USS Harpers Ferry

USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) at anchor in the Gulf of Thailand.
History
United States
NameHarpers Ferry
NamesakeHarpers Ferry, West Virginia
Ordered17 June 1988
BuilderAvondale Shipyards
Laid down15 April 1991
Launched16 January 1993
Commissioned7 January 1995
HomeportSan Diego, California
Identification
MottoFirst in Freedom
Statusin active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeHarpers Ferry-class dock landing ship
Displacement
  • 11,604 tons (light)
  • 16,601 tons (full)
Length610 ft (190 m)
Beam84 ft (26 m)
Draft21 ft (6.4 m)
PropulsionFour Colt Industries, 16-cylinder diesel engines, with two shafts, 33,000 shp (25,000 kW)
Speedover 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Boats & landing
craft carried
2 × Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCACs)
Complement
  • 22 officers, 397 enlisted men
  • Marine detachment: 402 + 102 surge
Armament

USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49) is the lead ship of her class of landing ship dock of the United States Navy. This warship was named for the town of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, which, because of the U.S. arsenal there, was an important location during the Civil War. USS Harpers Ferry is assigned to the Navy's "Amphibious Group 1". The homeport of Harpers Ferry is at San Diego County, California. Harpers Ferry was previously stationed at the American Naval Base in Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan before she was relieved in 2011 by USS Germantown.

Harpers Ferry's keel was laid down on 15 April 1991, at the Avondale Shipyards in New Orleans. The ship was launched on 16 January 1993. The vessel was commissioned on 7 January 1995.