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FIGHTING SHIPS OF THE WORLD
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
AMPHIBIOUS SHIPS AND CRAFT
WASP amphibious assault ships (1989 - 2009)


Photo



Boxer 2003

Ships


No Name Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comm Fate
LHD1 Wasp 7103 Ingalls, Pascagoula 30.5.1985 4.8.1987 6.7.1989 in service (2019)
LHD2 Essex 7201 Ingalls, Pascagoula 20.3.1989 4.1.1991 17.10.1992 in service (2019)
LHD3 Kearsarge 7202 Ingalls, Pascagoula 6.2.1990 26.3.1992 16.10.1993 in service (2019)
LHD4 Boxer 7203 Ingalls, Pascagoula 8.4.1991 13.8.1993 11.2.1995 in service (2019)
LHD5 Bataan 7205 Ingalls, Pascagoula 22.6.1994 15.3.1996 20.9.1997 in service (2019)
LHD6 Bonhomme Richard 7206 Ingalls, Pascagoula 18.4.1995 14.3.1997 15.8.1998 in service (2019)
LHD7 Iwo Jima 7207 Ingalls, Pascagoula 12.12.1997 25.3.2000 30.6.2001 in service (2019)
LHD8 Makin Island 7208 Ingalls, Pascagoula 14.2.2004 22.9.2006 24.10.2009 in service (2019)


Technical data


Displacement standard, t

27565 - 28295 light

Displacement full, t

40329 - 41133

Length, m

237.1 wl 257.3 oa

Breadth, m

32.3 wl 42.7 oa

Draught, m

8.53 max unballasted

No of shafts

2

Machinery

LHD1-7: 2 sets Westinghouse geared steam turbines, 2 Combustion Engineering boilers

LHD8: 4 General Electric LM-2500 gas turbines

Power, h. p.

LHD1-7: 77000

LHD8: 72000

Max speed, kts

24

Fuel, t

oil 6200 + aircraft fuel 1866

Endurance, nm(kts)

9500(20)

Armament

LHD1-4: 2 x 8 Sea Sparrow SAM (16 RIM-7), 3 x 6 - 20/76 Mk 15 Phalanx, 4 x 1 - 12.7/90, up to 46 aircraft (20 CH-46E, 10 CH-53E, 6 AH-1W, 3 UH-1N helicopters or 6 AV-8B VSTOL attackers, 14 CH-46E, 6 CH-53E, 6 AH-1W, 4 UH-1N helicopters or 28 AV-8B VSTOL attackers)

LHD5-7: 2 x 8 Sea Sparrow SAM (16 RIM-7), 2 x 21 RAM SAM (42 RIM-116), 2 x 1 - 25/75 Mk 38 Bushmaster, 2 x 6 - 20/76 Mk 15 Phalanx, 4 x 1 - 12.7/90, up to 46 aircraft (20 CH-46E, 10 CH-53E, 6 AH-1W, 3 UH-1N helicopters or 6 AV-8B VSTOL attackers, 14 CH-46E, 6 CH-53E, 6 AH-1W, 4 UH-1N helicopters or 28 AV-8B VSTOL attackers)

LHD8: 2 x 8 Sea Sparrow SAM (16 RIM-7), 2 x 21 RAM SAM (42 RIM-116), 3 x 1 - 25/75 Mk 38 Bushmaster, 2 x 6 - 20/76 Mk 15 Phalanx, 4 x 1 - 12.7/90, up to 46 aircraft (6 AV-8B VSTOL attackers, 10 MV-22, 4 CH-53E, 4 AH-1W/Z, 3 UH-1N/Y helicopters or 24 AV-8B VSTOL attackers, 6 MH-60R helicopters)

Military load

4 LCU1610 or 3 LCAC or 6 LCM(8), 4 LCPL, 1893 troops, vehicles

Electronic equipment

LHD1: SPS-67(v)3, SPS-49(v)5, SPS-52B, Mk 23 Mod. 3 TAS, 4x Mk 95, 3x Mk 90, SPS-64(v)9, SPN-35A, SPN-43B, SPN-47 radars, WSC-1 Channel Finder sonar, SLQ-32(v)3 ECM suite, 6x Mk 36 SRBOC decoy RL, SLQ-25A Nixie torpedo decoy, SYS-2(v)3, USQ-119(v)11, ACDS CCS

LHD2-4: SPS-67(v)3, SPS-49(v)5, SPS-48E, Mk 23 Mod. 3 TAS, 4x Mk 95, 3x Mk 90, SPS-64(v)9, SPN-35A, SPN-43B, SPN-47 radars, WSC-1 Channel Finder sonar, SLQ-32(v)3 ECM suite, 6x Mk 36 SRBOC decoy RL, SLQ-25A Nixie torpedo decoy, SYS-2(v)5, USQ-119(v)11, ACDS CCS

LHD5-7: SPS-67(v)3, SPS-49(v)5, SPS-48E, Mk 23 Mod. 3 TAS, 4x Mk 95, 2x Mk 90, SPS-64(v)9, SPN-35A, SPN-43B, SPN-47 radars, WSC-1 Channel Finder sonar, SLQ-32(v)3 ECM suite, 6x Mk 36 SRBOC decoy RL, SLQ-25A Nixie torpedo decoy, SYS-2(v)5, USQ-119(v)11, ACDS CCS

LHD8: SPS-67(v)3, SPS-49(v)5, SPS-48E, SPQ-9B, 4x Mk 95, 2x Mk 90, SPS-64(v)9, SPN-35A, SPN-43B radars, SLQ-32(v)3 ECM suite, 6x Mk 36 SRBOC decoy RL, SLQ-25A Nixie torpedo decoy, SYS-2(v)5, USQ-119(v)11, ACDS CCS

Complement

1070



Standard scale images


<i>Wasp </i>2000
Wasp 2000
<i>Bataan </i>2010
Bataan 2010
<i>Makin Island </i>2010
Makin Island 2010


Graphics


<i>Boxer </i>2003
Boxer 2003


Project history

This is an LHA derivative capable of handling the new air-cushion landing craft. Construction was originally planned for the FY87 programme, but it was moved up to FY84 to fill a perceived gap in Marine assault shipping. LHDs beyond the first five or six were intended to replace the lwo Jimas in the 1990s, so that by 1983 a total of about twelve was envisaged.

Unlike the original LHA, the LHD was conceived with a secondary sea-control role; they therefore incorporate maintenance facilities for at least twenty Harriers and for four to six ASW helicopters. The flight deck is so long that no ski-jump is required (were one provided, it would interfere with rolling helicopter take-offs). Quite aside from sea control, Marine Harriers might provide very useful support in an amphibious operation.

Differences from the LHA include use of an LSD/LPD-type lowering stern gate, vice the sectional, rising gate of LHA, provision for 3 LCAC in a single-bay, longer and narrower (98.1x15.2m) and 8.5m-high docking well, revised and strengthened aircraft elevators , internal stowage of a ship's boats, a bulbous forefoot to the bow, a squared-off flight deck forward, making entire deck capable of spotting 9 CH-53E helicopters at once, using HY100 steel for the flight deck, additional cargo elevators, new superstructure and better ballistic protection. They have 2127m² of vehicle parking space and 3087m³ of dry cargo space. Hospital facilities include 6 operating rooms, intensive care units and 47-bed ward expendable up to 578 beds.

Hangar bay area is 1923m², hangar is 6.4m-high and 25.9m-wide, it can accommodate 28 CH-46 equivalents. There are 2 34t capacity, 15.2x13.7m elevators, one at port side as on Tarawas and one at starboard side aft from the superstructure. 28 Harriers can be carried in absence of all helicopters. In a mine-countermeasures role ships carry 20 CH-46E, 6 MH-53E helicopters and 6 Mk 105 countermeasures sleds.

Modernizations

early 1990s, Wasp: - SPS-52B radar; + SPS-48E radar

1997, Wasp: - 1 x 6 - 20/76 CIWS, 1x Mk 90 radar; + 2 x 21 RAM SAM (42 RIM-116), 2 x 1 - 25/75 Mk 38 Bushmaster

late 2000, all: + 1 x 1 - 25/75 Mk 38 Bushmaster, JSIPS-N, ITAWDS, MTACCS, TMS CCS

mid-2010s, all: - SPS-49(v)5, SPN-35A, SPN-43B radars; + SPS-49A(v)1, SPN-35B, SPN-43C radars, SRS-1 ECM suite

mid-2010s, - Wasp, Essex, Kearsarge, Boxer, Bataan, Bonhomme Richard, Iwo Jima: - SPN-47 radar; + SPN-46 radar

mid-2010s, Makin Island: + SPN-46 radar

mid-2010s, some: - SPS-64(v)9 radar; + SPS-73 radar

2014, Essex; later, all: - 2 x 8 Sea Sparrow SAM, ACDS CCS; + ability to carry F-35B Lightning II fighters, MV-22B Osprey cargo tiltrotor aircraft, 2 x 3 ESSM SAM (VLS, 24 RIM-162), CEC USG-2, ICDS CCS

Naval service

No significant events.