USS Wasp (LHD 1)

USS WASP is the lead ship of the Navy's first class of multi-purpose amphibious assault ships. This class consists of the biggest amphibious vessels ever built. USS WASP is the tenth ship in the Navy to bear the name.

General Characteristics:

Keel Laid: 1985

Launched: August 4, 1987

Commissioned: July 1989

Builder: Ingalls Shipbuilding , West Bank, Pascagoula, Miss.

Propulsion system: two boilers, two geared turbines

Propellers: two

Aircraft elevators: two

Length: 840 feet (256 meters)

Flight Deck Width: 140 feet (42.6 meters)

Beam: 106 feet (32,.3 meters)

Draft: 26,5 feet (8.1 meters)

Displacement: approx. 40,500 tons full load

Speed: 23 knots

Aircraft: (depends upon mission)

6 AV-8B Harrier attack planes	or	6 AV-8B Harrier attack planes
4 AH-1W Super Cobra attack helis		12 CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters
12 CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters		9 CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters
9 CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters
4 UH-1N Huey helicopters
Assault:	or	Sea Control:
42 CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters		20 AV-8B Harrier attack planes
		6 ASW helicopters

Crew: Ship: 73 officers, 1,009 enlisted Marine Detachment: 1,894

Armament: two Mk-29 NATO Sea Sparrow launchers, two 20mm Phalanx CIWS, eight Mk-33 .50 cal. machine guns, two Rolling Airframe Missile Systems

Cost: approx. $822 million

Homeport: Norfolk, VA

go to the end of the page

Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS WASP. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

Click here to view the list.

go to the end of the page

Click here to see which USS WASP memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

go to the end of the page

Accidents aboard USS WASP:

Date	Where	Events
April 20, 1993	off southern Somalia	The WASP run aground when the ship scraped its keel and propeller on a charted reef approximately 3.5 miles from shore. There were no injuries to the crew and the ship continued on its assigned mission. Following the incident the ships's CO and the navigator were relieved.
March 29, 1995		USS WASP collided with the Fast Combat Support Ship USS SEATTLE (AOE 3).