of unit for circumstances outside of combat). In real life the Akron was a grand idea, but fixed wing aircraft developed too fast and the Akron and Macons inherent risks caused this aircraft class to be retired and forgotten. But Civ is all about alternant realities and I think this unit would be great in an expanded era Civ game.

More info on the Macon and Akron


Also I wonder about adding some of the 1st Cold Wars airborne aircraft carriers???
(we currently live in CWII aka Cold War 2)
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