America-class amphibious assault ship

Planned from 2013

Use: 44,971 ts

257.3 meters

32.3 meters

65 officers, 1059 men, up to 1871 Marines

Two gas turbines at two propellers, 70,000 bhp

20 kn

  • 2 x missile launcher for RIM -162 ESSM
  • 2 × starter for RIM -116 RAM
  • 2 × Phalanx CIWS
  • 7 × 12.7 mm M2 double -mountings

The America - class is a class of future amphibious assault ships for the United States Navy. The class has been planned under the procurement program LHA -6, in June 2008, Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter had known the name of the first unit, USS America ( LHA -6). The vessels will replace the units of the Tarawa class.

History

The ships of the America - class were planned from 2001. Another Service Life Extension of Tarawas, which further extended their life span by up to 35 years, did not seem opportune, since the United States Marine Corps and the Navy procure new aircraft, which can be used only with difficulty from the Tarawas from. Therefore, the Navy examined the possibilities to either build a modification of the Wasp - class or develop a completely new design. Ultimately, it was decided to produce the America - class as a modified version of the last Wasp, the USS Makin Iceland (LHD -8).

Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding Ingalls shipyard in 2005 was awarded a contract for preliminary planning and procurement of materials worth 110 million dollars, the increases in exercise of all options for up to 265 million dollars. 2008 America should be given to Kiel, but remained significant delay in the construction of Makin Iceland for the new class is not without consequences. Thus was laid the keel of LHA -6 until 17 July 2009, the estimated for 2012 commissioning ceremony will be delayed.

Technology

The ships will be 257 meters long and 32 meters wide, the displacement will be approximately 44,971 tons standard (ts ). Unlike their predecessors, the class should originally have no Welldeck for transporting assault craft more but be completely aligned to the air carriage. The focus should be paid to the rotating rotor aircraft Bell - Boeing MV -22B " Osprey " and the fighters from the Joint Strike Fighter program ( Lockheed Martin F -35B Lightning II) lie. For this reason, the class has been variously seen as a revival of the escort carrier. A typical composition of planes and helicopters for America are ( subject to change): twelve V-22 Ospreys, eight AH -1Z "Viper" / AH -1W " Super Cobra", ten F- 35Bs, four Sikorsky CH -53K " Sea Stallion " and four MH -60S Naval Hawk.

In March 2011 it was announced that the class now but will receive an eight -variant Welldeck for the inclusion of landing vehicles. The premises in support of flight operations will reduce therethrough, they should be reduced by further design changes, such as in the area of the island. For the first two units that make up the first lot (Flight 0), this turnaround comes too late, however, they are built without a well deck. This only received the first of three planned ships of the following lot ( Flight 1 ).

Units

Flight 0

Flight 1

Knot (unit) M2 Browning Wasp-class amphibious assault ship Ingalls Shipbuilding Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey
56099
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