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Amphibious Assault Ships

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

LHD 8: 65 officers, 994 enlisted

Marine Detachment: 1,687 troops (plus 184 surge).

Armament: Two RAM launchers; two NATO Sea Sparrow launchers; three 20mm Phalanx CIWS mounts (two on LHD 5-8); four .50 cal. machine guns; four 25 mm Mk 38 machine guns (LHD 5-8 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 tilt-rotors).

San Antonio Class

Builder: Northrop Grumman Ships Systems, with Raytheon Systems Corporation and Intergraph Corporation.

Propulsion: Four sequentially turbocharged marine Colt-Pielstick Diesels, two shafts, 41,600 shaft horsepower.

Length: 684 feet (208.5 meters).

Beam: 105 feet (31.9 meters).

Displacement: Approximately 24,900 long tons (25,300 metric tons) full load.

Speed: In excess of 22 knots (24.2 mph, 38.7 kph).

Crew: Ship’s Company: 360 Sailors (28 officers, 332 enlisted)

Embarked Landing Force: 699 (66 officers, 633 enlisted); surge capacity to 800.

Armament: Two Bushmaster II 30 mm Close in Guns, fore and aft; two Rolling Airframe Missile launchers, fore and aft.

Aircraft: Launch or land two CH53E Super Stallion helicopters or two MV-22 Osprey tilt rotor aircraft or up to four CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters, AH-1 or UH-1 helicopters.

Landing/Attack Craft: Two LCACs or one LCU; and 14 Expeditionary Fighting Vehicles/Amphibious Assault Vehicles.

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.

Austin Class

Builder: LPD 4-6, New York Naval Shipyard
LPD 7 and LPD 8, Ingalls Shipbuilding
LPD 9, 10, 12-15, Lockheed Shipbuilding.

Date Deployed: Feb. 6, 1965 (USS Austin)

Unit Cost: $235-419 million.

Propulsion: Two boilers, two steam turbines, two shafts, 24,000 shaft horsepower.

Length: 570 feet (171 meters).

Beam: 84 feet (25.2 meters).

Displacement: Approximately 17,000 tons (17,272.82 metric tons) full load.

Speed: 21 knots (24.2 mph, 38.7 kph).

Crew: Ship’s Company: 420 (24 officers, 396 enlisted), Marine Detachment: 900.
Armament: Two 25mm Mk 38 guns; two Phalanx CIWS; and eight .50-calibre machine guns.

Aircraft: Up to six CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters.

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