LHA America Class Amphibious Assault Ship
The America class is a group of American Navy landing helicopter assault (LHA) of amphibious assault ships (USN). A Marine Expeditionary Unit can be landed using helicopters, MV-22B Osprey V transport planes, AV-8B Harrier II or F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, and a variety of assault helicopters. The US Navy commissioned the first of these warships in 2014 to replace the USS Peleliu of the Tarawa class; up to eleven will be built. The "Flight 0" ships of the America class will not have well decks and smaller onboard hospitals to allow more space for aviation uses. The design of the America class is modeled on that of USS Makin Island, the final ship of the Wasp-class.
USS America, with a displacement of around 45,000 long tons (46,000 t), is comparable in size to the French Charles de Gaulle and the Indian Vikramaditya fixed-wing aircraft carriers, despite the fact that they only transport helicopters and V/STOL aircraft. Additionally, the USS America class ships have a displacement similar to the old US Navy Midway-class aircraft carriers despite being more than 124 feet (38 m) shorter. In addition to a squadron of jet fighters and numerous versatile helicopters like the MH-60 Seahawk, USS America can be utilized as a small aircraft carrier. The following ships in this class, beginning with USS Bougainville (LHA-8), will feature smaller aircraft hangars to make place for larger amphibious warfare well decks. They can accommodate roughly 20 to 25 AV-8B, F-35B, or a combination of the two.
The LHA-6 building project commenced in December 2008 after the program's development phase began in October 2005. The program was launched in July 2001. On October 28, 2010, a $48.1 million contract for "further planning and advanced engineering services in support of the LHA Replacement Flight 0 amphibious assault ship (LHA 7)" was given to Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. The contract is expected to last through May 2012. The delivery date was set for 2017. The F-35B program was delayed by two years due to development issues in January 2011, and plans for LHA-7 might change if the F-35B were to be shelved. Huntington Ingalls Industries received Contract N00024-10-C-2229 in April 2012, which included funds for LHA-7's steel plate procurement and a requirement for four more ships (to LHA-10). The U.S. Department of Defense stated on June 13, 2014, that General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, California, has been given a contract for LHA-8 design and development work for $23.5 million. Huntington Ingalls received its most recent payment from the U.S. Navy on December 14, 2021, for $70.8 million, which will go toward purchasing long-lead-time components for LHA 9. The Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C. presented the prize.
Cost per unit: $521.8 million
