USS Austin (LPD-4) | |
Class overview | |
---|---|
Name | Austin class |
Builders | |
Operators | |
Preceded by | Raleigh class |
Succeeded by | San Antonio class |
In commission | 1965–2017 (U.S.) |
Planned | 13 |
Completed | 12 |
Cancelled | 1 |
Active | 1 (with India) |
Retired | 11 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Amphibious transport dock |
Tonnage | 7,713 DWT |
Displacement |
|
Length | |
Beam |
|
Draft |
|
Propulsion | 2 × boilers, 2 × steam turbines, 2 × shafts, 24,000 shp (18,000 kW) |
Speed | 21 knots (24 mph; 39 km/h) |
Boats & landing craft carried | |
Complement | 24 officers, 396 enlisted, 900 marines |
Armament |
|
Aircraft carried | Up to 6 CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters |
The Austin class was a class of twelve amphibious transport dock ships in service with the United States Navy from 1965 to 2017. Note that the U.S. Naval Vessel Registry list separate Cleveland (seven built) and Trenton (two built) class ships, but most sources lists them as a single class. [1] Trenton was sold to India and is the only ship still active.
The Austin class was an enlarged version of the preceding Raleigh class. Designed under project SCB 187B, the ships are about 47 ft (14 m) longer which increased the displacement by some 3,300 tons. [2] The dock is as large as that of the Raleigh-class. In front of the dock was a 70m long raised level to park vehicles which was connected via a ramp to the flight deck. The ramp ended in a new telescoping hangar. Although the flight deck had room for up to six CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters, the hangar was only a temporary shelter for a single helicopter and not a permanent facility. [3] The propulsion consists of two Foster Wheeler boilers (600 psi), powering two De Laval GT turbines, providing 12,000 SHP each for the two propellers. [4]
The reason for creating a Cleveland/Trenton sub-class is that the last nine ships of the class were built as flagships for amphibious ready groups with an additional deck above the bridge and accommodations for additional 90 personnel. The SPS-40 radar is also placed higher on the mast. Otherwise the ships are identical. Originally the ships were armed only with four 3-inch/50-caliber gun Mark 33 twin mounts. These were later removed and the weapon stations were used to fit two Phalanx CIWS. [5]
The last ship of the class, LPD-16, while authorized, was cancelled before being constructed. USS Coronado served for 10 years as an LPD before she was converted into a command ship. She kept her hull number and was redesignated AGF-11. From 2012 to 2017, USS Ponce served with the United States Military Sealift Command as a forward base ship with helicopter facilities, which was designated "Afloat Forward Staging Base, Interim".
Ship | Hull no. | Builder | In service | Homeport | NVR page |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Austin | LPD-4 | New York Naval Shipyard | 1965–2006 | Norfolk, Virginia | LPD04 |
Ogden | LPD-5 | New York Naval Shipyard | 1965–2007 | San Diego, California | LPD05 |
Duluth | LPD-6 | New York Naval Shipyard | 1965–2005 | San Diego, California | LPD06 |
Cleveland sub-class | |||||
Cleveland | LPD-7 | Ingalls Shipbuilding | 1967–2011 | San Diego, California | LPD07 |
Dubuque | LPD-8 | Ingalls Shipbuilding | 1967–2011 | San Diego, California | LPD08 |
Denver | LPD-9 | Lockheed Shipbuilding | 1968–2014 | Sasebo, Japan | LPD09 |
Juneau | LPD-10 | Lockheed Shipbuilding | 1969–2008 | Sasebo, Japan | LPD10 |
Coronado | LPD-11/ AGF-11 | Lockheed Shipbuilding | 1970–2005 | San Diego, California | AGF11 |
Shreveport | LPD-12 | Lockheed Shipbuilding | 1970–2007 | Norfolk, Virginia | LPD12 |
Nashville | LPD-13 | Lockheed Shipbuilding | 1970–2009 | Norfolk, Virginia | LPD13 |
Trenton sub-class | |||||
Trenton | LPD-14 | Lockheed Shipbuilding | 1971–2007, 2007–present | Norfolk, Virginia | LPD14 |
Ponce | LPD-15/ AFSB(I)-15 | Lockheed Shipbuilding | 1971–2017 | Norfolk, Virginia | LPD15 |
The San Antonio class is a class of amphibious transport docks, also called a "landing platform, dock" (LPD), used by the United States Navy. These warships replace the Austin-class LPDs, as well as the Newport-class tank landing ships, the Anchorage-class dock landing ships, and the Charleston-class amphibious cargo ships that have already been retired.
USS Cleveland (LPD-7), an Austin-class amphibious transport dock, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the city in Ohio. Her keel was laid down at Ingalls Shipbuilding of Pascagoula, Mississippi. She was launched on 7 May 1966, and was commissioned on 21 April 1967 at Norfolk, Virginia. At the time of decommissioning, she was the third-oldest commissioned ship in the US Navy, behind USS Constitution and USS Enterprise.
An amphibious transport dock, also called a landing platform dock (LPD), is an amphibious warfare ship, a warship that embarks, transports, and lands elements of a landing force for expeditionary warfare missions. Several navies currently operate this kind of ship. The ships are generally designed to transport troops into a war zone by sea, primarily using landing craft, although invariably they also have the capability to operate transport helicopters.
USS Nashville (LPD-13), was an Austin-class amphibious transport dock and the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the capital city of Tennessee. Her keel was laid down on 14 March 1966 by the Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company of Seattle, Washington. She was launched on 7 October 1967 sponsored by Mrs. Roy L. Johnson, and commissioned at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington, on 14 February 1970.
A dock landing ship is an amphibious warfare ship with a well dock to transport and launch landing craft and amphibious vehicles. Some ships with well decks, such as the Soviet Ivan Rogov class, also have bow doors to enable them to deliver vehicles directly onto a beach. Modern dock landing ships also operate helicopters.
USS Anchorage (LPD-23) is a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock and the second ship of the United States Navy to be namesake of the U.S. city of Anchorage, Alaska.
The USS Somerset (LPD-25) is a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock of the United States Navy. It is the fourth Navy vessel and the second warship to bear this name, the first two being a wooden-hulled motorboat and a ferry.
A Landing Craft Utility (LCU) is a type of boat used by amphibious forces to transport equipment and troops to the shore. They are capable of transporting tracked or wheeled vehicles and troops from amphibious assault ships to beachheads or piers.
The Galicia class are two landing platform dock (LPD) ships in service with the Spanish Navy. Built by Navantia at Ferrol, their mission is to carry out amphibious warfare by transporting the bulk of the Infantería de Marina. These ships have both a large helicopter flight deck and a 885-square-metre (9,530 sq ft) well deck for large landing craft, as well as a 1,000-square-metre (11,000 sq ft) space for up to 33 main battle tanks.
Juan Carlos I is a multi-purpose amphibious assault ship-aircraft carrier in the Spanish Navy. Similar in role to many aircraft carriers, the amphibious landing ship has a ski jump for STOVL operations, and is equipped with the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II attack aircraft. The vessel is named in honour of Juan Carlos I, the former King of Spain.
A joint support ship (JSS) is a multi-role naval vessel capable of launching and supporting joint amphibious and airlift operations. It can also provide command and control, sealift and seabasing, underway replenishment, disaster relief and logistics capabilities for combined land and sea operations.
The Endurance-class tank landing ships (LST) are the largest class of ships in the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). They were designed and built by Singapore Technologies (ST) Marine to replace the old County-class tank landing ships. The four ships form the Third Flotilla of the RSN.
The Type 071 is a class of Chinese amphibious transport dock ships in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The Type 071 provides the PLAN with capabilities and flexibility not found in its previous landing ships.
The San Giorgio class are amphibious transport docks (LPD) built by Fincantieri for the Italian Navy. These ships can carry a battalion of troops, and up to 36 armored vehicles. The stern floodable dock can accommodate three landing craft. The ships are based at the Brindisi naval base on the Adriatic coast.
An amphibious assault ship is a type of amphibious warfare ship employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory during an amphibious assault. The design evolved from aircraft carriers converted for use as helicopter carriers. Modern designs support amphibious landing craft, with most designs including a well deck. Like the aircraft carriers they were developed from, some amphibious assault ships also support V/STOL fixed-wing aircraft and have a secondary role as aircraft carriers.
In modern amphibious warfare usage, a well dock or well deck, officially termed a wet well during U.S. Navy instruction when the well deck is flooded for operations, is a hangar-like deck located at the waterline in the stern of some amphibious warfare ships. By taking on water the ship can lower its stern, flooding the well deck and allowing vessels such as boats and landing craft, amphibious vehicles, and recovered spacecraft crew capsules to dock within the ship.
The procurement of Landing Platform Docks (LPD) by the Indian Navy, formerly known as the "Multi-Role Support Vessel Program" (MRSV) - is an initiative of the Indian Navy (IN) to procure a series of landing platform docks, specific vessels dedicated to amphibious warfare, as part of the service's strategy to augment its capabilities of amphibious warfare, disaster-response, humanitarian assistance and auxiliary duties.
The LX(R) class is a class of amphibious warfare ships under development for the United States Navy, to be contracted from 2020, as a replacement for the current Whidbey Island-class and Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ships.
The Yushan-class landing platform dock is a class of landing platform dock built by CSBC Corporation, Taiwan for the Republic of China Navy (ROCN). Four ships are planned, with one ship launched in April 2021.
This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register , which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.