Tuesday, October 23, 2012

USA - Navy christening San Diego-bound warship America Saturday

America will be formally delivered to the Navy early next year and be used as the flagship for expeditionary strike groups and amphibious ready groups.


OFF THE WIRE
Gary Robbins

America will be formally delivered to the Navy early next year and be used as the flagship for expeditionary strike groups and amphibious ready groups. HII/Navy
The Navy on Saturday will christen America, an 844-foot amphibious assault ship that will carry far more air power than similar vessels. The christening will occur in Pascagoula, Miss., where the $2.4 billion vessel was built. America will later shift to its homeport of San Diego, where it will replace the Peleliu, which joined the fleet 32 years ago. Huntington Ingalls Industries is scheduled to deliver America to the Navy in February 2013, six months later than expected.
Saturday's christening represents a major design and technological shift for a Navy vessel that supports Marine combat forces. Unlike other amphibious assault ships, America won't have a well deck for landing craft. But the "gator" will have greatly expanded aviation space to accommodate such aircraft as the J-35B strike fighter, and the MV-22 Osprey, a tilt rotor aircraft used to transport Marines. America, the first ship in its class, can carry to to 1,700 Marines, and will have a crew of 1,060, the Navy says.
The U.S. Naval Institute says that a typical "load out" for America would include:
  • 10 - F-35B JSF Strike Fighters
  • 12 - MV-22 Osprey VTOL Tilt-Rotor Assault Aircraft
  • 08 - AH-1Z Viper Attack Helicopters
  • 04 - CH-53E Super Stallion Assault Helicopters
  • 04 - MH-60S Seahawk SAR Helicopters
America will be formally delivered to the Navy early next year and be used as the flagship for expeditionary strike groups and amphibious ready groups.
The aircraft carrier America served from 1965-1996. US Navy, Associated Press
The new ship is the fourth to carry the name America. The first was part of the Continental Navy. The second was a troop transport in World War I. The third (CV-66) was a 1,038-foot Kitty Hawk-class aircraft carrier that was in service from 1965 to 1996. CV-66 was homeported in Norfolk, Virginia, and was once a workhorse for the Navy, doing three deployments to Vietnam. The ship also participated in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.