Tarawa class amphibious assault ship

General characteristics of the Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship:

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• Builders: Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi
• Power Plant: Two boilers, two geared steam turbines, two shafts, 70,000 total shaft horsepower (52 MW)
• Length: 820 ft (249.9 m)
• Beam: 106 ft (31.8 m)
• Displacement: 39,400 tons (40,032 t) full load
• Speed: 24 knots (44 km/h)
• Aircraft: (Actual mix depends upon mission)
• Nine CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters
• Twelve CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters
• Six AV-8B Harrier II fighter-bombers
• Ships:
• USS Tarawa (LHA-1), San Diego, California
• USS Saipan (LHA-2), Norfolk, Virginia
• USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3), San Diego, California
• USS Nassau (LHA-4), Norfolk, Virginia
• USS Peleliu (LHA-5), San Diego, California
• Crew:
• Ships Company: 82 officers, 882 enlisted
• Marine Detachment 1,900 plus
• Armament: Two RAM launchers; two 5 inch (127 mm) 54 cal. MK-45 lightweight guns; two Phalanx 20 mm CIWS mount; four 0.50 cal (12.7 mm) machine guns; four 25 mm Mk 38 machine guns
• Date Deployed: May 29, 1976 (Tarawa)

The Tarawa class formed the basis for the later Wasp class.

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