Function: Dock landing ships which support amphibious operations.





History: The Whidbey Island Class ships (LSDs 44 to 48) were built by Avondale Industries of New Orleans, which was also selected to build the cargo version of the ship, the Harpers Ferry Class (LSD 49 to LSD 52).





Description: The Whidbey Island Class ships were built to transport and launch air-cushioned landing craft (LCAC). The ships also provide docking and repair facilities for LCACs and for a range of conventional military, utility and personnel landing craft and also provide landing facilities for helicopters. The Harpers Ferry Class provides an increased cargo capacity and reduces the number of air-cushioned landing craft carried from four to two. As well as 340 crew members, the ships have capacity for 500 troops.

The last of this class, USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52), was commissioned in May 1998



Under a U.S. Navy program, the Whidbey Island (LSD 41) was fitted with a Quick Reaction Combat Capability/Ship Self Defense System to provide it with a more co-ordinated and effective defence against attack by anti-ship missiles and aircraft. SSDS integrates the weapon control system, the close-in weapon system, the air search radar, the electronic warfare systems and the anti-air missile system. The latest ship of the class, the USS Pearl Harbor, has already been fitted with SSDS, and all twelve ships will be retrofitted with the SSDS by the year 2002.







General Characteristics, LSD



Builders:

Avondale Industries, New Orleans





Power Plant:

Four SEMT-Pielstick 16 PC2.5 V 400 diesel engines





Length, Overall:

610 feet (136 meters)





Beam:

84 feet (25.6 meters)





Displacement:

16,400 long tons (16,663 metric tons) full load





Aviation Facilities:

Landing deck for two Sikorsky CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopters





Cargo Capacity:

67,000 cubic feet for marine cargo

20,200 square feet for vehicles





Maximum Speed:

20+ knots





Range:

8,000 miles at 18 knots







Weapons Systems:

Two 20 mm six barrel Phalanx Mark 15 close-in weapon systems fitted at the fore and aft of the top deck



Two 25mm Mark 38 and eight 12.7mm machine guns





Countermeasures:

AN/SLQ-25A Nixie towed decoy system



AN/SLQ-49 inflatable decoy cartridges



Mark 36 Mod 18 Super Rapid Bloom Offboard Chaff (SRBOC) launchers



Raytheon AN/SLQ-32Q(V) system





Radar:

Northrop Grumman SPS-67V which operates at G-band



Raytheon SPS-49V5, which operates in C and D bands



Raytheon I- to J-band SPS-64(V)9





Crew:

340 crew, including 22 officers



418 enlisted men for LCAC attachment (air cushioned landing craft attachment)



Landing Force of 441 Marines, 102 surge troops











Ships:

USS Whidbey Island (LSD-41)

USS Germantown (LSD-42)

USS Fort McHenry (LSD-43)

USS Gunston Hall (LSD-44)

USS Comstock (LSD-45)

USS Tortuga (LSD-46)

USS Rushmore (LSD-47)

USS Ashland (LSD-48)

USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49)

USS Carter Hall (LSD-50)

USS Oak Hill (LSD-51)

USS Pearl Harbor (LSD-52)