United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
abbreviation for Amphibious Squadron. It is a tactical and administrative organization composed of amphibious assault shipping to transport troops and their equipment for an amphibious assault operation.
Before the advent of modern helicopter-oriented amphibious warfare, the amphibious squadron was made up differently, depending on the era. During the 1960s, a typical squadron might consist of an
Attack Transport
Attack transport is a United States Navy ship classification for a variant of ocean-going troopship adapted to transporting invasion forces ashore. Unlike standard troopships – often drafted from the merchant fleet – that rely on ...
(APA/LPA), a
Dock Landing Ship
A dock landing ship (also called landing ship, dock or LSD) 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 hav ...
(LSD), an
Attack Cargo Ship
Attack may refer to:
Warfare and combat
* Offensive (military)
* Charge (warfare)
* Attack (fencing)
* Strike (attack)
* Attack (computing)
* Attack aircraft
Books and publishing
* ''The Attack'' (novel), a book
* ''Attack No. 1'', comic ...
(AKA/LKA), one or two Landing Ships, Tank, (LST) and, especially if there were only one LST, a
High Speed Transport
High-speed transports were converted destroyers and destroyer escorts used in US Navy amphibious operations in World War II and afterward. They received the US Hull classification symbol APD; "AP" for transport and "D" for destroyer. In 1969, the ...
(APD). The APA carried troops and LCVPs in which to land them, plus a few LCMs for bigger loads. The AKA carried cargo and an assortment of LCVPs and LCMs with which to land it. The LSD carried boats. The LST carried tanks and other rolling stock, and had the ability to discharge its cargo directly onto the beach. The destroyer-like APD provided limited
gunfire support
Naval gunfire support (NGFS) (also known as shore bombardment) is the use of naval artillery to provide fire support for amphibious assault and other troops operating within their range. NGFS is one of a number of disciplines encompassed by the ...
and fast defense of the squadron. It frequently also carried a UDT unit or other similar troops. The Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH) replaced the APA in the late 1960s and provided helicopters to land troops and supplies inland, beyond the beach.
In modern times, a U.S. PHIBRON usually consists of three amphibious ships, typically one LHD, an
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), also known colloquially as acid, is a potent psychedelic drug. Effects typically include intensified thoughts, emotions, and sensory perception. At sufficiently high dosages LSD manifests primarily mental, vi ...
and an LPD. When the ships of a PHIBRON are loaded up with the forces of a
Marine Expeditionary Unit
A Marine expeditionary unit (MEU, pronounced as one syllable "" IPA: ) is the smallest air-ground task force (MAGTF) in the United States Fleet Marine Force.Assault Craft Units or ACU), it is designated as an
Amphibious ready group
An amphibious ready group (ARG) of the United States Navy consists of a naval element—a group of warships known as an Amphibious Task Force (ATF)—and a landing force (LF) of U.S. Marines (and occasionally U.S. Army soldiers), in total about ...
(ARG). The officer in charge of a PHIBRON is designated COMPHIBRON (#) or Commander Amphibious Squadron (#) and acts as the commodore for all ships in the ARG.
List of
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
amphibious squadrons
Active
*Amphibious Squadron 1 - Stationed in San Diego, CA
*Amphibious Squadron 3 - Stationed in San Diego, CA
*Amphibious Squadron 4 - Stationed in Norfolk, VA
*Amphibious Squadron 5 - Stationed in San Diego, CA
*Amphibious Squadron 6 - Stationed in Norfolk, VA
*Amphibious Squadron 7 - Stationed in San Diego, CA (Composed of USS Makin Island, USS Anchorage, and USS John P. Murtha)
*Amphibious Squadron 8 - Stationed in Norfolk, VA
*Amphibious Squadron 9 - Stationed in San Diego, CA
*Amphibious Squadron 11 - Stationed in Sasebo, Japan (Composed of USS America,
USS New Orleans
USS ''New Orleans'' may refer to:
*, was a ship-of-the-line laid down in January 1815 but her construction was halted and she remained on the stocks, housed over, until sold in September 1883
*, was a ''New Orleans''-class (1896) protected cruiser ...
, USS Green Bay, USS Rushmore, and USS Ashland)
Disestablished
*Amphibious Squadron 2 - Stationed in Norfolk, VA, disestablished in 2010
*Amphibious Squadron 10 - Stationed in Little Creek, VA disestablished 1974