Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
Wasp class amphibious assault ship
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Wasp-class amphibious assault ship class Amphibious assault ship | |
|---|---|
 Port bow view of USS Wasp (LHD-1) |
|
| Class Overview | |
| Type: | Amphibious assault ship |
| Name: | Wasp-class amphibious assault ship |
| Preceded by: | Tarawa -class amphibious assault ships |
| Succeeded by: | LHA(R) development program |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | Approx. 40,500 tons (41,150 metric tons) full load |
| Length: | 844 ft (253.2 m) |
| Beam: | 106 ft (31.8 m) |
| Propulsion: | Two boilers, two geared steam turbines, two shafts, 70,000 shaft horsepower (52 MW); (2 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, two geared turbines, two shafts in Makin Island) |
| Speed: | 20 knots (23 mph, 37 km/h) |
| Complement: | 104 officers, 1,004 enlisted 1,894 Marine Detachment |
| Armament: | Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launchers; two NATO Sea Sparrow launchers; three 20 mm Phalanx CIWS mounts (two on LHD 5-7); four .50 cal. machine guns; four 25 mm Mk 38 autocannon (LHD 5-7 have three 25 mm Mk 38 autocannon). |
| Aircraft: | Actual mix depends upon mission[1] 6 AV-8B Harrier attack aircraft 4 AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopter 12 CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters 9 CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters 4UH-1N Huey helicopters OR Assault 42 CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters OR Sea Control 20 AV-8B Harrier attack aircraft 6 ASW helicopters |
| Ships of the class | |
| USS Wasp (LHD 1) USS Essex (LHD 2) USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) USS Boxer (LHD 4) USS Bataan (LHD 5) USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) PCU Makin Island (LHD 8) |
|
The Wasp class amphibious assault ships of the United States Navy are designed to land forces on hostile shores, and they are the largest vessels of this type in service anywhere in the world. To the untrained eye they may resemble an aircraft carrier. However, despite the fact that they normally carry a small number of AV-8B Harrier II aircraft, and have a secondary role supporting this type in larger numbers, their primary role is not operating fixed wing aircraft. They have a large air wing of helicopters which are dedicated to ferrying troops and equipment ashore from the ships. They also possess a well deck for launching smaller landing craft, up to two Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCACs; hovercraft) or Landing Craft Utility (LCUs). The Wasp class vessels are derived from the earlier Tarawa class. The easiest way to tell the two apart is to look at the bows; the Tarawa-class ships have a "notched" flight deck and forward sponsons, which originally carried 5" guns, the Wasp class has a squared-off forward flight deck and no forward sponsons.
The Wasp class was built at Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi. The first ship of the class, the USS Wasp (LHD 1) was launched on July 29, 1989.
-
- USS Wasp (LHD 1), Norfolk, Virginia
- USS Essex (LHD 2), Sasebo, Japan
- USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), Norfolk, Virginia
- USS Boxer (LHD 4), San Diego, California
- USS Bataan (LHD 5), Norfolk, Virginia
- USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), San Diego, California
- USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), Norfolk, Virginia
- PCU Makin Island (LHD 8)—Under construction at Pascagoula, Mississippi
- Hospital: 600 beds and six operating rooms
 Port quarter view of Wasp, showing LCAC |
 Well deck of amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) with a landing craft utility about to depart. |