MILNET: Amphibious Assault Ships

U.S. Navy Fact File

"United States Navy amphibious assault ships carrying 4,400 combat-ready American Marines are forward deployed in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf. And at sea in the Mediterranean and in the Persian Gulf are aircraft carrier battle groups with 16,000 Sailors and two air wings of combat ready aircraft. And finally, in the Far East, the United States has permanently deployed a third aircraft carrier battle group and a third amphibious ready group. The vigilant "forward presence" of these forces is vital, but not always as visible to Americans as it is to the rest of the world. Their routine daily efforts don't always make the headlines, but they are vitally important to world peace and stability."

Admiral J. L. Johnson,
Chief of Naval Operations,
Forward Presence is Essential to American Interests, found at:
http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/policy/fromsea/fwdpresn.htm

As the Admiral says, the Amphibious Assault Ship is an important part of a set of resources "...vitally important to world peace and stability". That is a pretty heady statement for those Marines embarked on the four such ships currently underway.

The LHD is, similar to a huge aircraft carrier, home to a huge amount of resources to be used in the assault of a given target, forward deployed or at the ready. In fact the specifications look a lot like a carrier, including the fact that there is little armament for ship self protection. And like a carrier, the aircraft aboard can act as protection if necessary. But unlike the carrier, the aircraft on board are not positioned, deployable, or missioned to protect the ships, rather than LHD embarked aircraft are intended to assume a mission on shore, or perhaps to attack nearby surface vessels. Certainly no one would expect a Harrier to take on a air superiority fighter inbound with a cruise missile.

The LHD is more like a transport of these aircraft, allowing them to launch and conduct missions to support an amphibious assault. The only self protection on board then, is the 2 NATO Sea Sparrow launchers and the last ditch efforts of 3 Phalanx CIWS guns.

Thus the LHD depends upon other surface combatants for real protection. So naturally you will always find one or more cruisers, destroyers, or frigates nearby, ready to protect the assault force at sea. And therefore, a common place to find an LHD is in the midst of the capital ships in a battlegroup, steaming their way to the target vicinity.

Here is the data for an example ship, the U.S.S. Kearsarge:

U.S.S. Kearsarge LHD-3

Amphibious Assault Ship

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