America-class Amphibious Assault Ship

The America-class amphibious assault ships (formerly the LHA(R) class) of the U.S. Navy was designed to put ashore a Marine Expeditionary Unit using helicopters and MV-22B Osprey V/STOLs, supported by AV-8B Harrier or F-35B Lightning II V/STOL fighter planes and various attack helicopters. The first of these warships should be delivered to the U.S. Navy in 2013 to replace the USS Peleliu (LHA-5) of the Tarawa-class amphibious assault ships. The design of the America-class was based on that of the USS Makin Island (LHD-8), the last ship of the Wasp-class, but the "Flight 0" ships of the America-class will not have well decks, and they have smaller on-board hospitals in order to give more space for aviation uses.

Although they only carry helicopters and V/STOL aircraft, the USS America with a displacement of about 45,000 long tons is similar in size to the fixed wing aircraft carriers of France and India.

The America can be used as a small aircraft carrier with a squadron of jet fighters plus several multipurpose helicopters, such as the SH-60 Seahawk. She can carry about 20 AV-8B Harriers, F-35Bs, or a mixture of the two, but the future ships of this class, starting with LHA-8 will have smaller aircraft hangars to leave room for smaller than usual amphibious warfare well decks.

Specifications

 * Type: Amphibious Assault Ship
 * Service Period: 2014-
 * Characteristics
 * Length: 844 feet (257.25 meters)
 * Beam: 106 feet (32.31 meters)
 * Draft:
 * Displacement: 50,400 tons (45,000 long tons) full load
 * Complement: 1,687 marines (+ 184 during surges)
 * Crew: 1,059 (65 officers and 994 enlisted
 * Propulsion: Two gas turbines, two shafts, with 70,000 total brake horsepower, and two 5,000 hp (3,700 kW) auxiliary propulsion engines.
 * Range:
 * Speed: 22 knots
 * Sensor Suite:
 * AN/SPQ-9B Fire Control Radar
 * AN/SQR-19 Tactical Towed Array Sonar
 * AN/SPS-49E Air Search Radar
 * AN/SQS-53C Sonar Array
 * AN/SPS-67 Surface Search Radar
 * Countermeasures
 * AN/SLY-2 Electronic Warfare System
 * AN/SQ-25 Nixie Torpedo Countermeasures
 * AN/SLQ-49 Chaff Buoy Decoy System
 * Mk.36 Mod 12 SUBROC
 * Armament:
 * 2 x 20mm Vulcan Phalanx CIWS
 * 2 x Mk.29 ESSM Launchers
 * 2 x Mk.49 Rolling Airframe Missile Launchers
 * Aircraft Supported: UH-1Y Venom, AH-1Z Viper, AV-8B Harrier II, MV-22B Osprey, F-35B Lightning II, CH-46E Sea Knight, CH-47F Chinook, CH-53K Super Stallion, HH-60H Rescue Hawk, SH-60R Oceanhawk, MH-60S Knighthawk, AH-64 Apache Longbow, CH-148 Cyclone, CA-200 Scorpion

Unit Run

 * USS America (LHA-06)
 * USS Tripoli (LHA-07)
 * USS Santa Cruz (LHA-08)