USS America (LHA-6) Aircraft Carrier

Warships Military 








USS America (LHA-6), the fourth American warship to be named for the United States of America, is the first of the America-class amphibious assault ships for the U.S. Navy. She was delivered in spring of 2014, replacing Peleliu of the Tarawa class. Her mission is to act as the flagship of an expeditionary strike group or amphibious ready group, carrying part of a Marine expeditionary unit into battle and putting them ashore with helicopters and V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, supported by F-35B Lightning II aircraft and helicopter gunships.

USS America (LHA-6) Aircraft CarrierThe USS America (LHA-6) aircraft carrier design is based on USS Makin Island, but to allow more room for aviation facilities she does not have a well deck, and has smaller medical spaces. With a displacement of 45,000 tons, she is as large as the aircraft carriers of many other nations, and can fulfill similar missions when configured with 20 F-35B strike fighters.

The U.S. Navy awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation's Ingalls Shipyard Division a $2.4 billion fixed-price incentive contract for the detailed design and construction of LHA-6, primarily at the company's shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The production decision was made in January 2006 and construction of LHA-6 began in December 2008. Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter announced in June 2008 that the ship would be named America. The keel-laying ceremony was held on 17 July 2009 with delivery originally planned for August 2012. The ship was launched on 4 June 2012, and christened on 20 October. She took to the sea for the first time on 5 November 2013, for five days of builder's sea trials in the Gulf of Mexico, and completed acceptance sea trials in February 2014.

USS America (LHA-6) was commissioned on 11 October 2014 in San Francisco as part of the activities of San Francisco Fleet Week 2014. The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Ray Mabus was the featured speaker. More details