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.jpg) USS Germantown (LSD-42) passing the Coronado Bridge in San Diego Bay in August 2003. | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Whidbey Island class |
| Builders | Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company |
| Operators |  United States Navy |
| Preceded by | Anchorage class |
| Succeeded by | Harpers Ferry class |
| Cost | $250m |
| In commission | 1985–present |
| Planned | 8 |
| Completed | 8 |
| Active | 6 |
| Retired | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Dock landing ship |
| Displacement | 16,100 tons |
| Length | 609 ft (186 m) |
| Beam | 84 ft (26 m) |
| Draft | 19 ft 6 in (5.94 m) |
| Propulsion | 4 Colt Industries, 16-cylinder diesel engines, 2 shafts, 33,000 shp (25,000 kW) |
| Speed | over 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
| Boats & landing craft carried | 4+1LCACs or 21LCM-6s or up to 36 Amphibious Assault VehiclesAAV or 3 LCUs. |
| Capacity | on deck: one LCM-6, twoLCPL and oneLCVP |
| Complement | 30 officers, 300+ enlistedEmbarked Marine complement: up to 504 |
| Armament |
|
| Aviation facilities | Large helicopter platform aft, no hangar |
TheWhidbey Island-class dock landing ship is adock landing ship of theUnited States Navy. Introduced to fleet service in 1985, this class of ship features a largewell deck for transportingUnited States Marine Corps (USMC) vehicles and a large flight deck for landing helicopters orV-22 Ospreys. The well deck was designed to hold fourLCAC hovercraft, five if the vehicle ramp is raised, for landing Marines. Recent deployments have used a combination of LCU(s), AAVs, tanks,LARCs and other USMC vehicles. TheWhidbey Island class of ship also uniquely benefits from multiple cranes and a shallowdraft 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 2038. The ships will be upgraded annually 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 DynamicsNational 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]
| Ship Name | Hull No. | Builder | Laid Down | Launched | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Homeport | NVR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whidbey Island | LSD-41 | Lockheed, Seattle | 4 August 1981 | 10 June 1983 | 9 February 1985 | 22 July 2022[2] | Philadelphia, PA (formerly Little Creek) | LSD-41 |
| Germantown | LSD-42 | 5 August 1982 | 29 June 1984 | 8 February 1986 | San Diego, California | LSD-42 | ||
| Fort McHenry | LSD-43 | 10 June 1983 | 1 February 1986 | 8 August 1987 | 27 March 2021[3] | Philadelphia, PA (formerly Mayport) | LSD-43 | |
| Gunston Hall | LSD-44 | Avondale Shipyard | 26 May 1986 | 27 June 1987 | 22 April 1989 | Little Creek, Virginia | LSD-44 | |
| Comstock | LSD-45 | 27 October 1986 | 15 January 1988 | 3 February 1990 | San Diego, California | LSD-45 | ||
| Tortuga | LSD-46 | 23 March 1987 | 15 September 1988 | 17 November 1990 | Little Creek, Virginia | LSD-46 | ||
| Rushmore | LSD-47 | 9 November 1987 | 6 May 1989 | 1 June 1991 | Sasebo, Japan | LSD-47 | ||
| Ashland | LSD-48 | 4 April 1988 | 11 November 1989 | 9 May 1992 | San Diego, California[4] | LSD-48 |
Whidbey Island andTortuga 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.[5] However, the Navy reversed its plan to decommissionWhidbey Island,[6] and in 2015Assistant Secretary of the NavySean Stackley informed Congress of the Navy's plans to modernizeWhidbey Island,Tortuga, andGermantown to extend them each to a 44-year total service life.[7]
