It's About Liberty: A Conservative Forum
Topics => Military News/Veterans => Topic started by: Libertas on June 21, 2012, 08:32:01 AM
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America enters service next year, Tripoli in 2018.
The Americas have a crew of 1,050 and carry 1,600 marines as well as 32 aircraft (helicopters, V-22s and F-35Bs). The reasoning behind this design is that the proliferation of anti-ship missiles makes it too risky to get close enough for landing craft. So now it's back to LPHs and longer range transports like the V-22.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htamph/articles/20120620.aspx (http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htamph/articles/20120620.aspx)
::thumbsup::
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From Wiki
USS America (LHA-6) will be the first of the America-class amphibious assault ships for the U.S. Navy. She will be delivered in 2013, replacing USS Peleliu (LHA-5) of the Tarawa class. Her mission is to act as the flagship of an expeditionary strike group or amphibious ready group, carrying a marine expeditionary unit into battle and putting them ashore with helicopters and V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, supported by F-35B Lightning II aircraft and helicopter gunships.
Her design is based on USS Makin Island (LHD-8) but with no well deck and smaller medical spaces to allow more room for aviation facilities. With a displacement of 45,000 tons she is as big as the aircraft carriers of other nations, and can fulfill similar missions when configured with 20 F-35B strike fighters
General characteristics
Class and type: America-class amphibious assault ship[2]
Displacement: Approx. 45,000 long tons (45,700 metric tons) full load
Length: 844 feet (257.3 meters)
Beam: 106 feet (32.3 meters)
Propulsion:
Two marine gas turbines, two shafts, 70,000 total brake horsepower,
two 5,000 horsepower auxiliary propulsion motors.
Speed: 20+ knots (37+ km/h)
Complement: 65 officers, 994 enlisted 1,687 Marines (plus 184 surge)
Sensors and processing systems:
AN/SPQ-9B fire control AN/SPS-48E airsearch radar[5]
Electronic warfare and decoys:
AN/SLQ-32B(V)2
2×Mk53 NULKA decoy launchers[5]
Armament:
2× Rolling Airframe Missile launchers
2× Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile launchers
2× 20 mm Phalanx CIWS mounts
7× twin .50 BMG machine guns (there you go John)
Aircraft carried:
MV-22B Osprey
F-35B Lightning II
CH-53K Super Stallion
UH-1Y Venom
AH-1Z Viper
MH-60S Seahawk
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Yup, big difference is more space for aviation and they still have an MEU onboard to put on the ground, and since they'd be deployed via air they can hit the ground much faster and have more air support available when ground action heats up.
::thumbsup::
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machinegun ::jihadnanner::
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Heh. CO wants to smoke some Jihadi's! ;D
Bless you, Charles! ::thumbsup::
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Delivery was a bit late, but as of April 10th USS America (LHA 6) is in and commissioning is scheduled late this year in San Francisco.
(http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/thumbnails/thumb_140131-N-LQ799-082.JPG)
http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=80277 (http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=80277)
Pretty much as large as a top-of-the-line WWII flattop.