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 twenty AV-8B Harriers, F-35Bs, or a mixture of the two, but the future ships of this class, starting with USS Bougainville (LHA-08) 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: 26 feet (7.93 meters)
 * Displacement: 45,000 long tons full load
 * Complement: 1,687 marines (+ 184 during surges)
 * Crew: 1,059 (65 officers and 994 enlisted
 * Propulsion:
 * 2 x General Electric LM2500+ gas turbines, 70,000 shp (52 MW)
 * 2 x auxiliary propulsion engines, 10,000 hp (7,500 kW)
 * 6 x diesel generators (24,000 kW)
 * Range:
 * Speed: 22 knots
 * Sensor Suite:
 * AN/SPS-48G E/F-Band 3D Air Search Radar - replaced by AN/SPY-6(V)2 from LHA-8 onwards
 * AN/SPS-49A(V)1 L-Band 2D Air Search Radar
 * AN/SPQ-9B I-Band Fire Control Radar
 * Countermeasures
 * AN/SLQ-32B(V)2 Electronic Warfare Suite
 * Mk.53 Nulka decoy launchers x 2
 * Armament:
 * 2 x 20mm/70-caliber 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, CMV-22B Osprey, F-35B Lightning II, CH-53E Super Stallion, CH-53K King Stallion, MH-60R/S Seahawk, CA-200M Sea Scorpion

Flight 0

 * USS America (LHA-06)
 * USS Tripoli (LHA-07)

Flight 1

 * USS Bougainville (LHA-08)
 * USS Khe Sanh (LHA-09)
 * USS Unnamed (LHA-10)
 * USS Unnamed (LHA-11)
 * USS Unnamed (LHA-12)
 * USS Unnamed (LHA-13)
 * USS Unnamed (LHA-14)
 * USS Unnamed (LHA-15)
 * USS Unnamed (LHA-16)