USS ''America'' (LHA-6), is an

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 design evolved from aircraft carriers converted for use as helicopter carriers (and, a ...

of 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 ...

and the

lead ship The lead ship, name ship, or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable to naval ships and large civilian vessels. Large ships are very complex and may ...

of the ''America''-class

. The fourth U.S. warship to be named for the

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

, she was delivered in spring of 2014, replacing of the . Her mission is to act as the flagship of an

expeditionary strike group In the United States Navy, the expeditionary strike group (ESG) is a coordinated group of surface ships, aircraft, submarines, and other naval assets. In contrast to carrier strike groups (CSGs), which emphasize air power and are led by a super ...

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 ...

, carrying part 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.V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, supported by

F-35B Lightning II The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide elect ...

aircraft and helicopter gunships. The ship's design is based on , but to allow more room for aviation facilities she does not have a

well deck In traditional nautical use, well decks were decks lower than decks fore and aft, usually at the main deck level, so that breaks appear in the main deck profile, as opposed to a flush deck profile. The term goes back to the days of sail. Late-20 ...

, and has smaller medical spaces. With a displacement of 45,000 tons, she is as large as many other countries' aircraft carriers and can fulfill similar missions when configured with 20 F-35B strike fighters. ''America's'' original homeport was

San Diego, California 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 eighth most populous city in the United Stat ...

, until in 2019 it was changed to

Sasebo, Japan is a core city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is also the second largest city in Nagasaki Prefecture, after its capital, Nagasaki. On 1 June 2019, the city had an estimated population of 247,739 and a population density of 581 persons p ...

Design

The design is based on that of , itself an improved version of the . Approximately 45% of the Flight 0 design is based on ''Makin Island'', with the well deck removed to allow more room for aircraft and aviation fuel. The removal of the well deck for landing craft allows for an extended hangar deck with two significantly wider high bay areas, each fitted with an overhead crane for aircraft maintenance. These changes were required in order to operate the F-35B and MV-22, which are considerably larger than the aircraft they replace. The typical aircraft complement is expected to be 12

MV-22B The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, tiltrotor military aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. It is designed to combine the functionality of a convention ...

transports, six

STOVL A short take-off and vertical landing aircraft (STOVL aircraft) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is able to take off from a short runway (or take off vertically if it does not have a heavy payload) and land vertically (i.e. with no runway). The ...

F-35B attack aircraft, four

CH-53K The Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion (Sikorsky S-95) is a heavy-lift Transport helicopter, cargo helicopter designed and produced by Sikorsky Aircraft. The King Stallion is an evolution of the long running Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion, CH-53 series ...

heavy transport helicopters, seven

AH-1Z The Bell AH-1Z Viper is a twin-engine attack helicopter, based on the AH-1W SuperCobra, designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturer Bell Helicopter. Being one of the latest members of the prolific Bell Huey family, it is also ca ...

UH-1Y The Bell UH-1Y VenomDoD 4120-15L, ''Model Desi ...

attack/utility helicopters and two Navy MH-60S for

air-sea rescue Air-sea rescue (ASR or A/SR, also known as sea-air rescue), and aeronautical and maritime search and rescue (AMSAR) by the ICAO and IMO, is the coordinated search and rescue (SAR) of the survivors of emergency water landings as well as people ...

. The exact makeup of the ship's aircraft complement will vary according to the mission. ''America'' can carry 20 F-35B and 2 MH-60S to serve as a small aircraft carrier as demonstrated by LHD operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Other enhancements include a re-configurable command and control complex, an on-board hospital, additional aviation fuel capacity and numerous aviation support spaces. ''America'' will be modified in a similar way to the modifications made on to make her better able to withstand the great amounts of heat generated by the F-35B's engine exhaust when taking off or landing vertically. Intercostal structural members will be added underneath flight deck landing spots seven and nine to more closely perform timed cyclic flight operations without overstressing it. Other changes may involve re-adjusting some ship antennas to allow for a clear flight path. The ship will undergo a 40-week modification period where recently installed piping, lighting, and other features will be removed to weld reinforcements underneath the flight deck; the modification period would have been greater if its construction in the shipyard had been interrupted to perform it. Such accommodations will be included in all future ''America''-class ships from the start. The ''America'' class has an increased aviation capacity to include an enlarged hangar deck, realignment and expansion of the aviation maintenance facilities, a significant increase in available stowage for parts and support equipment and increased aviation fuel capacity. However, the ship's design represents a major departure from past designs and has been the source of considerable controversy, as it lacks the capabilities and multi-role flexibility of traditional amphibious ships, including the ability to launch landing craft and amphibious assault vehicles, such as the AAV-7. Some have even argued that ''America'' represents a "dead end" as an amphibious ship. In fact, the Navy is building only one other ship () to the LHA-6 blueprint. At issue is the focus on aviation capabilities, at the expense of the "well deck", which is the defining feature of the amphibious fleet and allows Marine Corps amphibious operations. The Marine Corps Commandant and the Chief of Naval Operations have signed an official Memorandum of Agreement that restores the well deck to and subsequent ships, while in 2015 the Commandant of the Marine Corps launched an initiative to ensure aviation platforms do not lead to an imbalance in the MAGTF.

Construction and career

The U.S. Navy awarded

Northrop Grumman Corporation Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Aerospace manufacturer, aerospace and Arms industry, defense technology company. With 90,000 employees and an annual revenue in excess of $30 billion, it is one ...

's Ingalls Shipyard Division a $2.4 billion fixed-price incentive contract for the detailed design and construction of LHA-6, primarily at the company's shipyard in

Pascagoula, Mississippi Pascagoula ( ) is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is part of the Gulfport– Biloxi–Pascagoula Combined Statistical Area. The population was 2 ...

. The production decision was made in January 2006 and construction of LHA-6 began in December 2008.

Navy Secretary The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense. By law, the s ...

Donald C. Winter announced in June 2008 that the ship would be named ''America''. The

keel-laying Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one o ...

ceremony was held on 17 July 2009 with delivery originally planned for August 2012. The ship was launched on 4 June 2012, and christened on 20 October. She took to the sea for the first time on 5 November 2013, for five days of builder's

sea trials A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft (including boats, ships, and submarines). It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and i ...

in the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...

, and completed acceptance sea trials in February 2014. ''America'' departed in commission without ceremony from Ingalls Shipbuilding in

, on 11 July 2014 in transit to her homeport 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 eighth most populous city in the United State ...

, California. The ship earned commission status after the crew successfully completed the light-off assessment, anti-terrorism force protection certification and crew certification.

2010s

''America'' arrived at

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...

on 5 August, and the local press was invited to a guided visit the next day. She arrived at her home port of San Diego, California on 15 September 2014. During transitions around South America, ''America''s mission was to connect with regional allies, conducting joint exercises with Colombia,

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

, and

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

involving security and communications operations, as well as medical asset coordination and mission planning activities. The ship carried three

SH-60 Seahawk The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk (or Sea Hawk) is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant modificatio ...

helicopters of HSC-21 and four MV-22 Ospreys of VMX-22, which flew into countries and transported distinguished visitors to the ship. Plans are to embark the F-35B JSF for ''America''s first operational deployment. ''America'' was commissioned on 11 October 2014 in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

as part of the activities of San Francisco Fleet Week 2014. The

Secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense. By law, the se ...

(SECNAV)

Ray Mabus Raymond Edwin Mabus Jr. (; born October 11, 1948) is an American politician and lawyer. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 75th United States Secretary of the Navy from 2009 to 2017. Mabus previously served as the State Auditor ...

was the featured speaker. In July 2017, ''America'' was attached to the 15th MEU for Western Pacific 17-2 (WESTPAC 17-2). Their main mission was the supporting of Operation Inherent Resolve. During their deployment, Marines and Sailors aboard the ''America'' came to the aid of the USS John S. McCain at

Changi Naval Base Changi Naval Base (CNB), officially known as the RSS ''Singapura'' – Changi Naval Base, is a naval base of the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). Located about 1.5 kilometres east of Changi Air Base (East) and 3.5 kilometres east of Singapore C ...

after the USS John S. McCain and Alnic MC collision. ''America'' provided messing and berthing services to ''McCain'' crew members and supported damage control efforts on board. ''America'' also supported the searches for the 10 missing Sailors all of which were eventually recovered. ''America'' decomposited stateside on 7 March 2018.

2020s

In July 2021, ''America'' participated in Exercise Talisman Saber 2021 in north-east Australian waters, with more than 17,000 personnel from Australia and the United States and forces from Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and the United Kingdom.See F-35B jets take off at sea for Australian exercise Talisman Sabre
Mike Yeo, DefenseNews, 2021-07-29 In May 2022, ''America'' and her Amphibious Ready Group were in

Awards

Navy E Ribbon The Navy "E" Ribbon or Battle Efficiency Ribbon (informally the Battle "E" ribbon) was authorized on March 31, 1976, by Secretary of the Navy J. William Middendorf as a unit award for battle efficiency competition. The service ribbon replaced t ...

- (2017) *

Captain Edward F. Ney Memorial Award The Captain Edward F. Ney Award for food-service excellence is given to the best US Navy galleys among those that earn a five-star rating from a Navy evaluation team. The Secretary of the Navy and the International Food Service Executives Associ ...

for outstanding food service - (2020) https://www.navy.mil/Resources/ALNAVs/Message/Article/2235613/2020-captain-edward-f-ney-memorial-food-service-award-results/

Gallery

File:USS America (LHA-6) off Pascagoula in 2013.JPG, USS ''America'' off

Pascagoula The Pascagoula (also Pascoboula, Pacha-Ogoula, Pascagola, Pascaboula, Paskaguna) were an indigenous group living in coastal Mississippi on the Pascagoula River. The name ''Pascagoula'' is a Mobilian Jargon term meaning "bread people". Choctaw ...

on 9 November 2013 File:USS America (LHA-6) at Guantanamo Bay in July 2014.JPG, USS ''America'' at Guantanmo Bay on 21 July 2014 File:The amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) sits pierside in Valparaiso, Chile, Aug. 27, 2014, during a scheduled port visit 140827-N-YB590-004.jpg, USS America moored in Valparaiso,

on 27 August 2014 File:USSAmericaByPhilKonstantin.jpg, USS ''America'' coming into port in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

on 15 September 2014 File:USS America (LHA 6) off the coast of San Diego.JPG, USS ''America'' off San Diego on 19 February 2015 File:AV-8B Harrier aboard USS America 150222-N-AC979-219.jpg, An

USMC The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through co ...

AV-8B Harrier The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) AV-8B Harrier II is a single-engine ground-attack aircraft that constitutes the second generation of the Harrier family, capable of vertical or short takeoff and landing (V/STOL). The aircraft is primaril ...

VMA-311 Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 311 (VMFA-311) is a United States Marine Corps fighter attack squadron consisting of F-35C Lightning II. Known as the "Tomcats", the squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and falls under ...

aboard USS ''America'' on 22 February 2015 File:CWIS maintenance 141005-N-MD297-013.jpg, USS ''Americas

Phalanx CIWS The Phalanx CIWS (often spoken as "sea-wiz") is a gun-based close-in weapon system to defend military watercraft automatically against incoming threats such as aircraft, missiles, and small boats. It was designed and manufactured by the Gen ...

undergoing maintenance on 5 October 2014 File:USMC F-35Bs, USS America, Oct. 8, 2019.jpg, USMC Lockheed F-35Bs aboard USS ''America'' on 8 October 2019 File:HMS Queen Elizabeth USS America JS Ise.jpg, USS ''America'' alongside and on 24 August 2021

References

External links

Official page

New Class of USMC Aircraft Carriers

US Navy to Commission Amphibious Assault Ship
* {{DEFAULTSORT:America (LHA-6) America-class amphibious assault ships 2012 ships