Harpers Ferry class dock landing ship
Encyclopedia
The Harpers Ferry class of the United States Navy
is a class of dock landing ship
s completed in the early 1990s. Modified from the Whidbey Island class
, it loses landing craft
capacity for more cargo space, making it closer to an amphibious transport dock
type, but was not designated as such. Externally, the two classes can be told apart by the order of weapons. The Harper's Ferry type has the Phalanx CIWS mounted forward, and the RAM launcher on top of the bridge, while the Whidbey Island has the other arrangement.
All ships of the class are scheduled to undergo a midlife upgrade to ensure they remain in service through 2038. The ships will be upgraded each year through 2013, and the last ship will be modernized in 2014. Ships homeported on the East Coast will undergo upgrades at Metro Machine Corp., and ships based on the West Coast will receive upgrades at General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company
in San Diego.
Major elements of the upgrade package include diesel engine improvements, fuel and maintenance savings systems, engineering control systems, increased air conditioning/chill water capacity, and replacement of air compressors. The ships also replaced steam systems with all-electric functionality that will decrease maintenance.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
is a class of dock landing ship
Dock landing ship
A Dock landing ship or Landing ship is a form of amphibious warship designed to support amphibious operations. These amphibious assault ships transport and launch amphibious craft and vehicles with their crews and embarked personnel...
s completed in the early 1990s. Modified from the Whidbey Island class
Whidbey Island class dock landing ship
The Whidbey Island class dock landing ship is a dock landing ship of the United States Navy. Introduced to fleet service in 1985, this class of ship features a massive well deck for the transport of four LCAC hovercraft for landing Marines....
, it loses landing craft
Landing craft
Landing craft are boats and seagoing vessels used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands during WWII...
capacity for more cargo space, making it closer to an amphibious transport dock
Amphibious transport dock
An amphibious transport dock, also called a landing platform/dock , 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...
type, but was not designated as such. Externally, the two classes can be told apart by the order of weapons. The Harper's Ferry type has the Phalanx CIWS mounted forward, and the RAM launcher on top of the bridge, while the Whidbey Island has the other arrangement.
All ships of the class are scheduled to undergo a midlife upgrade to ensure they remain in service through 2038. The ships will be upgraded each year through 2013, and the last ship will be modernized in 2014. Ships homeported on the East Coast will undergo upgrades at Metro Machine Corp., and ships based on the West Coast will receive upgrades at General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company
National Steel and Shipbuilding Company
National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, commonly referred to as NASSCO, is a shipyard in San Diego, California and Norfolk, Virginia and a division of General Dynamics. The shipyard specializes in constructing commercial cargo ships and auxiliary vessels for the US Navy and Military Sealift...
in San Diego.
Major elements of the upgrade package include diesel engine improvements, fuel and maintenance savings systems, engineering control systems, increased air conditioning/chill water capacity, and replacement of air compressors. The ships also replaced steam systems with all-electric functionality that will decrease maintenance.
The Harpers Ferry class ships
| Ship Name | Hull No. | Builder | Commissioned | Homeport | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S.-built | |||||
| Harpers Ferry USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49) USS Harpers Ferry is the lead ship of her class of landing ship dock of the United States Navy. This warship was named for the town of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, which, because of the Federal arsenal there, was an important location during the Civil War. , Harpers Ferry is commanded by... |
LSD-49 | Avondale Shipyard Avondale Shipyard Avondale Shipyard was an independent shipbuilding company, acquired by Litton Industries, in turn acquired by Northrop Grumman Corporation. Now, along with the former Ingalls Shipbuilding, the yard is part of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. The yard is located on the West Bank of the Mississippi... |
7 January 1995 | United States Fleet Activities Sasebo United States Fleet Activities Sasebo U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo is a United States Navy naval base, in Sasebo, Japan, on the island of Kyūshū. It provides facilities for the logistic support of forward-deployed units and visiting operating forces of the United States Pacific Fleet and designated tenant activities.- History :Sasebo... (Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... ) |
|
| Carter Hall USS Carter Hall (LSD-50) USS Carter Hall is a Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship of the United States Navy. She was the second Navy ship to be named for Carter Hall, an estate near Winchester, Virginia, built in the 1790s.... |
LSD-50 | Avondale Shipyard | 30 September 1995 | Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek The Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek is the major operating base for the Amphibious Forces in the United States Navy's Atlantic Fleet. The base comprises four locations in three states, including almost 12,000 acres of real estate. Its Little Creek location in Virginia Beach, Virginia totals... (VA Virginia The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there... ) |
|
| Oak Hill USS Oak Hill (LSD-51) USS Oak Hill is a Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship of the United States Navy. Oak Hill is the second United States Navy ship to be named after Oak Hill, the home of U.S. President James Monroe.-Overview:... |
LSD-51 | Avondale Shipyard | 8 June 1996 | Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek (VA) | |
| Pearl Harbor USS Pearl Harbor (LSD-52) USS Pearl Harbor is a Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship of the United States Navy. She was named for Pearl Harbor, where World War II began for the United States.... |
LSD-52 | Avondale Shipyard | 30 May 1998 | Naval Base San Diego (CA California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... ) |
|
Sources
- US Navy Type Information
- Hutchinson, R. (2002) Jane's Warship Recognition Guide Harper Collins: London, New York.