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A doca do Porta Aviões quando se encontra inundada permite a entrada/saída dos 2 LCU que equipam
este meio naval.
Cada LCU com capacidade para 3 veículos blindados ou 400 fuzileiros.
Seven Wasp Class Amphibious Assault Ships have been built by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems (formerly Litton Ingalls Shipbuilding)
of Pascagoula, Mississippi. The Wasp (LHD 1) Class is the US Navy's large-deck multipurpose amphibious assault ship. LHDs
(Landing Helicopter Deck) embark, transport, deploy, command and fully support all elements of a Marine Expeditionary Unit
(MEU) of 2,000 Marines, inserting forces ashore via helicopters, landing craft and amphibious vehicles. The WASP Class is
the first specifically designed to employ air-cushion landing craft (LCACS), and to carry a squadron of Harrier II (AV-8B)
STOVL (Short Take Off Vertical Landing) jets.
Ingalls delivered USS Wasp (LHD 1), in May 1989 and the ship is operational with the US Navy Atlantic Fleet. The other
ships of the class are: USS Essex (LHD 2) commissioned in October 1992; USS Kearsage (LHD 3) October 1993; USS Boxer (LHD
4) February 1995; USS Batan (LHD 5) September 1997; USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) Aug 1998 and USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) June 2001.
In April 2002, the US Navy has awarded a contract to Northrop Grumman for the construction of one additional Wasp Class,
USS Makin Island (LHD 8), which will have a new gas turbine propulsion system (instead of the steam propulsion of the other
vessels), comprising two GE LM2500+ turbines, rated at 35,000shp, and six diesel-electric generators with a controllable pitch
propeller. This will be the first military application for the LM2500+, which is in operation on a number of commercial vessels.
Other improvements are to the weapon systems and installation of a new advanced machinery control system. The keel for Makin
Island was laid in February 2004 and it is expected to launch in 2006 and commission in 2007.
In July 2005, Northrop Grumman was awarded a contract for the development of the LHA 6 amphibious assault ship, which
will be a variant of the LHD 8 with the capability to support the F-35B STOVL Joint Strike Fighter and the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor.
The vessel will replace the LHA 1 Tarawa class of amphibious assault ships and will be able to lead an expeditionary strike
group and also form part of the Maritime Prepositioning Force Future. The future MPF will be crucial for the USN's 'seabasing'
concept. Seabasing refers to the ability to conduct and support Marine landings from ships at sea, rather than from land bases.
Wasp Class vessels, USS Bonhomme Richard, Boxer and Iwo Jima were deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
| USNS COMFORT (Hospital Ship) U.S.A. |
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USNS
Comfort (T-AH-20) is the third United States Navy ship to bear the name Comfort, and the second Mercy Class Hospital Ship to join the navy fleet. In accordance to the Geneva Conventions, USNS Comfort and her crew do not carry any armament and firing on the Comfort is considered a war crime.
Dimensions:
272 x 32 x 9.9 m
GT: 69.000t
Speed: 17.5 knots (32 km/h)
Complement:
63 civilian, 956 naval hospital staff, 258 naval support staff, up to 1000 bed patients
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