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| Wasp-class LHD | |
|---|---|
| Name | Wasp-class LHD |
| Builders | Ingalls Shipbuilding, Newport News Shipbuilding, Bath Iron Works |
| Built | 1985–2009 |
| In service | 1989–present |
| Displacement | ~40,500 tons full load |
| Length | 257 m (843 ft) |
| Beam | 32 m (106 ft) |
| Aircraft | MV-22 Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II, Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II |
| Troops | ~1,800 Marines |
| Armament | RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile, Phalanx CIWS, Mk 38 |
| Propulsion | Steam turbine / gas turbine |
| Speed | 20+ kn |
| Capacity | Landing craft, amphibious vehicles, helicopters |
Wasp-class LHD The Wasp-class LHD is a class of eight United States United States Navy amphibious assault ships introduced in the late 20th century to project United States Marine Corps power from the sea. Designed to operate amphibious assault operations, the class integrates a full-length flight deck, a well deck for landing craft, and troop/vehicle stowage to support expeditionary actions linked to operations such as Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and humanitarian missions like Hurricane Katrina relief.
The design evolved from concepts studied by Naval Sea Systems Command and requirements outlined by Chief of Naval Operations staff, blending features from Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship and Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship predecessors. The hull form, produced by Litton Industries affiliates including Ingalls Shipbuilding and Newport News Shipbuilding, yields a full-load displacement near 40,500 tons supporting a vehicle deck, medical facilities comparable to hospital ship capabilities, and aviation facilities to operate Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion and Boeing CH-46 Sea Knight lift platforms. Survivability measures reference standards set by Naval Vessel Protection doctrines and incorporate redundancy guided by Director, Surface Warfare engineering. Speed, range, and stability balance requirements from U.S. Atlantic Fleet and U.S. Pacific Fleet operational planners.
Construction contracts were awarded during the 1980s with keel-laying ceremonies at Ingalls Shipbuilding and Newport News Shipbuilding, and later units produced by Bath Iron Works. Commissioning events involved officials from the Secretary of the Navy, Chief of Naval Operations, and ribbon-cutting traditions akin to other major hulls like USS America (LHA-6). The lead ship entered service in 1989, followed by sisters commissioned through 2009, entering tasking under Amphibious Squadron and Marine Expeditionary Unit deployments assigned to numbered fleets including U.S. Seventh Fleet and U.S. Sixth Fleet.
Wasp-class ships have participated in multinational exercises such as Exercise RIMPAC, BALTOPS, and Unitas, and in combat operations including Operation Desert Shield, Operation Restore Hope, Operation Unified Protector, and Operation Inherent Resolve support roles. They have embarked 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), conducted flight operations with Royal Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force partners, and supported humanitarian operations after events like 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami and Hurricane Maria. Embarked squadrons have integrated aircraft from Marine Attack Squadron units and coordinated with platforms such as Arleigh Burke-class destroyer escorts and Nimitz-class aircraft carrier formations.
Flight deck and hangar arrangements enable combined rotary-wing and STOVL fixed-wing operations; Wasp-class decks accommodate Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II trials, McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II sorties, and Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor operations drawn from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron detachments. The well deck supports LCAC hovercraft, LCU barges, and amphibious connectors for AAVP7A1 operations, coordinated with Amphibious Ready Group maneuver plans. Command and control suites enable embarked staff from II Marine Expeditionary Force or Expeditionary Strike Group commanders to plan assault and sustainment missions alongside logistics ships such as USNS Mercy during joint operations.
Self-defense armament includes close-in weapons systems like Phalanx CIWS mounts, RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile launchers, and Mk 38 25 mm machine gun systems, integrated with sensors influenced by Aegis combat system lessons for layered defense. Electronic warfare and decoy launchers reflect standards from Naval Electronic Systems programs, and damage-control teams train to Navy protocols originating in USS Cole (DDG-67) lessons learned. Escorts from Ticonderoga-class cruiser or Arleigh Burke-class destroyer provide area air defense during transits and amphibious operations.
Throughout their service life, Wasp-class ships received phased modernization including aviation-support upgrades for F-35B integration, communications enhancements compatible with Global Command and Control System-Maritime, and survivability improvements funded via Aircraft Carrier Industrial Base sustainment programs. Planned transitions informed by Big Deck Amphibious Ship concepts and lessons from LPD-17 San Antonio-class design influenced habitability, automation, and flight-deck coating changes. Mid-life refits addressed propulsion overhauls influenced by turbine suppliers and shafting standards from Naval Sea Systems Command maintenance directives.
Individual units experienced incidents that prompted investigations by boards such as the Judge Advocate General's Corps and Navy safety offices. Reported events included flight-deck accidents during V-22 Osprey operations, collisions during underway replenishment evolutions, and onboard fires leading to specialized damage-control responses reviewed alongside protocols from Navy Safety Center. Outcomes led to procedural changes echoed in directives from the Secretary of Defense and updates to training at Naval Station Norfolk and other homeports.
Category:Amphibious warfare vessel classes of the United States Navy