Dock Landing Ships

Description

Dock Landing Ships support amphibious operations including landings via Landing C raft Air C ushion (LC AC ), conventional landing craft and helicopters, onto hostile shores.

Background

These ships transport and launch amphibious craft and vehicles with their crews and embarked personnel in amphibious assault operations.

LSD 41 was designed specifically to operate LC AC vessels. It has the largest capacity for these landing craft (four) of any U.S. Navy amphibious platform. It will also provide docking and repair services for LC AC s and for conventional landing craft.

In 1987, the Navy requested $324.2 million to fund one LSD 49 (C argo Variant). The ship differs from the original LSD 41 by reducing its number of LC AC s to two in favor of additional cargo capacity.

Point Of Contact

C orporate C ommunications Office
Naval Sea Systems C ommand (SEA 00D)
Washington, D.C . 20376

General Characteristics, Whidbey Island Class
Builder: Lockheed Shipbuilding, Seattle, Wa. - LSD 41-43
Avondale Shipyards, New Orleans, LA - LSD 44 - LSD 48.
Date Deployed: Feb. 9, 1985 (USS Whidbey Island)
Propulsion: Four Colt Industries, 16 Cylinder Diesels, two shafts, 33,000 shaft horsepower.
Length: 609 feet (185.6 meters).
Beam: 84 feet.
Displacement: 15,939 tons (16,194.79 metric tons) full load.
Speed: 20+ knots (23.5+ miles per hour).
Crew: Ships Company: 22 officers, 391 enlisted; Marine Detachment: 402 plus 102 surge.
Armament: Two 25mm MK 38 Machine Guns; Two 20mm Phalanx CIWS mounts and Six .50 cal. machine guns, two Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) mounts.
Landing/Attack Craft: Four Landing Craft, Air Cushion.

General Characteristics, Harpers Ferry Class
Builder: Avondale Industries Inc., New Orleans, LA.
Date Deployed: 7 January 1995 (USS Harpers Ferry)
Propulsion: Four Colt Industries, 16 Cylinder Diesels, two shafts, 33,000 shaft horsepower.
Length: 609 feet (185.6 meters).
Beam: 84 feet.
Displacement: 16,708 tons (16,976.13 metric tons) full load.
Speed: 20+ knots (23.5+ miles per hour).
Crew: Ships Company: 22 officers, 397 enlisted; Marine Detachment: 402 plus 102 surge.
Armament: Two 25mm MK 38 Machine Guns, Two 20mm Phalanx CIWS mounts and Six .50 cal. machine guns, two Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) mounts.
Landing/Attack Craft: Two Landing Craft, Air Cushion.