Amphibious assault ship

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For the general article on amphibious ships, see Amphibious warfare ship.

Amphibious assault ship

Six of the U.S. Navy's assault ships in formation; lead ship and first ship to port are Tarawa-class, all others are Wasp-class

An amphibious assault ship (also referred to as an amphibious assault carrier or commando carrier) is a type of helicopter carrier employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory by an amphibious assault. While often resembling aircraft carriers, the role of an amphibious assault ship is fundamentally different: its aviation facilities have the primary role of hosting helicopters to support forces ashore rather than to support strike aircraft. However, they are capable of serving in the sea-control role, embarking aircraft like Harrier fighters and ASW helicopters. Most of these ships can also carry or support landing craft such as air-cushioned landing craft or LCUs. The largest fleet of these types is operated by the United States Navy, including the Tarawa class dating back to the 1970s and the newer and larger Wasp class ships that debuted in 1989.

1 History
- 1.1 World War II
- 1.2 Post-World War II
2 Design
3 List of types
4 Navies currently operating
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

[edit] History

The two nations that have made by far the most amphibious assaults during the past century are the United States and the United Kingdom. From the great assaults of World War II to the recent attack on the Al-Faw Peninsula in Iraq, both countries have been at the forefront of developing amphibious assault doctrine and shipping.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] World War II

The Valley Forge was built during World War 2 as CV-45, and finished her life as LPH-8

In the Pacific theatre, the escort carriers would often escort the landing ships and troop carriers during the island hopping campaign. In this role, they would provide air cover for the troopships as well as fly the first wave of attacks on the beach fortifications in amphibious landing operations. On occasion they would even escort the large carriers, serving as emergency airstrips and providing fighter cover for their larger sisters while these were busy readying or refueling their own planes. In addition to this, they would also transport aircraft and spare parts from the US to the remote island airstrips.

[edit] Post-World War II

Despite all the progress that was seen during World War II, there were still fundamental limitations in the types of coastline that were suitable for assault. Beaches had to be relatively free of obstacles, and have the right tidal conditions and the correct slope. However, the development of the helicopter fundamentally changed the equation. The first use of helicopters in an amphibious assault came during the Anglo-French-Israeli invasion of Egypt in 1956 (the Suez War). Two British light fleet carriers were pressed into service to carry helicopters, and a battalion-sized airborne assault was made. One of these, Bulwark, was commissioned in the late 50s as a dedicated "commando carrier". The techniques were developed further by American forces in the Vietnam War and refined during training exercises. The modern amphibious assault can take place at virtually any point of the coast, making defending against them extremely difficult.

The USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2) off the coast of South Vietnam in 1965

Most early amphibious assault ships were converted from small aircraft carriers. The British converted two Colossus class light aircraft carriers (HMS Ocean (R68) and HMS Theseus (R64)), and the United States three Essex class aircraft carriers (USS Boxer (CV-21/LPH-4), USS Princeton (CV-37/LPH-5), and USS Valley Forge (CV-45/LPH-8)) and one Casablanca class escort carrier (USS Thetis Bay (CVE-90/CVHA-1/LPH-6)) while the first dedicated amphibious assault ships, the five Iwo Jima class Landing Platform Helicopter vessels, were under construction.

The United States continued to build dedicated ships; first of the Iwo Jima class, then the later Wasp and Tarawa classes. The United Kingdom continued to convert aircraft carriers for the role, with three of the four Centaur class light fleet carriers operating as commando carriers between 1960 and 1988. The first British ship constructed for the amphibious assault role was HMS Ocean (L12), which was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1998. Other nations have built amphibious assault ships; the French Mistral class, South Korea's ROKS Dokdo, and Spain's Juan Carlos I (L61) are all currently active, while Australia is planning to build two Canberra class ships based on the Spanish design.

[edit] Design

Due to their aircraft carrier heritage, all amphibious assault ships resemble aircraft carriers in design. The flight deck is used to operate helicopters for landing troops and supplies and Harrier Jump Jets to provide air support to landing operations. Landing craft are also carried, either on deck-mounted davits, or in an internal well deck.