NAVYPEDIA

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

Graphics

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.