Newport-class tank landing ship
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''Newport''-class tank landing ships were an improved class of
tank landing ship Landing Ship, Tank (LST), or tank landing ship, is the naval designation for ships first developed during World War II (1939–1945) to support amphibious operations by carrying tanks, vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto shore with ...
(LST) designed for and employed by the
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 ...
from 1969 to 2002. The ships were intended to provide substantial advantages over their
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
-era predecessors. Larger and faster than any previous LST design, they carried a ramp over the bow that allowed them to surpass , a goal of the United States
amphibious forces Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...
. 27 were planned of which twenty were completed, the high number due to the demands of US force projection estimates. However, the arrival of the
air-cushioned landing craft An air-cushioned landing craft, also called an LCAC ( landing craft, air cushioned), is a modern variation on the amphibious landing boat. The majority of these craft are small- to mid-sized multi-purpose hovercraft, also known as "over the bea ...
which allowed for over-the-horizon attacks made the class obsolete in the eyes of the United States Navy. Placed in
reserve Reserve or reserves may refer to: Places * Reserve, Kansas, a US city * Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish * Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County * Reserve, New Mexico, a US vi ...
, twelve were eventually sold to foreign navies, while the remaining eight have since been decommissioned.


Design and description

The ''Newport'' class were designed under project SCB 247 to meet the goal put forward by the United States
amphibious forces Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...
to have a
tank landing ship Landing Ship, Tank (LST), or tank landing ship, is the naval designation for ships first developed during World War II (1939–1945) to support amphibious operations by carrying tanks, vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto shore with ...
(LST) capable of over . However, the traditional bow door form for LSTs would not be capable of such speed. Therefore, the designers of the ''Newport'' class came up with a design of a traditional
ship hull A hull is the watertight body of a ship, boat, or flying boat. The hull may open at the top (such as a dinghy), or it may be fully or partially covered with a deck. Atop the deck may be a deckhouse and other superstructures, such as a funnel, der ...
with a
aluminum Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It has ...
ramp slung over the bow supported by two
derrick A derrick is a lifting device composed at minimum of one guyed mast, as in a gin pole, which may be articulated over a load by adjusting its guys. Most derricks have at least two components, either a guyed mast or self-supporting tower, and a ...
arms. The ramp was capable of sustaining loads up to . This made the ''Newport'' class the first to depart from the standard LST design that had been developed in early
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. LSTs of the ''Newport'' class had a
displacement Displacement may refer to: Physical sciences Mathematics and Physics *Displacement (geometry), is the difference between the final and initial position of a point trajectory (for instance, the center of mass of a moving object). The actual path ...
of when light and at full load. They were
long overall __NOTOC__ Length overall (LOA, o/a, o.a. or oa) is the maximum length of a vessel's hull measured parallel to the waterline. This length is important while docking the ship. It is the most commonly used way of expressing the size of a ship, an ...
and over the
derrick A derrick is a lifting device composed at minimum of one guyed mast, as in a gin pole, which may be articulated over a load by adjusting its guys. Most derricks have at least two components, either a guyed mast or self-supporting tower, and a ...
arms which protruded past the bow. They had a
beam Beam may refer to: Streams of particles or energy *Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy **Laser beam *Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles **Charged particle beam, a spatially localized grou ...
of , a
draft Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vessel ...
forward of and at the stern at full load. The first three ships of the class were fitted with six General Motors 16-645-ES
diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...
s, while the remainder of the class were fitted with six ALCO 16-251 diesel engines turning two
shafts ''Shafts'' was an English feminist magazine produced by Margaret Sibthorp from 1892 until 1899. Initially published weekly and priced at one penny, its themes included votes for women, women's education, and radical attitudes towards vivisection, ...
, three to each shaft. The system was rated at and gave the ships a maximum speed of for short periods and could only sustain for an extended length of time. The LSTs carried of
diesel fuel Diesel fuel , also called diesel oil, is any liquid fuel specifically designed for use in a diesel engine, a type of internal combustion engine in which fuel ignition takes place without a spark as a result of compression of the inlet air and t ...
for a range of at the cruising speed of . The ships were also equipped with a
bow thruster Manoeuvering thruster (bow thruster or stern thruster) is a transversal propulsion device built into, or mounted to, either the bow or stern, of a ship or boat to make it more manoeuvrable. Bow thrusters make docking easier, since they allow th ...
to allow for better maneuvering near causeways and to hold position while offshore during the unloading of amphibious vehicles. The ''Newport'' class were larger and faster than previous LSTs and were able to transport tanks, heavy vehicles and engineer groups and supplies that were too large for helicopters or smaller landing craft to carry. The LSTs have a ramp forward of the
superstructure A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships. Aboard ships and large boats On water craft, the superstruct ...
that connects the lower tank deck with the main deck and a passage large enough to allow access to the parking area amidships. The vessels are also equipped with a stern gate to allow the unloading of amphibious vehicles directly into the water or to unload onto a
utility landing craft Landing craft are small and medium seagoing watercraft, such as boats and barges, used to convey a landing force (infantry and vehicles) from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. The term excludes landing ships, which are larger. P ...
(LCU) or pier. At either end of the tank deck there is a turntable that permits vehicles to turn around without having to reverse. The ''Newport'' class has the capacity for of vehicles, of cargo area and could carry up to 431 troops. The vessels also have
davit Boat suspended from radial davits; the boat is mechanically lowered Gravity multi-pivot on Scandinavia'' file:Bossoir a gravité.jpg, Gravity Roller Davit file:Davits-starbrd.png, Gravity multi-pivot davit holding rescue vessel on North Sea ferr ...
s for four vehicle and personnel landing craft (LCVPs) and could carry four pontoon causeway sections along the sides of the hull. The ''Newport'' class were initially armed with four Mark 33 /50 caliber guns in two twin turrets. They were equipped with two Mk 63 gun control fire systems (GCFS) for the 3-inch guns, but these were removed in 1977–1978. They also had SPS-10 surface search
radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...
. Atop the stern gate, the vessels mounted a
helicopter deck A helicopter deck (or helo deck) is a helicopter pad on the deck of a ship, usually located on the stern and always clear of obstacles that would prove hazardous to a helicopter landing. In the United States Navy, it is commonly and properly ref ...
. They had a maximum complement of 213 including 11 officers.


United States service


Construction and career

The first vessel of the class, ''Newport'' was ordered as part of Fiscal Year (FY) 1965. The next eight were authorized in FY 1966, followed by eleven in 1967. The first three LSTs were constructed by
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was an important naval shipyard of the United States for almost two centuries. Philadelphia's original navy yard, begun in 1776 on Front Street and Federal Street in what is now the Pennsport section of the cit ...
in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, Pennsylvania and the remaining seventeen by
National Steel and Shipbuilding National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, commonly referred to as NASSCO, is an American shipbuilding company with three shipyards located in San Diego, Norfolk and Mayport. It is a division of General Dynamics. The San Diego shipyard specializes ...
of
San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
, California. Seven more were ordered in FY 1971, but these were later deferred, then canceled. Beginning in FY 1981, ships of the class were transferred to the
Naval Reserve Force The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2005, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called Reservists, are categorized as being in either the Sele ...
. By 1994, the 3-inch guns had been removed as a weight saving measure. The 1987 introduction of LCACs — which allowed the United States Navy to launch over-the-horizon amphibious landings — made the ''Newport'' class obsolete, but they remained with the fleet for another decade because they were the only means by which the hundreds of thousands of gallons of motor vehicle fuel needed by a Marine Expeditionary Force could be landed. Only the development of tankers with the Offshore Petroleum Discharge System (OPDS) and the later development of special fuel bladders which gave the LCACs a tanker capability allowed for their retirement.


Ships in class


Export service


Australia

Two LSTs were acquired by the
Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
in 1994; ''Sagainaw'' on 25 August and ''Fairfax County'' on 27 September. Renamed ''Kanimbla'' and ''Manoora'', the two vessels underwent conversion in May 1995 at Forgacs Shipbuilding,
Newcastle, New South Wales Newcastle ( ; Awabakal: ) is a metropolitan area and the second most populated city in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It includes the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie local government areas, and is the hub of the Greater Newcastle area, w ...
. The LSTs were significantly modified by removing their bow ramps and adding another deck over the bow of the ship, allowing for a third landing spot and increased aviation fuel capacity. Over the new deck two LCM-8 landing craft are carried when the third landing spot is not used, handled by a 70-ton crane. Improved medical facilities were constructed. A
hangar A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...
was installed aft, allowing for the stowage of four Seahawk helicopters. Both ships were based at
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
, Australia. The two vessels were taken out of service in 2011 and replaced by and the s.


Ships in class


Brazil

The
Brazilian Navy ) , colors= Blue and white , colors_label= Colors , march= "Cisne Branco" ( en, "White Swan") (same name as training ship ''Cisne Branco'' , mascot= , equipment= 1 multipurpose aircraft carrier7 submarines6 frigates2 corvettes4 amphibious warf ...
leased one ''Newport''-class LST from the United States on 26 August 1994. ''Cayuga'' was renamed ''Mattoso Maia'' and arrived in October. The vessel was acquired outright on 19 September 2000. Negotiations for a second vessel, ''Peoria'', were unsuccessfully ended in 2001.


Ships in class


Chile

The
Chilean Navy The Chilean Navy ( es, Armada de Chile) is the naval warfare service branch of the Chilean Armed Forces. It is under the Ministry of National Defense. Its headquarters are at Edificio Armada de Chile, Valparaiso. History Origins and the Wars ...
leased one vessel of the class from the US. A second was offered, but the ship's poor condition led to it being rejected. ''San Bernardino'' was leased on 30 September 1995 and renamed ''Valdivia''. In 1997, the LST ran aground and was damaged. ''Valdivia'' was refloated and repaired. Due to the age of the vessel, ''Valdivia'' was taken out of service on 14 January 2011.


Ships in class


Malaysia

The
Royal Malaysian Navy The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN, ms, Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia; TLDM; Jawi: ) is the naval arm of the Malaysian Armed Forces. RMN is the main agency responsible for the country's maritime surveillance and defense operations. RMN's area of o ...
acquired one ''Newport''-class LST from the United States on 16 December 1994. A second was to be leased in 1998, but the option was not taken up. ''Spartanburg County'' arrived in Malaysia in June 1995 and was renamed KD ''Sri Inderapura''. The vessel was refit between 1995 and 1998 at
Johore Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the northwest. Johor shares maritime bor ...
. On 15 December 2002, the ship was damaged by fire. On 8 October 2009, while berthed at the Lumut Naval Base, ''Sri Inderapura'' caught fire and sank. The vessel was later raised. ''Sri Inderapura'' was officially decommissioned by the Royal Malaysian Navy on 21 January 2010.


Ships in class


Mexico

Mexico acquired two ships from the United States. ''Newport'' was purchased on 18 January 2001 and renamed ''Sonora'' by the
Mexican Navy The Mexican Navy is one of the two independent armed forces of Mexico. The actual naval forces are called the ''Armada de México''. The ''Secretaría de Marina'' (''SEMAR'') (English: Naval Secretariat) includes both the ''Armada'' itself and ...
, before becoming ''Rio Papaloapan''. ''Frederick'' was purchased on 9 December 2002 and renamed ''Usumacinta''. ''Rio Papaloapan'' is based at
Tampico Tampico is a city and port in the southeastern part of the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. It is located on the north bank of the Pánuco River, about inland from the Gulf of Mexico, and directly north of the state of Veracruz. Tampico is the fifth ...
and ''Usumacinta'' at Manzanillo.


Ships in class


Morocco

The
Royal Moroccan Navy ber, ⴰⴷⵡⴰⵙ ⴰⴳⴻⵍⴷⴰⵏ ⵏ ⵢⵉⵍⴻⵍ , image = , caption = Royal Moroccan Navy Seal , start_date = active since: 11th century current form: 30 Apr ...
acquired one ship from the United States as a grant transfer on 16 August 1994. ''Bristol County'' was renamed ''Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah'' upon entering Moroccan service. The LST was acquired to replace the aging . By late 1995, ''Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah'' was considered non-operational but was later returned to service.


Ships in class


Spain

Two ships were leased by the
Spanish Navy The Spanish Navy or officially, the Armada, is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation, ...
from the United States. The first, ''Barnstable County'' was recommissioned into the Spanish Navy on 26 August 1994 and renamed ''Hernán Cortés''. The second, ''Harlan County'', recommissioned on 14 April 1995 and was renamed ''Pizarro''. Both ships were based at
Rota, Spain The town of Rota is a Spanish municipality located in the Province of Cádiz, Andalusia. Its surface area is 84 km2 and is bordered by the towns of Chipiona, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María. It is located near the city of ...
. ''Hernán Cortés'' was initially to be decommissioned in 2006, but continued until 2009, when the vessel was taken out of service. The LST was scrapped at Arinaga,
Gran Canaria Gran Canaria (, ; ), also Grand Canary Island, is the third-largest and second-most-populous island of the Canary Islands, an archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa which is part of Spain. the island had a population of that co ...
, Spain in 2014. ''Pizarro'' was decommissioned in December 2012 and sold for scrap in February 2016 and was broken up in El Puerto de Santa Maria beginning in March.


Ships in class


Taiwan

Two ships were leased by the
Republic of China Navy The Republic of China Navy (ROCN; ), also called the ROC Navy and colloquially the Taiwan Navy, is the maritime branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces (ROCAF). The service was formerly commonly just called the Chinese Navy during World Wa ...
(ROCN) from the United States on 1 July 1995. ''Manitowoc'' and ''Sumter'' were taken to
Newport News Shipbuilding Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, is the largest industrial employer in Virginia, and sole designer, builder and refueler of United States Navy aircraft carriers and one of two providers of U.S. Navy ...
and refitted before being recommissioned into the ROCN on 8 May 1997 and renamed ''Chung Ho'' and ''Chung Ping'' respectively. The two ships were purchased on 29 September 2000.


Ships in class


See also

*


Citations


References

* * * * * * * * * * * *


External links


Federation of American Scientists page on ''Newport'' class
{{Newport-class tank landing ships Amphibious warfare vessel classes Newport class tank landing ship Newport class tank landing ship Tank landing ships