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Dock Landing Ship - LSD

Last updated: 19 Jul 2019

Description
Dock Landing Ships support amphibious operations including landings via Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC), conventional landing craft and helicopters, onto hostile shores.
 
Features
The Most Powerful Amphibious Force Of All Time

The amphibious dock landing ship USS Carter Hall maneuvers for a small boat operation as the Visit, Board, Search and Seizure team prepares to conduct a VBSS mission. Carter Hall is currently on a regularly scheduled deployment conducting maritime security operations. MSO set the conditions for security and stability in the maritime environment as well as complement the counter-terrorism and security efforts of regional nations.

 
Background
These ships transport and launch amphibious craft and vehicles with their crews and embarked personnel in amphibious assault operations.

LSD 41 Whidbey Island class ships were designed specifically to transport and launch LCAC vessels. It has the largest capacity for these landing crafts (four) of any U.S. Navy amphibious platform. It will also provide docking and repair services for LCACs and for conventional landing crafts. In 1987 the Navy began construction on LSD 49 Harpers Ferry class which reduced LCAC capacity to two while increasing cargo capacity.
 
General Characteristics, Harpers Ferry Class
Builder: Avondale Industries Inc., New Orleans, Louisiana
Date Deployed: 7 January 1995 (USS Harpers Ferry)
Propulsion: Four Colt Industries, 16 Cylinder Diesels, two shafts, 33,000 shaft horsepower.
Length: 609 feet (185.6 meters).
Beam: 84 feet.
Displacement: 16,708 tons (16,976.13 metric tons) full load.
Speed: 20+ knots (23.5+ miles per hour).
Crew: Ships Company: 22 officers, 397 enlisted; Marine Detachment: 402 plus 102 surge.
Armament: Two 25mm MK 38 Machine Guns, Two 20mm Phalanx CIWS mounts and Six .50 cal. machine guns, two Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) mounts.
Landing/Attack Craft: Two Landing Craft, Air Cushion.
Ships:
USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49), San Diego, CA
USS Carter Hall (LSD 50), Little Creek, VA
USS Oak Hill (LSD 51), Little Creek, VA
USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52), San Diego, CA
 
General Characteristics, Whidbey Island Class
Builder: Lockheed Shipbuilding, Seattle, Washington (LSD 41-43), and Avondale Shipyards, New Orleans, Louisiana - (LSD 44 - LSD 48).
Date Deployed: Feb. 9, 1985 (USS Whidbey Island)
Propulsion: Four Colt Industries, 16 Cylinder Diesels, two shafts, 33,000 shaft horsepower.
Length: 609 feet (185.6 meters).
Beam: 84 feet.
Displacement: 15,939 tons (16,194.79 metric tons) full load.
Speed: 20+ knots (23.5+ miles per hour).
Crew: Ships Company: 22 officers, 391 enlisted; Marine Detachment: 402 plus 102 surge.
Armament: Two 25mm MK 38 Machine Guns; Two 20mm Phalanx CIWS mounts and Six .50 cal. machine guns, two Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) mounts.
Ships:
USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41), Little Creek, VA
USS Germantown (LSD 42), Sasebo, Japan
USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43), Mayport, FL
USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44), Little Creek, VA
USS Comstock (LSD 45), San Diego, CA
USS Tortuga (LSD 46), Little Creek, VA
USS Rushmore (LSD 47), San Diego, CA
USS Ashland (LSD 48), Sasebo, Japan

Point of Contact
Naval Sea Systems Command
 

Office of Corporate Communication
(SEA 00D)
Washington, D.C. 20376

 

 

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