![]() USS Wasp on 4 October 2007
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Class overview | |
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Name | Wasp class |
Builders | Ingalls Shipbuilding |
Operators | ![]() |
Preceded by | Tarawa class |
Succeeded by | America class |
Cost | Roughly 2.22 billion in 2023 dollars[1][2] |
In commission | 1989–present |
Completed | 8 |
Active | 7 |
Retired | 1 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Landing helicopter dock (LHD) amphibious assault ship |
Displacement | 40,500 long tons (41,150 t) full load |
Length | 843 ft (257 m) |
Beam | 104 ft (31.8 m) |
Draft | 27 ft (8.1 m) |
Propulsion |
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Speed | 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) |
Range | 9,500 nautical miles (17,600 km; 10,900 mi) at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph) |
Well deck dimensions: | 266-by-50-foot (81 by 15.2 m) by 28-foot (8.5 m) high |
Boats & landing craft carried | |
Troops | 1,687 troops (plus 184 surge) Marine Detachment |
Complement | 66 officers, 1,004 enlisted[3] |
Sensors and processing systems | |
Armament |
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Aircraft carried |
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Aviation facilities | Hangar deck |
The Wasp-class is a class of landing helicopter dock (LHD) amphibious assault ships operated by the United States Navy. Based on the Tarawa class, with modifications to operate more advanced aircraft and landing craft, the Wasp-class is capable of transporting almost the full strength of a United States Marine Corps Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), and landing them in hostile territory via landing craft or helicopters as well as providing air support via AV-8B Harrier II attack aircraft or F-35B Lightning II stealth strike-fighters. All Wasp-class ships were built by Ingalls Shipbuilding, at Pascagoula, Mississippi, with the lead ship, USS Wasp, commissioned on 29 July 1989. Eight Wasp-class ships were built, and as of April 2021[update], seven are in active service, as USS Bonhomme Richard was seriously damaged by fire on 12 July 2020, and subsequently decommissioned in April 2021.[4][5]