Additional Info

• Ships in class

  NAME	NUMBER	LAUNCHED	COMMISSIONED
  Wasp	LHD 1	4 August 1987	29 July 1989
  Essex	LHD 2	23 February 1991	17 October 1992
  Kearsarge	LHD 3	16 May 1992	16 October 1993
  Boxer	LHD 4	28 August 1993	11 February 1995
  Bataan	LHD 5	18 May 1996	20 September 1997
  Bonhomme Richard	LHD 6	14 March 1997	15 August 1998
  Iwo Jima	LHD 7	25 March 2000	30 June 2001
  Makin Island	LHD 8	22 September 2006	24 October 2009

• Length
  • 257 meters (258 meters. LHD-8)
• Beam
  • 32.3 meters.
• Draft
  • 8.10 meters.
• Displacement
  • 41,302 tons. (LHD 1-4)
  • 41,005 tons. (LHD 5-7)
  • 42,442 tons. (LHD 8)
• Propulsion
  • 2 boilers with 2 geared steam turbines 70,000 HP (LHD 1-7)
  • 2 GE LM-2500+ geared gas turbines (LHD 8)
  • 2 variable pitch propellers.
• Electric power
  • 6 diesel generators of 4,000 kW each.(LHD 8)
• Speed
  • 22 knots (LHD 1-7)
  • 24 knots (LHD 8)
• Range
  • 9.500 nautical miles at 18 knots.
• Complement
  • Crew: 1,070 (1,059 - LHD 8)
  • Landing force: 1,687
• Sensors
  • Air radar 3D: ITT AN/SPS-48E
  • Air radar 2D: Raytheon AN/SPS-49(v)5
  • Surface radar: AN/SPS-67
  • Navigation radar: AN/SPS-73
  • Marshalling air traffic control radar: AN/SPN-43
  • Air Traffic Control Radar: AN/SPN-35B (LHD 1-7) AN/SPN-35C (LHD 8)
  • Surface search & fire control radar: AN/SPQ-9B
  • 2 Missile Directors Mk-95 for NATO Sea Sparrow
  • Target Acquisition System (TAS) Hughes Mk-23
• ESM/ECM
  • Raytheon AN/SLQ-32(V)3
• Countermeasures
  • Chaff Buoy Decoy System AN/SLQ-49
  • Launches chaff or infrared decoys SRBOC Mk 36.
  • Towed torpedo decoys SLQ-25A Nixie.
• Systems
  • Command-and-control system: ACDS Block 1 level 2 (LHD 1 y 7) y Block 0 (LHD 2-6).
  • Command-and-control system: SSDS Mk 2 (LHD 8).
  • Marine Tactical Command and Control: USMC MTACCS (Marine Tactical Command & Control System).
  • Data Link-4A/11/16
  • Communications UHF SATCOM, SHF SATCOM, INMARSAT, UHF, HF, VHF, GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress & Safety System), EHF.
  • Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS) (LHD 6-8)
  • Integrated Automatic Detection and Tracking (IADT) AN/SYS-2
  • TACAN URN-25.
• Weapons
  • 2 Mk-29 NATO Sea Sparrow
  • 2 RIM-116 RAM (Rolling Airframe Missile)
  • 3 CIWS Mk-15 Mod. 2 Phalanx. (2 in LHD 5-7)
  • 4 BAE Mk-38 Mod. 2 of 25 mm.(3 in LHD 5-7)
• Transport
  • A Wasp-class vessel can transport up to 30,800 square feet, and another 20,000 square feet for vehicles.
  • Typical composition: 5 M-1 Abrams battle tanks, 25 AAV´s, 8 M-198 howitzers, 68 trucks and other support vehicles.
• Aircraft carried
  • Typical composition: 6 AV-8B Harrier II, 4 AH-1W SuperCobre, 12 CH-46 Sea Knight o 4 MV-22 Osprey, 4 CH-53 Sea Stallion, 3 UH-1N Huey
  • Flight deck: 259 x 34 meters.
  • 2 lifts of 34 tns.
  • The flight deck features 9 helicopter take-off spots.
• Other
  • Floodable well dock: 81 x 15,2 meters for 2 LCU (Landing Craft Utility) or 3 LCAC (Landing Craft Air Cushion) or 6 LCM-8 (Landing Craft Mechanized) or 40 AAV (Amphibious Assault Vehicle)
  • Monorail trains moving at up to 183 m per minute deliver cargo from the storage areas to the well deck
  • Hospital with 64 beds, 4 Un hospital con 64 camas, 4 principal operating rooms, 2 secundary operating rooms, 4 dentistry rooms, Radiology room, blood bank, laboratories.
  • 6 lifts load of 3.6 x 7.6 meters