Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced June 15 that the first amphibious ready group (ARG) ship scheduled to shift homeport to Naval Station Mayport, Fla., will arrive in the last quarter of calendar year 2013.
USS New York (LPD 21), USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) and USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43), will shift from their current homeport of Norfolk, Va., to Mayport. The New York will be the first to change homeport, followed by the Iwo Jima and Fort McHenry in 2014.
Mabus originally announced Feb. 28 that the ARG would arrive no later than 2015.
The accelerated timeline ensures continued viability of the Mayport ship repair industrial base and maintains the capabilities of the Jacksonville fleet concentration area, thereby preserving surge capability and reducing risk to fleet resources in the event of natural or manmade contingencies.
“I am very pleased that the Navy is able to condense the time horizon for the arrival of the Mayport ARG,” stated Mabus . “ The move underscores just how important Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport are to our national defense, and how committed we are to strategic dispersal on the East Coast.”
[mappress] Naval Today Staff , June 17, 2012; Image: US Navy