| The Tarawa-class incorporates features of different classes of US fighting ships.
They are a combination of Helicopter-carrier, landing ship dock and limited attack carrier together
with flagship- hospital ship and replenishment ship capabilities.
Some specifications of the class, that went to service in 1976, USS Tarawa being the first:
| Length: | 778 feet (237.1 m) waterline,
820 feet (249.9 m) overall |
| Beam: | Extreme Beam: 106 ft
Waterline Beam: 106 ft |
| Draft: | Maximum Navigational Draft: 26 ft
Draft Limit: 27 ft |
| Displacement: | Light Displacement: 26255 tons
Full Displacement: 39925 tons |
| Dead Weight: | 13,670 tons |
| Speed: | 24 knots (27.6 miles per hour)
(22 knots sustained) |
| Range: | 10,000 nm @ 20 knots |
| Fuel: | 5,900 tons |
Normally they take to sea a mixed airgroup with 6 AV-8B Harrier VSTOLs, 4 AH-1W Super Cobra attack
helicopters, 12 CH-46 SeaKnight as light and 4 CH-53 Sea Stallion medium transport helicopters.
2 Huey UH-1N complete the airwing, that is operated and handled by Marines. The Tarawa class can accommodate
a reinforced Marine battalion, including all vehicles and tanks. All in all the Marines are about 1900 of
the 2800 aboard the ship. The class has a complete hospital with intensive care station. The ships
are organized like a park deck. Different ramps lead the vehicles down to the well deck from where they debark
via LCU or LCAC. |
