Description
The largest of all amphibious warfare ships; resembles a small aircraft carrier; capable of Vertical/Short Take Off and Landing (V/STOL), Short Take Off Vertical Landing (STOVL), Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) tiltrotor and Rotary Wing (RW) aircraft operations; contains a welldeck to support use of Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) and other watercraft.

Features
Modern U.S. Navy Amphibious Assault Ships project power and maintain presence by serving as the cornerstone of the Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG) / Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG). A key element of the Seapower 21 pillars of Sea Strike and Sea Basing, these ships transport and land elements of the Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) with a combination of aircraft and landing craft.

The Tarawa-class LHA provides the Marine Corps with a superb means of ship-to-shore movement by helicopter in addition to movement by landing craft. Three LHAs?which have extensive storage capacity and can accommodate both LCUs and LCACs?were unusually active during Operations Desert Shield/Storm. Since that time, LHAs (and, later, LHDs) have been participants in major humanitarian-assistance, occupation, and combat operations in which the United States has been involved. Such operations have included providing support to NATO forces engaged in keeping the peace in Bosnia, taking part in rescue operations in the offshore waters of African countries ravaged by civil war, and in Kosovo in 1999, and participating in Operation Enduring Freedom in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in 2001 and 2002. Also, during 2000, USS Essex (LHD 2) swapped forward-deployed naval force assignments with USS Belleau Wood (LHA 3) as the ?big-deck? amphibious ship in Sasebo, Japan. USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) was commissioned in June 2001, and had her first deployment in 2003.

In April 2002 a construction contract was awarded for LHD 8 (Makin Island) with contract delivery to the Navy scheduled no later than 31 July 2007. In 2003, the majority of the amphibious assault ships participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom, conducting concurrent Well Deck and Flight Deck operations as an integral part of the multi-national forces operations. In 2003, USS Peleliu (LHA 5) deployed as centerpiece of an Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG), introducing a new concept of operations, replacing the Amphibious Ready Groups (ARGs). With delivery of LHD 7, the Navy and Marine Corps has a flexible force of ships?LHAs/LHDs, LPDs, and LSD 41/49s?that can provide 12 fully capable Expeditionary Strike Group forces to fulfill anticipated Marine Corps Lift and forward-presence requirements. The amphibious capability of the fleet will be improved with construction of LHD 8 and the replacement of the Austin-class LPDs by San Antonio-class LPDs.

Background
Amphibious warships are designed to support the Marine Corps tenets of Operational Maneuver From the Sea (OMFTS) and Ship to Objective Maneuver (STOM). They must be able to sail in harm?s way and provide a rapid buildup of combat power ashore in the face of opposition. Because of their inherent capabilities, these ships have been and will continue to be called upon to also support humanitarian and other contingency missions on short notice. The United States maintains the largest and most capable amphibious force in the world. The WASP-class are currently the largest amphibious ships in the world. The lead ship, USS Wasp (LHD 1) was commissioned in July 1989 in Norfolk, Va. LHA Replacement or LHA(R) is the next step in the incremental development of the ?Big Deck Amphib?. She is being designed to accommodate the Marine Corps? future Air Combat Element (ACE) including F-35B Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) and MV-22 Osprey, provide additional vehicle and cargo stowage capacities and enable a broader, more flexible Command and Control capability.

Program Status
All LHAs are in-service; LHDs 1-7 are in-service, LHD 8 is under construction and expected to deliver in July 2007. LHAR program is in the early stages. The lead LHAR is planned for delivery to the Fleet in 2013.

General Characteristics, LHA(R) Class

Builder: TBD (currently undergoing functional design).
Date Deployed: Scheduled for delivery to the fleet in 2013.
Propulsion: Two marine gas turbines, two shafts, 70,000 total brake horsepower.
Length: 921 feet (280.7 meters).
Beam: 116 feet (35.4 meters).
Displacement: Approximately 50,100 long tons (50,905 metric tons) full load.
Speed: 20+ knots.
Aircraft: A mix of: F-35B Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) STOVL aircraft; MV-22 Osprey VTOL tiltrotors; CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopters; UH-1YHuey helicopters; AH-1Z Super Cobra helicopters; MH-60S Seahawk helicopters.

General Characteristics, Wasp Class

Builder: Northrop Grumman Ship Systems Ingalls Operations, Pascagoula, MS.
Date Deployed: July 29, 1989 (USS Wasp)
Propulsion: (LHDs 1?7) two boilers, two geared steam turbines, two shafts, 70,000 total shaft horsepower; (LHD 8) two gas turbines, two shafts; 70,000 total shaft horsepower, two 5,000 horsepower auxiliary propulsion motors.
Length: 844 feet (253.2 meters).
Beam: 106 feet (31.8 meters).
Displacement: LHDs 1-4: 40,650 tons full load (41,302.3 metric tons)
LHDs 5-7: 40,358 tons full load (41,005.6 metric tons)
LHD 8: 41,772 tons full load (42,442.3 metric tons).
Speed: 20+ knots (23.5+ miles per hour).
Crew: Ships Company: 104 officers, 1,004 enlisted
Marine Detachment: 1,894.
Armament: Two RAM launchers; two NATO Sea Sparrow launchers; three 20mm Phalanx CIWS mounts (two on LHD 5-7); four .50 cal. machine guns; four 25 mm Mk 38 machine guns (LHD 5-7 have three 25 mm Mk 38 machine guns).
Aircraft: 12 CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters; 4 CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopters; 6 AV-8B Harrier attack aircraft; 3 UH-1N Huey helicopters; 4 AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters. (planned capability to embark MV-22 Osprey VTOL tiltrotors).
Ships:
USS Wasp (LHD 1), Norfolk, VA
USS Essex (LHD 2), Sasebo, Japan
USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), Norfolk, VA
USS Boxer (LHD 4), San Diego, CA
USS Bataan (LHD 5), Norfolk, VA
USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), San Diego, CA
USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), Norfolk, VA
Makin Island (LHD 8) - under construction

General Characteristics, Tarawa Class

Builder: Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, MS.
Date Deployed: May 29, 1976 (USS Tarawa)
Propulsion: Two boilers, two geared steam turbines, two shafts, 70,000 total shaft horsepower.
Length: 820 feet (249.9 meters).
Beam: 106 feet (31.8 meters).
Displacement: 39,400 tons (40,032 metric tons) full load.
Speed: 24 knots (27.6 miles per hour).
Crew: Ships Company: 82 officers, 882 enlisted
Marine Detachment 1,900 plus.
Armament: Two RAM launchers; two Phalanx 20 mm CIWS mount; three .50 cal. machine guns; four 25 mm Mk 38 machine guns.
Aircraft: 12 CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters; 4 CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopters; 6 AV-8B Harrier attack aircraft; 3 UH-1N Huey helicopters; 4 AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters.
Ships:
USS Tarawa (LHA 1), San Diego, CA
USS Saipan (LHA 2), Norfolk, VA
USS Belleau Wood (LHA 3), San Diego, CA
USS Nassau (LHA 4), Norfolk, VA
USS Peleliu (LHA 5), San Diego, CA