This is a list of United States Navy amphibious warfare ships. This type of ship has been in use with the US Navy since World War I.
Ship status is indicated as either currently active [A] (including ready reserve), inactive [I], or precommissioning [P]. Ships in the inactive category include only ships in the inactive reserve, ships which have been disposed from US service have no listed status. Ships in the precommissioning category include ships under construction or on order.
Historical overview There have been four generations of amphibious warfare ships, with each generation having more capability than the previous: The first generation simply landed troops and equipment ashore with standard (i.e., non-specialized) boats and barges. These ships are not listed in this article since they were indistinguishable from the troopships and other surface combatants of their day, and as such were not assigned specialized hull classification symbols. The second generation was designed during World War II to land personnel and vehicles ashore, either directly or via carried specialized landing craft. The third generation was designed beginning in the 1950s to use helicopters for amphibious operations, with the result that such operations were no longer limited to beaches. The fourth generation was designed beginning in the 1980s to use hovercraft (Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) specifically), with the result that the numbers and types of beaches which could be accessed dramatically increased.
World War II
During the naval build-up for World War II, almost 200 Maritime Commission (MARCOM) standard designs were converted to US Navy amphibious warfare ships. In the Cold War these and newer standard designs were built under MARCOM's successor agency, the United States Maritime Administration (MARAD): 1 Type C1 ship: 1 AKA 101 Type C2 ships: 15 AGC, 79 AKA, 7 APA 16 Type C3 ships: 15 APA, 1 AKA 3 Type C4 ships: 1 AKA, 2 APA 64 Type S4 ships: 32 AKA, 32 APA 117 Type VC2 Victory ships: all AKA In the following lists MARCOM types are abbreviated as 'MC type' and MARAD as 'MA type'; 'MC types' became 'MA types' in 1950.
Postwar The first amphibious warfare ships had a top speed of 12 to 17 knots. With the appearance of higher speed submarines at the end of World War II, the US Navy decided that all new amphibious warfare ships would have to have a minimum speed of to increase their chances of survival. The High Speed Transport destroyer conversions (APD/LPR), the Landing Platform Docks (LPD), and all new ships with a full flight deck (LPH, LHA, LHD) would meet this criterion. The other major types would see relatively small numbers of new ships constructed with this 20 knot requirement, with the last appearing in 1969. During the 1950s and 1960s these would include the Paul Revere class amphibious transports (LPA), the Charleston class amphibious cargo ships (LKA), the Thomaston and following classes of dock landing ships (LSD), the Newport class tank landing ships (LST), and the Blue Ridge class command ships (LCC).
Classifications Amphibious warfare ships were considered by the US Navy to be auxiliaries and were classed with hull classification symbols beginning with 'A' until 1942. Many ships were reclassed at that time as landing ships and received new hull symbols beginning with 'L'; others would retain 'A' hull symbols until 1969 and then receive 'L' symbols. This article pairs the two lists of what are the same ships, with each 'L' list preceding the respective 'A' list. Littoral Combat Ships also use 'L' hull symbols but are not solely intended for amphibious warfare.
In 2015 the US Navy created new hull classification symbols that began with an 'E' to designate 'expeditionary' vessels. Expeditionary vessels are designed to support low-intensity missions, allowing more expensive, high-value amphibious warfare ships to be re-tasked for more demanding missions. Most of these ships are not commissioned warships, but rather are operated by the Military Sealift Command.
Amphibious assault ship (General Purpose) (LHA)
The Tarawa-class LHA was the first to combine the features of the well deck of the Landing Ship Dock (LSD) or Landing Platform Dock (LPD) and the full flight deck of the Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH) into one ship. Though not designed to carry Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC)s, they could accommodate one in their well decks.
USS Peleliu (LHA-5)
The America-class LHA would be a follow-on to the Wasp-class LHD. The first two ships, America and Tripoli, would not have a well deck, so as to dedicate more space to the support of air operations. This was criticized as a repeat of the mistakes of the LPH concept, and so it was decided that Bougainville and all future ships of this class would have a well deck.
[A] [A] [P] [P] [P]
Amphibious assault ship (multi-purpose) (LHD)
The well deck of the Tarawa-class LHA was not designed to accommodate the LCAC, which came into service just six years after the last of that class was completed. The Wasp-class LHD and the later units of the America-class LHA were designed to be LCAC compatible; the Wasp-class could carry 3 LCACs.
[A] [A] [A] [A] [A] , scrapped after a 12 July 2020 pierside fire [A] [A]
Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH)
The Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH) would be the first ships to operate helicopters for large scale air assault behind beaches. One major defect of the LPH concept was that these ships did not carry landing craft to disembark Marines when weather or hostile anti-aircraft systems grounded helicopters; only Inchon would be modified to carry two landing craft. In such situations the LPH would be reliant on landing craft supplied by other ships, which proved awkward in practice. This defect would drive the design of the Tarawa-class LHA, in effect a LPH with a well deck.
: MC type T3 , ex-CVE-106, conversion under project SCB 159 canceled
As the 'definitive' LPH design under project SCB 157, the Iwo Jima class would be the only class to be built as such, with sufficient 'hotel' accommodations for the embarked Marines. All other LPH ships would be conversions of aircraft carriers, and so had accommodation deficiencies (for example, some Marine units could not bunk together, and water evaporation was insufficient to allow all personnel showers within a 24 hour period).
After their retirement as amphibious warfare ships, one (Inchon) would be converted to carry minesweeping helicopters as a mine countermeasures support ship (MCS). All of these ships would be scrapped or sunk as targets by 2018.
, Operation Dominic nuclear test participant
, later MCS-12
The following LPH ships were converted Essex class aircraft carriers, due to budget constraints with the construction of the Iwo Jima class ships.
, ex-CV-21 , ex-CV-37, Operation Dominic participant ex-CV-45
: MC type S4-S2-BB3
Thetis Bay was a converted Casablanca class escort carrier. Under the hull designation CVHA-1, she was the prototype for the LPH concept. , ex-CVE-90, CVHA-1
Landing Platform Dock (LPD)
The Landing Platform Dock (LPD) concept began as a compromise design, an attempt to build a ship with much more capability than a Landing Ship Dock (LSD) - the LPD superficially resembles an LSD with an enlarged flight deck - but without the expense of a LPH. The well deck is smaller than that of an LSD. The Raleigh and Austin classes could be fitted with a temporary telescoping helicopter hangar.
Several of these ships were built with space dedicated for command capabilities. Two of these, La Salle and Coronado, would be redesignated as auxiliary command ships (AGF).
The Raleigh class would be designed under project SBC 187 (La Salle under SBC 187A) and the Austin class under SBC 187B.
, later AGF-3
Austin class (Cleveland subclass)
, later AGF-11
Austin class (Trenton subclass)
, later INS Jalashwa , later AFSB-15 (LPD-16), not built
The San Antonio-class were the first LPDs designed to accommodate Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC); two could be carried. They were also the first LPDs to be built with a permanent helicopter hangar.
[A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A] [P] [P] [P] [P] (LPD-34) [P] (LPD-35) [P]
Landing Ship Dock (LSD)
The LSD came as a result of a British requirement during World War II for a vessel that could carry large landing craft across the seas at speed. The design was developed and built in the US for the Royal Navy and the US Navy, with the US Navy originally classifying these ships as Mechanized artillery transports (APM), then changing them to LSDs. The first LSDs could carry 36 Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM) at in a flooding well deck, the first ships with this capability. Late in the war they were modified with the addition of a temporary superdeck over the well deck; this could carry vehicles, support helicopter operations, or be removed for outsized cargo.
In December 2020 the U.S. Navy's Report to Congress on the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels stated that it was planned that all LSDs would be placed Out of Commission in Reserve by 2027.
, Operation Castle nuclear test participant
, later MCS-7 , Operation Crossroads nuclear test participant, later ARA Cándido de Lasala
, nuclear tests participant , later ROCS Chung Cheng until 1985
(LSD-9) To Britain as HMS Eastway (LSD-10) To Britain as HMS Highway (LSD-11) To Britain as HMS Northway (LSD-12) To Britain as HMS Oceanway
, Operation Dominic nuclear test participant
, Operation Sandstone nuclear test participant, later ROCS Chung Cheng after 1985
, nuclear tests participant USS Fort Snelling (LSD-23), canceled, sold for commercial service, later reacquired and converted to USS Point Defiance (LSD-24), canceled , Operation Crossroads participant
The Thomaston class, designed under project SCB 75, would be the first class of LSDs capable of 20 knots.
, Project SHAD chemical/biological test participant , Operation Dominic participant
, later Brazilian Rio de Janeiro , later Brazilian Ceará , Operation Dominic participant
The Anchorage class, designed under project SCB 404, was basically the Thomaston class with the well deck enlarged (49 feet longer and 2 feet wider) to accommodate the new larger LCU-1610 class. They would later be modified to carry up to 3 Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC).
, later ROCS Hsu Hai
The Whidbey Island-class were the first LSDs designed to accommodate LCACs - up to 5 could be carried - and the first in which the helicopter deck would not be removable.
[I] [I] [I] [A] [A] [A] [A] [A]
The Harpers Ferry-class is basically the Whidbey Island-class with more cargo capacity at the expense of a shorter well deck which could carry 2 LCACs.
[A] [A] [A] [A]
Mechanized artillery transports (APM) The APM hull classification was short-lived; it was changed to Landing Ship Dock (LSD).
USS Ashland (APM-1) USS Belle Grove (APM-2) USS Carter Hall (APM-3) USS Epping Forest (APM-4) USS Gunston Hall (APM-5) USS Lindenwald (APM-6) USS Oak Hill (APM-7) USS White Marsh (APM-8) USS Lakehurst (APM-9)
Amphibious command ship (LCC)
All Amphibious force flagships (AGC) in service in 1969 were reclassed as Amphibious Command Ships (LCC), which should not be confused with the World War II era Landing craft, control (LCC).
: MC type C2-S-AJ1 USS Mount McKinley (LCC-7) USS Eldorado (LCC-11) USS Estes (LCC-12)
USS Pocono (LCC-16) USS Taconic (LCC-17)