Large Amphibious Assault Vessels

These three pictures show the great diversity and capabilities of the US Navy's large LHDs (and LHAs):

First, Air and Amphibious Assault centricity:



Second, a strong fixed wing air support capanbility



Third, operating as a completely dedicated fixed wing carrier:

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Naval Today said:

The U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet ceremoniously disembarked the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu (LHA 5) for the final time during the ship’s decommissioning ceremony at Naval Base San Diego, March 31.

USS Peleliu, or the “Iron Nickel”, was named after the Battle of Peleliu which took place from Sept. 15 to Nov. 27, 1944 in which 1,256 Marines gave their lives to take the island which was being held by the Imperial Japanese Army.

During 34 years of service, Peleliu was homeported in both Long Beach and San Diego on the California coast as thousands of Sailors and Marines called the ship home. Capable of launching a coordinated air and sea attack from one platform, Peleliu conducted 17 deployments, 178,051 flight operations, served 57,983 personnel and steamed approximately 1,011,946 nautical miles since being commissioned May 3, 1980 in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

After the decommissioning process is complete, Peleliu will be towed from San Diego to Hawaii to join the Navy’s reserve fleet. There, the last of its class amphibious assault ship will take its place alongside its sister ship and first in class, the ex-USS Tarawa (LHA 1).

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Sort of sad to see the last of these vessels go.

They did a GREAT job and have been in operation almost my entire adult life. The first, USS Tarawa, LHA-1 - was commissioned in 1976 when I was 20 years old.

Heck of a run for the Peleliu:

- 17 deployments
- 178,051 flight operations
- 58,000personnel served on her
- 1,012,000 nautical miles steamed

USS Tarawa, LHA-1 served 33 years
USSSaipan, LHA-2 served 30 years
USS Belleau Wood, LHA-3 served 27 years
USS Nassau, LHA-4 served 32 years
USS Peleliu, LHA-5 served 34 years

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Naval Today said:

The US Navy’s newest amphibious assault ship, USS America (LHA 6), completed final contractor trials (FCT) April 3.

FCT, ran by the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV), is part of a series of post-delivery tests the ship has been preparing for since before commissioning. During the trials, the ship and its major systems are exercised, tested and corrected as required.

The four-day trials began March 30 with pre-underway and material condition checks, followed by at-sea demonstrations of a variety of systems including main propulsion, engineering and ship control systems, combat systems, damage control, food service and crew support.

After successfully completing FCTs, the ship will head into a maintenance period known as post shakedown availability (PSA) beginning late Spring. During this time the discrepancies that were noted will be resolved.

America is the first ship of its class, replacing the Tarawa class of amphibious assault ships, and is optimized for Marine Corps aviation.

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USS America, LHA-6, was commissioned on October 11, 2014. These last builder's trials were a part of he post-delivery agreement between the US Navy and the manufacturer and the manufacturer will be responsible for resolving any discrepancies noted between the agreed requirements and what the Navy actually got.

After this, although the Navy may (and probably will) continue to get help from the builder, it will be on the Navy's nickel.

Just an example of the level of detail depicting a modern US Navy LHAD. from my 1/350 scale model of the USS Iwo Jima, LHD-7

LAAVs departing in numbers during an Amphibious landing exercise in the Sea of Japan.

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SEA OF JAPAN (March 30, 2015) Amphibious assault vehicles assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU) launch from the well deck of the Whidbey-Island-class amphibious assault ship USS Ashland (LSD 48). Ashland is part of the Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group and, with the embarked 31st MEU, is underway in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility.

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Naval Today said:

More than 4,500 Sailors and Marines from the Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) are scheduled to depart San Diego today, May 11, for a deployment in support of the Navy’s maritime strategy.

The Essex ARG is comprised of the amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), the command ship for Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 3 and the 15th MEU, as well as amphibious dock landing ship USS Rushmore (LSD 47) and the amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD 23), which is embarking upon its maiden deployment.

After departing San Diego, Essex ARG will transit to Hawaii Operating Area where they are scheduled to participate in exercise Culebra Koa 2015 which is a U.S. Pacific Fleet training exercise designed to demonstrate and increase joint proficiency in expeditionary operations. The exercise will also serve as additional training for the Essex ARG prior to deployment to the Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf

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Another great picture of one of the mainstays of US Navy power projection. That's a San Antonio Class LPD, followed by a Wasp Class LHD, followed by a Whidbey Island class LSD. Right at 80,000 tons of Amphibious assault right there.

asif iqbal said:

V-22 and F35B would fit fine with current flat deck of JMSDF

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maybe yes, maybe no: F-35Bs will only be able to land on two spots of the USS America after the ship will have spent almost a year in a dry dock
according to
plus I've read (in a Czech military journal) the width of the elevators on Japanese Helicopter Destroyers is 10.9 m, while the F-35B wingspan is 35 feet ... now I have to convert it 35ft= 10.66800m ... a tight fit

Jura said:

maybe yes, maybe no: F-35Bs will only be able to land on two spots of the USS America after the ship will have spent almost a year in a dry dock

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Jura, that article can be quoted out of context pretty easily and be confusing.

We know the F-35B can land on the America and other LHDs whithout damaging them because they have done so in trials.

Specifcally, the article makes it clear what the two spots you speak of are being upgraded for:

Article said:

these two landing spots will provide the capability to perform closely timed cyclic flight operations with the F-35B without overstressing the flight deck.

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So, this does not mean that they cannot land on other locations...and do so numerous times. it juts means that if they want to do "closely timed cyclic flight operations" they need to use those two spots.

The year in dock is not just for this either. They will be performing numerous updates and overhauls during that period. Only some of them are related to the F-35.

The America's first overhaul, like for any vessel that is a first in class, is normally a pretty big deal as they fix, update, address everything they have learned in her first operational cycle. They then build those things into following ships so they do not have to go through the same.

The type of F-35B operation they are preparing for would be numerous aircraft perfomring take-offs and landings from the same spots in a short time duration.

Usually, the aircraft will take-off over the bow after a run...and then land in one of the spots.

If a couple of aircraft are on a mission or patrol, they could do this on any landing spot...and they can do so now with no changes.

But if you have eight aircraft coming in all at once, they will split them up between these two particular spots so that four landings right after each other will not overheat the deck.

My guess is that even then, it would take doing that sort of things several times...over and over again...to present a real stress problem.

So, it is not accurate to say or think that the F-35s will only be able to use those two spots...or that the America must undergo such an overhaul before it can use the F-35. . That is not what the article says.

In the end, they will probably prefer those spots when they are finished...but for individual landings, where there is time in between the landings, they can operate now from the other spots.

Jeff Head said:

Jura, that article can be quoted out of context pretty easily and be confusing.

...

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Jeff, in my post

• I reacted to what Mr. Iqbal said, and I tried to point out possible issues of operating F-35B off Japanese Helicopter Destroyers;
  
• I made an obvious mistake by saying

Jura said:

... F-35Bs will only be able to land on two spots of the USS America ...

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as an F-35B could land for example in front of my apartment complex if it had to do so

Anyway I read that article

carefully again and I'm puzzled by hearing

1. "The second America-class big-deck amphib, the USS Tripoli, is now being built with the F-35B modifications built in from the start."
2. "Unlike previous amphibious assault ships, the first two America-class big deck amphibs are being built without a well deck in order to optimize the platform for aviation assets such as the MV-22 Osprey and F-35B."

Why the USS America was not commissioned with the ability of "sustained" F-35B operations? I mean aren't the points 1. and 2. conflicting in the case of the USS America?? just a thought from the middle of Europe anyway ...

Jura said:

I'm puzzled by hearing

1. "The second America-class big-deck amphib, the USS Tripoli, is now being built with the F-35B modifications built in from the start."

Why the USS America was not commissioned with the ability of "sustained" F-35B operations? I mean aren't the points 1. and 2. conflicting in the case of the USS America?? ...

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Point two is about the well deck and simply providing more room for air ops.

Point one is your real issue I believe.

America was started, and almost completed building before the F-35Bs were tested aboard ship.

They have discovered that for the reasons they styated (which BTW are no simply "sustained" operations), they need a couple of spots further strengthened against heat for "closely timed cyclic flight operations with the F-35B." Those are two different things.

The F-35B can operate in a "sustained" fashion off of the America as she is. But they are worried, as I stated earlier, that if they land, say eight of them in a row, and then do that two or three times a day from the same spots, that an issue could arise.

THAT would be something like "closely timed cyclic flight operations with the F-35B"

So they are fixing the America in her maintenance period so she can do so, and are building that fix into the Tripoli as well.

My guess is that each of the Wasp class will receive the same treatment over time.