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LHA(R)
Program Summary

The America (LHA 6) class ships are the next step in the incremental development of the amphibious assault ship and will replace the original five Tarawa (LHA 1) class ships.

amphibious assault ship Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) America (LHA 6)
PASCAGOULA, Miss. (June 5, 2012) Tugboats guide the amphibious assault ship Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) America (LHA 6) to her berthing place at Ingalls Shipbuilding. America was christened Oct. 20, 2012 (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Ingalls Shipbuilding/Released)
As the next generation "big-deck" amphibious ship, America-class ships are a modified repeat of the Wasp (LHD) class; optimized for aviation and capable of supporting current and future aircraft such as the Tilt-Rotor MV 22 Osprey and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

America-class ships facilitate forward presence and power projection as an integral part of joint, interagency, and multinational maritime expeditionary forces, supporting the Marine Corps tenets of Operational Maneuver from the Sea (OMFTS) and Ship to Objective Maneuver (STOM). These ships use the same gas turbine propulsion plant, zonal electrical distribution and electric auxiliary systems designed and built for the recently delivered USS Makin Island (LHD 8), replacing the maintenance intensive steam turbines of earlier ships.

The unique Auxiliary Propulsion System (APS) was designed for fuel efficiency. Instead of using main propulsion engines to power the ship's shaft, the APS uses two induction-type auxiliary propulsion motors powered from the ship's electrical grid. By using the proven APS used in USS Makin Island, PEO Ships is avoiding design and development costs that are often associated with a new ship class.

LHA 6 and LHA 7, commonly referred to as Flight 0 ships, contain key differences from the Wasp-class LHDs including: an enlarged hangar deck, enhanced aviation maintenance facilities, increased aviation fuel capacity, additional aviation storerooms, removal of the well deck, and an electronically reconfigurable C4ISR suite. LHA 8, which will be the first Flight I ship, will reincorporate a well deck to increase operational flexibility without sacrificing aviation capability.

The Navy awarded a contract for detail design and construction for the future USS Tripoli (LHA 7) to Huntington Ingalls Industry on May 31, 2012. As a repeat design configuration, LHA 7 starts with a very mature and stable design. The ship is expected to deliver in 2019.

Preliminary design has begun for LHA 8.

Updated Jan 2016
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