LHA(R)-6 USS America

The LHA(R) will be U.S. Navy's newest multifunctional and most versatile, amphibious assault ship and has been specifically optimized for aircraft, particulalry the MV-22 Osprey tilt rotor aircraft and the new J-35B VTOL Strike fighter. The America class will provide increased aviation capability, vehicle lift, cargo magazine capacity, better survivability, increased habitability standards and greater service life margins. As such the design includes enlarged hangar facilities to house more aircraft below decks and to more fully service them. There is no well deck, so no amphibious assault by sea is supported directly from the LHA(R) class.

The air assault role is optimized for larger air assault from much further out, allowing troops to arrive on scene more quickly and the LHA(R) to be better protected from its station further out to sea. In the air assault role, a typical load out for the LHA(R), USS America would be:

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

The America has also been designed specifically to serve in a Sea Control, aircraft carrier mode. In this role she would carry the following aircraft loadout:

22 - F-35B JSF Strike Fighters
06 - MH-60R Seahawk ASW Helicopters

A number of Aviation Combat Element (ACE) configurations, varying the amount F-35B Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) STOVL aircraft; MV-22 Osprey VTOL tiltrotors; CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopters; UH-1Y Huey helicopters; AH-1Z Super Cobra helicopters; MH-60S Seahawk helicoptersare also supportable depending on the specirfic mission requirements.

The LHA(R) will replace the LHA 1, Tarawa class of amphibious assault ships, and will have the flexibility to operate in the traditional role as the flagship for an Expeditionary Strike Group as well as potentially playing a key role in the maritime pre-positioning force of the future (MPF(F)).

Capable of embarking 1,670 US Marines and the equipment to support them, the America class carries all of the equipement necessary to provide air assault on the objectives of those marines, while giving them the logistical, command and control, close-air support (through its embarked wing of VSTOL fighter bombers), and the hospital support they require while doing so.

The America class will also use a fiber optic network and employ the more capable SPQ-9B radar and the US Navy's Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC).

1st steel was cut in Feburary, 2008, by October of 2011 the Super Modules 1 and 2 (fore and aft hull) and Super Module 3, the island, had been built and joined together. The vessel is expected to be commissioned in 2013.