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If I were designing Adm. Owens LSS I would retain the ability to ballast down the stern for easy access by either three standard LCATs or two of the enlarged one proposed a few years ago; for all I know they may have been cancelled. Their would be a hangar able to accomodate CH-53K, V-22 Osprey transports, V-22 variants such as AEW or Sea Control if they are ever developed. In addition, the gunship/escort version of the BA609 civil T-R would be accomodated with sufficent clear hangar height for repairs and maintaince done overhead. CSAR helos would also be embarked along with F-35B JSFs and possibly, the LM version of a STOVL UCAV.

The flight deck would be 500 feet long with an adjustable skijump ramp at the end and would meet the requirements of launching a hopefully fully loaded F-35B JSF strike fighter. The forward part of the ship would be given over to MK 41 launchers for air and missile defense and cruise missiles like TacTom and hopefully, a ship launched quad paked naval adaptation of MRLS.

Large tubes would be set aside for the far ranging Kinetic Energy Interceptor which is 40 feet by 40 inches diameter and must use a cold launch technique to avoid damaging the MK 41s. Mk 41 loadout would consist of ESSM, SM-2, SM-6 and SM-3Blkb antiballistic misssiles with multiple kill vehicles to counter targets with mulltiple countermeasures not easily discriminated by sea and ground based radars. KEI would kill missiles in their boost phase, ascent phase and midcourse phase also using MKVs.

The island would be the mounting place for solid state radars that would be developed versions of Aegies and a dual band radar core operating in S and X band uprated to function over hundreds of miles unlike the short ranged disaster in DDG-1000 for which it was designed.

Full size Mk 48 torpedoes would be launchable from stern tubes with/without wire guidance against submarine and ship targets. The Penn State U's 6.75 inch diameter antitorpedo torpedo and the Advanced High Speed Underwater Munition would act as defensive weapons that would derange or kill incoming torpedoes.

I favour more than 500 troops. I would go for a full 1000 Marines including the air group or one half of what can be transported by LHD/LHA(R)s. Supporting MRAP vehicles, tanks, self propelled artillery adequate for the job would be included along wit a 30 days of supplies for 30 days of combat.

Air Group is difficult to calculate but here is a stab at it: 8 V-22B transports, eight BA609 gunship escorts, eight F-35B STOVL, four organic AEW V-22 variants of which one non functional one has been displayed and proposed, three CH-53K heavy lift helos and two command and control Ospreys plus a four STOVL recon/strike UCAVs and two SH-60S helos for CSAR for a total load of 39 aircraft which puts this ship in the size range of an LHD/LHA(R).

At this size not many could be afforded but those that could would have a powerful force able to launch air strikes, cruise missile attacks and amphibious landings in "A Ship for All Seasons" from a 1999 Procedings article.