Wasp class amphibious assault ship

APNS Wasp (LHD-01) with MV-22 tiltrotors on its flight deck on January 13th, 2006.

The Wasp-class is a class of Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) amphibious assault ships operated by the American People's Navy. Based on the Tarawa-class, with modifications to operate more advanced aircraft and landing craft, the Wasp-class is capable of transporting almost the full strength of a American People's Marine Corps Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), and landing them in hostile territory via landing craft or helicopters. All Wasp-class ships were built by Ingalls Shipbuilding, at Pascagoula, Dixieland, with lead ship APNS Wasp (LHD-01) commissioned on July 29, 1989. Eight Wasp-class ships were built, and as of 2013, all eight are active.

Specifications

• Type: Amphibious Assault Ship (Hull designation symbol LHD)
• Service Period: 1989-Present
• Characteristics:
  • Length: 831 feet (253.29 meters)
  • Beam: 104 feet (31.7 meters)
  • Draft: 27 feet (8.23 meters)
  • Displacement: 40,500 tons (Full Load)
• Capacity: 1 x MEU (1,894 Marines, 5 x M1 Abrams MBTs, 25 x AAVs, 8 x M198 howitzers, 68 trucks, 12 support vehicles)
• Crew: 1,206
• Propulsion: 2 x General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, 2 x shafts
• Range: 9,500 nautical miles (17,594 kilometers) at 15 knots (27.78 km/h)
• Speed: 22 knots (40.74 km/h)
• Sensor Suite:
  • 1 x AN/SPS-49 2-D Air Search Radar
  • 1 x AN/SPS-48 3-D Air Search Radar
  • 1 x AN/SPS-67 Surface Search Radar
  • 1 x Mk.23 Target Acquisition System (TAS)
  • 1 x AN/SPN-43 Marshalling Air Traffic Control Radar
  • 1 x AN/SPN-35 Air Traffic Control Radar
  • 1 x AN/URN-25 TACAN system
  • 1 x AN/UPX-24 Identification Friend Foe
• Countermeasures:
  • AN/SLQ-25 Nixie torpedo countermeasures suite
  • AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare Suite
  • AN/SLQ-49 Chaff Buoy Decoy System
  • Sea Gnat Missile Decoy
  • Mk.36 SBROC
• Armament
  • 2 x Mk.29 Sea Sparrow Missile Launchers
  • 2 x Mk.49 Rolling Airframe Missile Launchers
  • 3 x 20mm Phalanx CIWS
  • 4 x Mk.38 25mm Chain guns
  • 4 x .50-caliber BMG machine guns
• Aircraft Carried: Dependent on mission
• Boats Carried: 3 Landing Craft Air Cushion or 12 Landing Craft Mechanized

Unit Run

• APNS Wasp (LHD-01)
• APNS Essex (LHD-02)
• APNS Ticonderoga (LHD-03)
• APBS Peleliu (LHD-04)
• APNS Bataan (LHD-05)
• APNS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-06)
• APNS Iwo Jima (LHD-07)
• APNS Makin Island (LHD-08)