NAVYPEDIA

Photo

Comstock 2002

Ships

No	Name	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comm	Fate
LSD41	Whidbey Island	150	Lockheed, Seattle	4.8.1981	10.6.1983	9.2.1985	in service (2019)
LSD42	Germantown	151	Lockheed, Seattle	5.8.1982	29.6.1984	8.2.1986	in service (2019)
LSD43	Fort McHenry	152	Lockheed, Seattle	10.6.1983	1.2.1986	8.8.1987	in service (2019)
LSD44	Gunston Hall	2349	Avondale SY, New Orleans	26.5.1986	27.6.1987	22.4.1989	in service (2019)
LSD45	Comstock	2350	Avondale SY, New Orleans	27.10.1986	16.1.1988	3.2.1990	in service (2019)
LSD46	Tortuga	2351	Avondale SY, New Orleans	23.3.1987	15.9.1988	17.11.1990	in service (2019)
LSD47	Rushmore	2352	Avondale SY, New Orleans	9.11.1987	6.5.1989	1.6.1991	in service (2019)
LSD48	Ashland	2353	Avondale SY, New Orleans	4.4.1988	11.11.1989	9.5.1992	in service (2019)

Technical data

Displacement standard, t	11099 - 11590 light
Displacement full, t	15883 - 16568
Length, m	176.8 wl 185.8 oa
Breadth, m	25.6
Draught, m	6.25 hull
No of shafts	2
Machinery	4 Colt-Pielstick 16PC2.5 V400 diesels
Power, h. p.	41600
Max speed, kts	22
Fuel, t	diesel oil 2000
Endurance, nm(kts)	8000(18)
Armament	2 x 1 - 20/80 Mk 67, 2 x 6 - 20/76 Mk 15 Phalanx, 6 x 1 - 12.7/90, helicopter deck
Military load	4 LCAC or 3 LCU or 10 LCM(8) or 64 LVTP, 2 LCPL, 1 LCVP, 402 troops, vehicles
Electronic equipment	LSD41-44: SPS-67(v)1, SPS-49(v)1, SPS-64(v)9, 2x Mk 90 radars, SLQ-32(v)1 ECM suite, 4x Mk 36 SRBOC decoy RL, SLQ-25 Nixie torpedo decoy LSD45-48: SPS-67(v)1, SPS-49(v)5, SPS-64(v)9, 2x Mk 90 radars, SLQ-32(v)1 ECM suite, 4x Mk 36 SRBOC decoy RL, SLQ-25 Nixie torpedo decoy
Complement	310 - 320

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

A new LSD41 class was proposed to replace the eight Thomastons, but the Carter Administration deferred construction until Congress voted $41m in long-lead items in FY80; the Administration then announced the construction of six ships in alternate years, beginning in FY81. LSD41 has an enlarged well deck, 134.1x15.2m, adapted to carry four air cushion landing craft (LCAC) or twenty-one conventional LCM (6) landing craft; by way of comparison, the LHD will carry only three LCAC. Docking well can be flooded to 1.8m fwd/3.0m aft, when ship takes 12860t of water ballast. Ships also have 64.6x25.3m flight deck for up to CH-53E-size helicopters but with no hangars. 90t of aviation fuel are carried. There is 1214m² of vehicle parking space and 149m³ hold for palletized cargo fwd of the docking well.

LSD41 was conceived as a near-repeat of Anchorage (LSD36) adapted to LCACs rather than LCMs. That required not only enlargement of the well deck, but also raising the helicopter deck to provide all-round ventilation for LCAC gas turbines. LSD 44-48 are further modified to incorporate collective protection against chemical or biological weapons.

LSD49 and beyond are a modified Whidbey Island design, officially called the LSD41 Cargo Variant. They were originally requested under the FY88 budget, then withdrawn due to late design changes, and then approved by Congress. The idea originated in an analysis of Marine amphibious assault requirements, which showed that more cargo space was needed, but not in the ratio to LCAC 'spots' implicit in the LSD41 design. LSD49 was conceived as a simple substitution of cargo volume for well deck volume (leaving space for two LCAC or ten LCM).

Plans called for a total of ten, beginning with LSD49 in FY88, LSD50 in FY90, then one per year after that. The 1992 budget stopped production at LSD51, but Congress included LSD52 in the FY92 programme.

Modernizations

1993-1999, all: + 2 x 21 RAM SAM (42 RIM-116), 2 x 1 - 25/75 Mk 38 Bushmaster

late 2000s, Whidbey Island, Germantown, Fort McHenry, Gunston Hall: - SPS-49(v)1 radar; + SPS-49(v)5 radar

2010s, mostly all: - SPS-64(v)9 radar; + SPS-73 radar, SLQ-49 decoy RL

Naval service

No significant events.