America-class amphibious assault ship
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders | list error: <br /> list (help) Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding Pascagoula Yard |
| Operators |  United States Navy |
| Preceded by | Wasp class amphibious assault ship |
| Planned | 5 [1] |
| Building | 1 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Amphibious assault ship |
| Displacement | Approx. 45,000 long tons (45,700 metric tons) full load |
| Length | 844 feet (257.3 meters) |
| Beam | 106 feet (32.3 meters) |
| Propulsion | Two marine gas turbines, two shafts, 70,000 total brake horsepower, two 5,000 horsepower auxiliary propulsion motors. |
| Speed | 20+ knots |
| Complement | list error: <br /> list (help) 65 officers, 994 enlisted 1,687 Marines (plus 184 surge) |
| Armament | list error: <br /> list (help) 2× Rolling Airframe Missile launchers 2× Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile launchers 2× 20 mm Phalanx CIWS mounts 7× twin .50 BMG machine guns |
| Aircraft carried | list error: <br /> list (help) F-35B Lightning II MV-22B Osprey CH-53E Super Stallion or CH-53K Super Stallion UH-1Y Venom AH-1Z Viper MH-60S Seahawk |
The America class amphibious assault ships are planned to replace the Tarawa class. Based on the USS Makin Island (LHD-8), the LHA-6 will be a gas turbine powered ship supporting a Marine Expeditionary Brigade with launch capacity for MV-22B Osprey tiltrotors, helicopters, and F-35B STOVL strike fighters.
To increase the number of accommodated aircraft, it will feature greater hangar space but not the well decks that are used to house landing craft on the Tarawa and Wasp class amphibious assault ships. [2] Formerly known as the LHA(R), the first ship is due to be delivered in 2013. At displacement of 45,000 tons and carrying a complement of strike fighters, it can serve in the small carrier role, as demonstrated by LHD operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The typical aircraft complement for the America class is expected to be twelve MV-22B Ospreys, eight AH-1Z Vipers, ten F-35Bs, four CH-53Ks and four Navy MH-60S "Knighthawks". The exact makeup of the ship's aircraft complement will vary according to its mission.
USS America (LHA-6), the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name, will be the first ship in the class.[3]
References
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