Everything about Amphibious Assault Ship totally explained
An
amphibious assault ship, sometimes called a
amphibious assault carrier, or
commando carrier, is a type of
helicopter carrier employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory by an
amphibious assault. While often resembling
aircraft carriers, the role of an amphibious assault ship is fundamentally different: its aviation facilities have the primary role of hosting helicopters to support forces ashore rather than to support strike aircraft. However, they're capable of serving in the
sea-control role, embarking aircraft like
Harrier fighters and
ASW helicopters. Most of these ships can also carry or support
landing craft such as
air-cushioned landing craft or
LCUs. The largest fleet of these types is operated by the
United States Navy, including the
Tarawa class dating back to the 1970s and the newer and larger
Wasp class ships that debuted in 1989.
History
The two nations that have made by far the most amphibious assaults during the past century are the United States and the United Kingdom. From the great assaults of
World War II to the recent attack on the
Al-Faw Peninsula in
Iraq, both countries have been at the forefront of developing amphibious assault
doctrine and shipping.
World War II developments
In the Pacific theatre, the escort carriers would often escort the landing ships and troop carriers during the island hopping campaign. In this role, they'd provide air cover for the troopships as well as fly the first wave of attacks on the beach fortifications in amphibious landing operations. On occasion they'd even escort the large carriers, serving as emergency airstrips and providing fighter cover for their larger sisters while these were busy readying or refueling their own planes. In addition to this, they'd also transport aircraft and spare parts from the US to the remote island airstrips.
Early Cold War developments
Despite all the progress that was seen during World War II, there were still fundamental limitations in the types of coastline that were suitable for assault. Beaches had to be relatively free of obstacles, and have the right
tidal conditions and the correct slope. However, the development of the
helicopter fundamentally changed the equation.
The first use of helicopters in an amphibious assault came during the
Anglo-
French-
Israeli invasion of
Egypt in 1956 (the
Suez War). Two British light fleet carriers were pressed into service to carry helicopters, and a
battalion-sized airborne assault was made. One of these,, was commissioned in the late 50s as a dedicated "commando carrier". The techniques were developed further by
American forces in the
Vietnam War and refined during training exercises. The modern amphibious assault can take place at virtually any point of the coast, making defending against them extremely difficult.
Earlier ships which played a similar role to the current vessels as the heart of an amphibious assault included five
Iwo Jima class Landing Platform Helicopter vessels, built in the 1950s and 1960s and various converted fleet and escort carriers. The first of the type envisaged was the
escort aircraft carrier USS Block Island (CVE-106/LPH-1), which never actually saw service as an amphibious assault ship. Delays in the construction of the
Iwo Jima class saw other conversions made as a stopgap measure; three
Essex-class aircraft carriers (
USS Boxer (CV-21/LPH-4),
USS Princeton (CV-37/LPH-5), and
USS Valley Forge (CV-45/LPH-8)) and one
Casablanca-class escort carrier (
USS Thetis Bay (CVE-90/CVHA-1/LPH-6)) were converted into amphibs, the
Boxer and
Thetis Bay classes.
The
Tarawa and
Wasp types and their
Iwo Jima class forebears resemble
aircraft carriers, as their flight deck allows the use of helicopters and jump jets for supporting amphibious operations.
List of types
- LHA: Landing Helicopter Assault (Tarawa class)
- LHD: Landing Helicopter Dock (Wasp class)
- LPH: Landing Platform Helicopter (Iwo Jima class)
Navies currently operating
Marine Nationale
Republic of Korea Navy
Spanish Navy
Royal Navy
United States Navy
Further Information
Get more info on 'Amphibious Assault Ship'.
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