Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship

USS Saipan during Expeditionary Strike Group integration training in 2004
Class overview
NameTarawa class
BuildersIngalls Shipbuilding
Operators United States Navy
Preceded byIwo Jima class
Succeeded byWasp class
Built15 November 1971 – 3 May 1980
In commission29 May 1976 – 31 March 2015
Planned9
Completed5
Cancelled4
Retired5
General characteristics
Class and typeAmphibious assault ship/LHA
Displacement39,967 tonnes (39,336 long tons; 44,056 short tons) full load
Length834 feet (254 m)
Beam131.9 feet (40.2 m)
Draft25.9 feet (7.9 m)
Propulsion
Speed24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph)
Range10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Boats & landing
craft carried
Troops1,703
Complement56 officers, 874 sailors (1998)
Armament
Aircraft carried
Aviation facilities820-by-118.1-foot (249.9 by 36.0 m) flight deck with 2 aircraft lifts

The Tarawa class is a ship class of Landing Helicopter Assault (LHA) type amphibious assault ships operated by the United States Navy (USN). Five ships were built by Ingalls Shipbuilding between 1971 and 1980; another four ships were planned, but later canceled; instead they were joined by the Wasp-class amphibious assault ships.

As of March 2015, all vessels had been decommissioned. The Tarawa class were replaced by the America-class amphibious assault ships from 2014 onward while the Wasp class remains in service.