.gif)
USS Wasp (LHD-1)
Encyclopedia
USS Wasp (LHD 1) is a U.S. Navy multipurpose amphibious assault ship
, the tenth to bear the name, the flagship of the Second Fleet and the lead ship of her class
. She was built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding
division of Litton
in Pascagoula, Mississippi
. The Navy-Marine Corps
team's newest amphibious warship has as its primary mission the support of a Marine Landing Force. USS Wasp and her sister ships are the first specifically designed to accommodate new Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) for fast troop movement over the beach and Harrier II (AV-8B) Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing (V/STOL) jets which provide close air support for the assault force. Wasp, which is 257 m (843.2 ft) with a beam of 32 metres (105 ft), also accommodates the full range of Navy and Marine Corps helicopters, conventional landing craft, and amphibious vehicles.
. Helicopters in the hangar bay or on the flight deck are cargo-loaded by forklift.
Wasp has medical and dental facilities capable of providing intensive medical assistance to 600 casualties, whether combat incurred or brought aboard ship during humanitarian missions. The corpsmen also provide routine medical/dental care to the crew and embarked personnel. Major medical facilities include four main and two emergency operating rooms, four dental operating rooms, x-ray rooms, a blood bank, laboratories, and patient wards. In addition, three battle dressing stations are located throughout the ship, as well as a casualty collecting area at the flight deck level. Medical elevators rapidly transfer casualties from the flight deck and hangar bay to the medical facilities.
For the comfort of the 1,075 crewmembers and 2,200 embarked troops, all manned spaces and berthing areas are individually heated and air conditioned. Berthing areas are subdivided to provide semi-private spaces without adversely affecting efficiency. Deck and wall coverings are decorative but also serviceable and easy to maintain. Messing areas facilitate rapid dining in a restaurant atmosphere. Onboard recreational facilities include a Library Multi-Media Resource Center with Internet access, a weight room,and satellite television capabilities.
USS Wasp's two steam propulsion plants — the largest currently in operation in the U.S. Navy — generate a total of 400 tons of steam per hour. The propulsion system develops 70,000 shaft horsepower (52 MW), powering the ship to speeds in excess of 22 knots (25.3 mph or 41 km/h). USS Wasp was built using more than 21,000 tons of steel, 400 tons of aluminum, 400 miles (643.7 km) of electrical/electronic cables, 80 miles (128.7 km) of piping and tubing of various types and sizes, and 10 miles (16.1 km) of ventilation ducting. Wasp weighed more than 27,000 tons when moved onto the Ingalls floating dry-dock on 30 July 1987 for launch on 4 August 1987, becoming the largest man-made object rolled across land.
to participate in the United Nations
intervention: Operation Restore Hope. Joint Chiefs Chairman, Gen. Colin Powell
landed on the ship that April for a discussion of military tactics taking place in and around Mogadishu
. Following that, she assisted off the coast of Kuwait for another operation. She later made stops in Toulon
, France and Rota, Spain, en route to her home port in Norfolk, Virginia.
In 1998, she won the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award
for the Atlantic Fleet.
In February 2004, the USS Wasp set sail to take the Marines of BLT 1/6 and HMM-266 Rein to Afghanistan
. They arrived at the end of March and offloaded the Marines. They then turned around and went back to the states to pick up the Marines from HMH-461
to take them to Djibouti
. After offloading the HMH-461 in Djibouti, they picked up the Marines of HMM-266 Rein from Kuwait in August 2004, and returned to the coast of Norfolk, Virginia
mid September 2004.
On 7 July 2006, Vice President Dick Cheney
, visited the USS Wasp. He gave a speech honoring the efforts of the Expeditionary Strike Group in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Wasp was the principal attraction at Fleet Week 2007 in New York City.
to offer help to the victims of Hurricane Felix
.
USS Wasp was the first ship to deploy the V-22 Osprey
, doing so in October 2007, by carrying VMM-263
's ten MV-22B Osprey
s to Iraq to participate in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Wasp also served as the platform for the
program's first Sea Trials in December 1990, involving the third and fourth Osprey prototypes.
On October 4, 2009, the USS Wasp deployed from its base at Norfolk Naval Station
in Norfolk, Virginia
on a three month voyage down the Atlantic coast, to the Caribbean
as part of the Southern Partnership Station, amphibious with Destroyer Squadron 40 and an embarked security cooperation Marine Air-Ground Task Force
. The 1,100 Sailors
and 365 embarked Marines
conducted operations and exercises in the U.S. 4th Fleet area of responsibility. The operation, called the Southern Partnership Station is part of "Partnership of the Americas" maritime strategy, which focuses on building interoperability and cooperation in the region to meet common challenges, specifically with matters involving the recent executive orders
that United States President Barack Obama
addressed on January 22, 2009 of the closing down of Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba
. The camp which holds hundreds of prisoners suspected of international terrorism is scheduled to close within a year.
In mid-October 2009, The USS Wasp set anchor at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
in Cuba
where the United States Marines that were on board, were assigned to training status for approx 3 months while the USS Wasp went underway.
Since Cuba, the USS Wasp has not docked in Jamaica
, contrary to rumors, but has practiced further operations and exercises throughout the Caribbean
. USS Wasp returned to Norfolk Naval Station on December 22, 2009.
On June 29, 2010, USS Wasp was one of the 18 international vessels taking part in the 100th anniversary celebrations of the Canadian Navy
in Halifax, Nova Scotia
. The Canadian and international warships were reviewed by Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh
, and Prime Minister
Stephen Harper
.
In 2011 the Wasp was modified for F-35B testing, including replacing a Sea Sparrow
launcher with monitoring equipment. She returned to sea on 7 July 2011.
On October 3rd, 2011 the "Wasp" had its first F-35B land vertically
on her decks during trials. On October 5th 2011 the "Wasp" successfully launched its first F-35B.
Amphibious assault ship
An amphibious assault ship is a type of amphibious warfare ship employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory by an amphibious assault...
, the tenth to bear the name, the flagship of the Second Fleet and the lead ship of her class
Wasp class amphibious assault ship
The Wasp class is a class of Landing Helicopter Dock 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...
. She was built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding
Ingalls Shipbuilding
Ingalls Shipbuilding is a shipyard located in Pascagoula, Mississippi, USA, originally established in 1938, and is now part of Huntington Ingalls Industries...
division of Litton
Litton Industries
Named after inventor Charles Litton, Sr., Litton Industries was a large defense contractor in the United States, bought by the Northrop Grumman Corporation in 2001.-History:...
in Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, as a part of the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. The population was 26,200 at the 2000 census...
. The Navy-Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
team's newest amphibious warship has as its primary mission the support of a Marine Landing Force. USS Wasp and her sister ships are the first specifically designed to accommodate new Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) for fast troop movement over the beach and Harrier II (AV-8B) Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing (V/STOL) jets which provide close air support for the assault force. Wasp, which is 257 m (843.2 ft) with a beam of 32 metres (105 ft), also accommodates the full range of Navy and Marine Corps helicopters, conventional landing craft, and amphibious vehicles.
Specifications
To carry out its primary mission, USS Wasp has an assault support system that synchronizes the simultaneous horizontal and vertical flow of troops, cargo and vehicles throughout the ship. Two aircraft elevators service the hangar bay and flight deck. Six cargo elevators, each 4 by, are used to transport material and supplies from the 3000 cubic metre cargo holds throughout the ship to staging areas on the flight deck, hangar bay and vehicle storage area. Cargo is transferred to waiting landing craft docked within the ship's 12000 ft2, 81 metres (265.7 ft) well deckWell deck
A well deck or well dock 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 boats and amphibious landing craft to dock within the ship. This facilitates moving cargo...
. Helicopters in the hangar bay or on the flight deck are cargo-loaded by forklift.
Wasp has medical and dental facilities capable of providing intensive medical assistance to 600 casualties, whether combat incurred or brought aboard ship during humanitarian missions. The corpsmen also provide routine medical/dental care to the crew and embarked personnel. Major medical facilities include four main and two emergency operating rooms, four dental operating rooms, x-ray rooms, a blood bank, laboratories, and patient wards. In addition, three battle dressing stations are located throughout the ship, as well as a casualty collecting area at the flight deck level. Medical elevators rapidly transfer casualties from the flight deck and hangar bay to the medical facilities.
For the comfort of the 1,075 crewmembers and 2,200 embarked troops, all manned spaces and berthing areas are individually heated and air conditioned. Berthing areas are subdivided to provide semi-private spaces without adversely affecting efficiency. Deck and wall coverings are decorative but also serviceable and easy to maintain. Messing areas facilitate rapid dining in a restaurant atmosphere. Onboard recreational facilities include a Library Multi-Media Resource Center with Internet access, a weight room,and satellite television capabilities.
USS Wasp's two steam propulsion plants — the largest currently in operation in the U.S. Navy — generate a total of 400 tons of steam per hour. The propulsion system develops 70,000 shaft horsepower (52 MW), powering the ship to speeds in excess of 22 knots (25.3 mph or 41 km/h). USS Wasp was built using more than 21,000 tons of steel, 400 tons of aluminum, 400 miles (643.7 km) of electrical/electronic cables, 80 miles (128.7 km) of piping and tubing of various types and sizes, and 10 miles (16.1 km) of ventilation ducting. Wasp weighed more than 27,000 tons when moved onto the Ingalls floating dry-dock on 30 July 1987 for launch on 4 August 1987, becoming the largest man-made object rolled across land.
Fleet life
In February 1993, she left her port on an emergency deployment to SomaliaSomalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
to participate in the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
intervention: Operation Restore Hope. Joint Chiefs Chairman, Gen. Colin Powell
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...
landed on the ship that April for a discussion of military tactics taking place in and around Mogadishu
Mogadishu
Mogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
. Following that, she assisted off the coast of Kuwait for another operation. She later made stops in Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
, France and Rota, Spain, en route to her home port in Norfolk, Virginia.
In 1998, she won the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award
Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award
The Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award is presented annually by the U.S. Navy's Chief of Naval Operations to one ship in the U.S. Atlantic Fleet and one in the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
for the Atlantic Fleet.
Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. They arrived at the end of March and offloaded the Marines. They then turned around and went back to the states to pick up the Marines from HMH-461
HMH-461
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of CH-53E Super Stallion transport helicopters...
to take them to Djibouti
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
. After offloading the HMH-461 in Djibouti, they picked up the Marines of HMM-266 Rein from Kuwait in August 2004, and returned to the coast of Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
mid September 2004.
On 7 July 2006, Vice President Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
, visited the USS Wasp. He gave a speech honoring the efforts of the Expeditionary Strike Group in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Wasp was the principal attraction at Fleet Week 2007 in New York City.
Current and other operations
In September 2007, the USS Wasp sailed to NicaraguaNicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
to offer help to the victims of Hurricane Felix
Hurricane Felix
The name Felix was used for four tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean.* 1989's Hurricane Felix - A Category 1 storm that dissipated in the Atlantic without threatening land....
.
USS Wasp was the first ship to deploy the V-22 Osprey
V-22 Osprey
The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, military, tiltrotor aircraft with both a vertical takeoff and landing , and short takeoff and landing capability...
, doing so in October 2007, by carrying VMM-263
VMM-263
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22B Osprey transport aircraft...
's ten MV-22B Osprey
V-22 Osprey
The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, military, tiltrotor aircraft with both a vertical takeoff and landing , and short takeoff and landing capability...
s to Iraq to participate in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Wasp also served as the platform for the
program's first Sea Trials in December 1990, involving the third and fourth Osprey prototypes.
On October 4, 2009, the USS Wasp deployed from its base at Norfolk Naval Station
Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...
in Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
on a three month voyage down the Atlantic coast, to the Caribbean
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....
as part of the Southern Partnership Station, amphibious with Destroyer Squadron 40 and an embarked security cooperation Marine Air-Ground Task Force
Marine Air-Ground Task Force
The Marine Air-Ground Task Force is a term used by the United States Marine Corps to describe the principal organization for all missions across the range of military operations. MAGTFs are a balanced air-ground, combined arms task organization of Marine Corps forces under a single commander that...
. The 1,100 Sailors
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...
and 365 embarked Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
conducted operations and exercises in the U.S. 4th Fleet area of responsibility. The operation, called the Southern Partnership Station is part of "Partnership of the Americas" maritime strategy, which focuses on building interoperability and cooperation in the region to meet common challenges, specifically with matters involving the recent executive orders
Executive Orders
Executive Orders is a political and military thriller novel by Tom Clancy. It was published in 1996, and is a canonical part of the Jack Ryan universe.-Plot summary:...
that United States President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
addressed on January 22, 2009 of the closing down of Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. The camp which holds hundreds of prisoners suspected of international terrorism is scheduled to close within a year.
In mid-October 2009, The USS Wasp set anchor at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
where the United States Marines that were on board, were assigned to training status for approx 3 months while the USS Wasp went underway.
Since Cuba, the USS Wasp has not docked in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, contrary to rumors, but has practiced further operations and exercises throughout the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. USS Wasp returned to Norfolk Naval Station on December 22, 2009.
On June 29, 2010, USS Wasp was one of the 18 international vessels taking part in the 100th anniversary celebrations of the Canadian Navy
Canadian Forces Maritime Command
The Royal Canadian Navy , is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Forces. Operating 33 warships and several auxiliary vessels, the Royal Canadian Navy consists of 8,500 Regular Force and 5,100 Primary Reserve sailors, supported by...
in Halifax, Nova Scotia
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
. The Canadian and international warships were reviewed by Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
, and Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
.
In 2011 the Wasp was modified for F-35B testing, including replacing a Sea Sparrow
RIM-7 Sea Sparrow
RIM-7 Sea Sparrow is a US ship-borne short-range anti-aircraft and anti-missile weapon system, primarily intended for defense against anti-ship missiles...
launcher with monitoring equipment. She returned to sea on 7 July 2011.
On October 3rd, 2011 the "Wasp" had its first F-35B land vertically
STOVL
STOVL is an acronym for short take off and vertical landing.This is the ability of some aircraft to take off from a short runway or take off vertically if it does not have a very heavy payload and land vertically...
on her decks during trials. On October 5th 2011 the "Wasp" successfully launched its first F-35B.
See also
- List of United States Navy amphibious assault ships
- List of ship launches in 1987
- List of ship commissionings in 1989