US Navy continues ship-force home port consolidations

Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) conducted a home port shift from Mayport, Florida, and arrived on 13 December at its new home port at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia. (US Navy)

Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) conducted a home port shift from Mayport, Florida, and arrived on 13 December at its new home port at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia.

Iwo Jima 's reassignment to Naval Station Norfolk is part of a series of planned home port shifts that will consolidate amphibious ships in Hampton Roads while increasing the number of guided-missile destroyers in Mayport.

The plan is designed to optimise extended maintenance availabilities at shipyards in both Norfolk and Mayport while balancing the economic impacts of personnel shifts to both communities.

Iwo Jima was stationed at Naval Station Mayport for the last seven years, during which time it completed three deployments and 14 maintenance availabilities.

Home port shifts are part of the navy's continued commitment to the strategic dispersal of ships, US Navy (USN) officials have noted. The moves contribute to the vitality of two US East Coast home ports for surface ships and the preservation of the Mayport region's ship repair facilities. The navy-shift plan is meant to support extended maintenance availabilities at local shipyards in both fleet concentration areas and rebalance port loading.

For example, guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) shifted its home port to Norfolk – arriving there on 10 June – because of excess port loading in Mayport, USN officials said.

USN officials pointed out that the ship's move marked the first time in more than 50 years that a cruiser was not home ported in Mayport.