- Ships
- Sources
- External links
{{Infobox ship image| Ship image=US Navy 050117-F-4884R-015 he amphibious dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) makes a wide turn prior to conducting helicopter operations off the coast of the island of Sumatra, Indonesia.jpg | Fort McHenry|LSD-43|6}} conducting helicopter operations off the coast of Sumatra in 2005
}}{{Infobox ship class overview | Name=Whidbey Island class | Builders=Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company | USA}} | Anchorage|dock landing ship|4}} | Harpers Ferry|dock landing ship|4}} | Subclasses= | Cost=$250m | Built range= | In service range= | In commission range=1985–present | Total ships building= | Total ships planned=8 | Total ships completed=8 | Total ships cancelled= | Total ships active=8 | Total ships laid up= | Total ships lost= | Total ships retired= | Total ships preserved=
}}{{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header= | Header caption= | Ship class= | Ship type=Dock landing ship | Ship tonnage= | Ship displacement=16,100 tons | Ship tons burthen= | 609|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} | 84|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} | 19|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}} | Ship depth= | Ship hold depth= | Ship decks= | Ship deck clearance= | Ship power= | 33,000|shp|kW|abbr=on}} | Ship sail plan= | 20|kn|abbr=on}} | Ship range= | Ship endurance= | Ship test depth= | Ship boats=4+1 LCACs or 21 LCM-6s or up to 36 Amphibious Assault Vehicles AAV or 3 LCUs. | Ship capacity=on deck: one LCM-6, two LCPL and one LCVP | Ship troops= | Ship complement=30 officers, 300+ enlisted Embarked Marine complement: up to 504 | Ship crew= | Ship time to activate= | Ship sensors= | Ship EW= | Ship armament=*2 × 25 mm Mk 38 cannons- 2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS mounts
- 1 / 2 × Rolling Airframe Missile
- 6 × .50 caliber M2HB machine guns
| Ship armour= | Ship armor= | Ship aircraft= | Ship aircraft facilities=Large helicopter platform aft, no hangar | Ship notes=
}} | The Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship is a dock landing ship of the United States Navy. Introduced to fleet service in 1985, this class of ship features a massive well deck for the transport of United States Marine Corps (USMC) vehicles and a large flight deck for the landing of helicopters or V-22 Ospreys. The well deck was designed to hold four LCAC hovercraft, five if the vehicle ramp is raised, for landing Marines. Recent deployments have instead filled the well deck with a combination of LCU(s), AAVs, Tanks, LARCs and other USMC vehicles and gear. The Whidbey Island class of ship also uniquely benefits from multiple cranes and a shallow draft that further make it ideal for participating in amphibious operations. As of 2009, all ships of the class are scheduled to undergo a midlife upgrade over the next five years to ensure that they remain in service through to 2038. The ships will be upgraded each year through 2013, and the last ship will be modernized in 2014. Ships homeported on the East Coast will undergo upgrades at Metro Machine Corp., while those on the West Coast will receive upgrades at General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego.[1] Major elements of the upgrade package include diesel engine improvements, fuel and maintenance savings systems, engineering control systems, increased air conditioning and chill water capacity, and replacement of air compressors. The ships also replaced steam systems with all-electric functionality that will decrease maintenance effort and expense.[1] Ships| Ship Name | Hull No. | Builder | Laid Down | Launched | Commissioned | Home Port | NVR Page |
|---|
| Whidbey Island|LSD-41|2}} | LSD-41 | Lockheed, Seattle | 4 August 1981 | 10 June 1983 | 9 February 1985 | Little Creek, Virginia | id=LSD41|title=LSD41}} | | Germantown|LSD-42|2}} | LSD-42 | 5 August 1982 | 29 June 1984 | 8 February 1986 | Sasebo, Japan | id=LSD42|title=LSD42}} | | Fort McHenry|LSD-43|2}} | LSD-43 | 10 June 1983 | 1 February 1986 | 8 August 1987 | Mayport, Florida | id=LSD43|title=LSD43}} | | Gunston Hall|LSD-44|2}} | LSD-44 | Avondale Shipyard | 26 May 1986 | 27 June 1987 | 22 April 1989 | Little Creek, Virginia | id=LSD44|title=LSD44}} | | Comstock|LSD-45|2}} | LSD-45 | 27 October 1986 | 15 January 1988 | 3 February 1990 | San Diego, California | id=LSD45|title=LSD45}} | | Tortuga|LSD-46|2}} | LSD-46 | 23 March 1987 | 15 September 1988 | 17 November 1990 | Little Creek, Virginia | id=LSD46|title=LSD46}} | | Rushmore|LSD-47|2}} | LSD-47 | 9 November 1987 | 6 May 1989 | 1 June 1991 | San Diego, California | id=LSD47|title=LSD47}} | | Ashland|LSD-48|2}} | LSD-48 | 4 April 1988 | 11 November 1989 | 9 May 1992 | Sasebo, Japan | id=LSD48|title=LSD48}} |
Whidbey Island and Tortuga were scheduled to be decommissioned during the FYDP 2013-2018, and the remaining ships of the class were scheduled to be retired before the end of their service lives.[2] However, the Navy reversed its plan to decommission Whidbey Island,[3] and in 2015 Assistant Secretary of the Navy Sean Stackley informed Congress of the Navy's plans to modernize Whidbey Island, Tortuga, and Germantown to extend them each to a 44-year total service life.[4] As of March 2015, the first Whidbey Island-class LSD to be retired will be Fort McHenry in FY 2027.[4]Sources1. ^1 {{cite web|title=USS Gunston Hall Completes Sea Trials|publisher=Navy News Service|date=29 May 2009|url=http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=45774|accessdate=30 May 2009}}
2. ^IHS Jane's Fighting Ships Executive Summary 2012
3. ^{{cite press release |url=http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=84355 |title=Whidbey Island Rejoins the Fleet Better Than Ever |publisher=Navy News Service |id=NNS141109-02 |date=9 November 2014 |accessdate=30 July 2016}}
4. ^1 {{cite journal|url=http://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Stackley_Mulloy_Hilarides_03-18-15.pdf |title=Statement of Assistant Secretary of the Navy Sean J. Stackley; Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command, Vice Adm. William H. Hilarides; and Deputy Chief of Naval Operations Vice Adm. Joseph P. Mulloy before the Subcommittee on Seapower |publisher=United States Senate Committee on Armed Services |date=18 March 2015 |accessdate=30 July 2016}}
- US Navy Type Information
- Hutchinson, R. (ed.) (2002) Jane's Warship Recognition Guide, London : HarperCollins, {{ISBN|0-00-713722-2}}
- {{NVR|http://www.nvr.navy.mil/NVRSHIPS/S_LSD.HTM}}
External links{{commons category|Whidbey Island class dock landing ships}}- Federation of American Scientists (FAS): LSD-41 Whidbey Island class
- GlobalSecurity.org: LSD-41 Whidbey Island class
{{Whidbey Island class dock landing ship}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship}} 5 : Amphibious warfare vessel classes|Active naval ships of the United States|Whidbey Island-class dock landing ships|Cold War amphibious warfare vessels of the United States|Active amphibious warfare vessels of the United States |