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  • #46
    Originally posted by surfgun View Post
    Story Number: NNS121020-12Release Date: 10/20/2012 5:38:00 PM A A A
    By Ensign Darius A. Radzius, Navy Office of Information
    PASCAGOULA, Miss. (NNS) -- The newest amphibious assault ship America (LHA 6) was christened Oct. 20 at a ceremony in Pascagoula, Miss.

    "When America joins the fleet, we'll be a stronger, more flexible, and a better Marine Corps team. We need this ship," said Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mark Ferguson during the ceremony.

    The 844-foot ship will be a flexible, multi-mission platform necessary to quickly respond to incidents worldwide and provide forward presence and project power as part of joint, interagency, and multinational maritime expeditionary forces.

    America also marks the first of the Navy's newest class of amphibious assault ships replacing the Tawara class. It is considered to be the next generation "big-deck" amphibious ship. The new ship will be more capable to support current and future aircraft such as the tilt-rotor MV-22 Osprey and Joint Strike Fighter.

    "It's kind of like a mini-aircraft carrier,"
    said Lynne Pace, the ship's sponsor prior to breaking a bottle of champagne over the bow.

    As an amphibious ship, its mission will include embarking, transporting, controlling, inserting, sustaining and extracting elements of a marine air-ground task force, and support forces by helicopters and tilt-rotor aircraft.

    "To the crew, you are charged with a very special responsibility between now and the commissioning of this ship. You will set the standard of excellence. You will set the personality," Ferguson told the ship's crew.

    This is the fourth ship in Navy history to be named America. The first was a 74-gun ship-of-of-the-line that was used by the Continental Navy that was then presented to the king of France as a gift in appreciation for his country's support to the new nation. The preceding America was a Kitty-Hawk class aircraft carrier that played key roles between the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm.

    Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., laid the keel in July 2009 and plans to deliver the ship in 2013 after conducting a series of sea trials.

    The USS America will be homeported in San Diego.

    To view a recording of the ceremony visit, U.S. Navy - live streaming video powered by Livestream.
    Pete's wife ought to be more circumspect in her comments. Her comment vis-a-vis the LHA class being a "mini-aircraft carrier" is fraught with political peril.

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    • #47
      Originally posted by Stitch View Post
      That's a good idea, but I wonder what the useful fuel load is for an MV-22? My calculations come up with about 15,000 lbs of fuel, which roughly translates to about 2,500 gallons.
      There are already auxiliary fuel tanks that can be carried internally. I suspect that if they can prove that an F-35B can gas up without getting beaten to death by the prop/rotor wash, then somewhat larger tanks for "buddy stores" may be in the works. I would love to be a fly on the wall on the CNO's staff though, because believe it or not, I expect the Navy will find some way to bilge this idea, no matter how good or technically feasible it is. The reason is the same for Mrs. Pace choosing her words more carefully. I can hear the knife scrapping on the whetstone, as Big Blue Naval Air gets ready to stab Little Red Naval Air in the back.

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      • #48
        Originally posted by desertswo View Post
        There are already auxiliary fuel tanks that can be carried internally. I suspect that if they can prove that an F-35B can gas up without getting beaten to death by the prop/rotor wash, then somewhat larger tanks for "buddy stores" may be in the works. I would love to be a fly on the wall on the CNO's staff though, because believe it or not, I expect the Navy will find some way to bilge this idea, no matter how good or technically feasible it is. The reason is the same for Mrs. Pace choosing her words more carefully. I can hear the knife scrapping on the whetstone, as Big Blue Naval Air gets ready to stab Little Red Naval Air in the back.
        A wise man once said "there are right ways to do things and there are wrong ways to do things...then there's the navy way."
        "Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

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        • #49
          Originally posted by gunnut View Post
          A wise man once said "there are right ways to do things and there are wrong ways to do things...then there's the navy way."
          Unless you do it the Coast Guard way! ;)

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          • #50
            A video of PCU America undergoing builder's trials.
            Ingalls Shipbuilding - America (LHA 6) Amphibious Assault Ship Builder's Sea Trials [720p] - YouTube

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            • #51
              Originally posted by surfgun View Post
              good video.. sure reminds me of my first ship, the Essex LHD-2..

              now lets see the USS America LHA-6 and the USS BonHomme Richard LHD-6 side by side.. look the same from the outside, and the hull number is the same.. hmmmmm, how many drunks will end up on the wrong ship ;)

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              • #52
                Oh, that can happen even if the ships aren't similar. Sometimes even if they are not the same nationality....

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                • #53
                  LHA 6 Completes Acceptance Trials

                  PASCAGOULA, Miss. - The amphibious assault ship America (LHA 6) completed acceptance trials off the coast of Pascagoula, Miss., Jan. 31, Naval Sea Systems Command announced in a Feb. 4 release.

                  During the trials the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) performed rigorous tests and evaluated all of the ship’s major systems, including combat, propulsion, communications, navigation, mission systems and aviation capabilities. The successful completion of the trials brings the ship one step closer to delivery.

                  “The ship performed extremely well,” said CAPT Chris Mercer, Amphibious Warfare program manager for the Program Executive Office, Ships. “There were no major deficiencies identified. This marks a tremendous achievement for any ship, made only more impressive by America’s size, complexity and that the ship is the lead ship for the amphibious assault replacement program. We are very proud of this successful trial and look forward to America soon joining the fleet.”

                  The America class replaces the aging Tarawa class, and is a modified repeat of the Wasp class, optimized for aviation and capable of supporting current and future aircraft capabilities such as the tiltrotor MV-22 and the Joint Strike Fighter. The ship’s aviation-centric design includes space for an enlarged hangar deck with increased aviation parts stowage capacity, expanded aviation maintenance facilities and increased aviation fuel capacity.

                  LHA 6 is 844 feet in length, reaches speeds of more than 20 knots and displaces 44,971 tons. The ship will use the same gas turbine propulsion plant, zonal electrical distribution and electric auxiliary systems designed and built for USS Makin Island, replacing the maintenance intensive steam plants of earlier ships. This unique auxiliary propulsion system is designed for fuel efficiency.

                  With delivery planned for spring 2014, the future USS America will support a wide spectrum of military operations and missions, including forward presence and power projection as an integral part of joint, interagency and multinational maritime expeditionary forces, maritime security and humanitarian and crisis response.SEAPOWER Magazine Online

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                  • #54
                    How come the Marine ships are so much slower then say Destroyers or Super Carriers? I looked up the specs for LM2500 GTs and theyre about 40 ft long in theyre container. Now if they used a LM6000 they could have almost double the power with roughly 56 ft in legnth for the unit. I know it's a little longer but the increase in speed to ??? would be nice :fish:.

                    BTW sorry for the random question :wors:.
                    RIP Charles "Bob" Spence. 1936-2014.

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                    • #55
                      Originally posted by 85 gt kid View Post
                      How come the Marine ships are so much slower then say Destroyers or Super Carriers? I looked up the specs for LM2500 GTs and theyre about 40 ft long in theyre container. Now if they used a LM6000 they could have almost double the power with roughly 56 ft in legnth for the unit. I know it's a little longer but the increase in speed to ??? would be nice :fish:.

                      BTW sorry for the random question :wors:.
                      Far be it from me since I don't know exactly how many gas turbines are in the America, but the Arleigh Burke Class runs four LM 2500 GTS turbine for a top speed in excess of 30 knots. Besides the number of turbines there is also the question of what exactly "reaches speeds of more than 20 knots" means.

                      http://www.maritime-executive.com/pr...0-gas-turbine/

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                      • #56
                        I just figured it'd be easier to run 2 6000s instead of 4 2500s plus you'd make around the same power. But who knows what double the power can do as i've found figuring possible ship speed to be wayyyyyy beyond my knowledge (cars are so much easier lol). I just can leave anything alone i basically live by Tim Taylors words "more power!" :danc:
                        RIP Charles "Bob" Spence. 1936-2014.

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                        • #57
                          Originally posted by 85 gt kid View Post
                          I just figured it'd be easier to run 2 6000s instead of 4 2500s plus you'd make around the same power. But who knows what double the power can do as i've found figuring possible ship speed to be wayyyyyy beyond my knowledge (cars are so much easier lol). I just can leave anything alone i basically live by Tim Taylors words "more power!" :danc:
                          But you don't have to run all 4 LM2500's. For simple cruising or meandering around, you can just run 1 or 2 and save fuel by having the others off. It's rare you go 30 knots operationally unless you're in a rush to go mess someone up. By putting 2 LM6000's you are pretty much committing to higher fuel consumption rates even when just poking around, even if you're only running one of them.

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                          • #58
                            Very true! Like running a high compression big block vs. say a turbo'd small block. With the big block you'll have plenty of power but with the higher compression and big cam yada yada yada your mileage is nil. Now take a small block with a turbo where the turbo isn't running boost constantly so your mileage can actually be really good but when you need the power it's there.
                            RIP Charles "Bob" Spence. 1936-2014.

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                            • #59
                              The eighth LHD, Makin Island (LHD 8), was delivered to the Navy in April 2009, and commissioned in October 2009. LHD 8 is the first U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship to employ gas turbines vice steam boilers, and the first Navy surface ship to be equipped with both gas turbines and an Auxiliary Propulsion System (APS). The APS uses two induction-type Auxiliary Propulsion Motors (APM) powered from the ship�s electrical grid instead of using main propulsion engines to power the ship�s shaft. Instead of using its gas turbines which are less efficient at lower speeds, the ship will be able to use its APS for roughly 75 percent of the time the ship is underway. Over the course of Makin Island�s lifecycle, the Navy expects to see a fuel savings of more than $250 million. Because the gas turbines will be used infrequently, the Navy will also save on maintenance and lifecycle costs.

                              The entire propulsion and electric system is controlled by a comprehensive machinery control system that also controls and monitors damage control, ballasting and de-ballasting, fuel fill and auxiliary machinery. The machinery control system allows the ship to switch from gas turbine to electric propulsion on the fly. It is fully distributed, accessible from multiple locations, and every console provides full system control and monitoring capabilities of the entire engineering plant.

                              The propulsion plant and electrical distribution and auxiliary systems designed and built for Makin Island will also be used aboard the future USS America (LHA 6), the first ship in the LHA Replacement program.

                              LHA 6 was placed under contract in June 2007 with NGSB, now Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII). LHA 6 will be an aviation-centric modified repeat of the LHD 8 and is scheduled for delivery to the Navy in 2013. Key differences between LHA 6 and the LHD class ships include an enlarged hangar deck, enhanced aviation maintenance facilities, increased aviation fuel capacity, additional aviation storerooms, removal of the well deck, and an electronically reconfigurable C4ISR suite.Three of the original five Tarawa-class LHAs were recently decommissioned: USS Belleau Wood (LHA 3) in October 2005, USS Saipan (LHA 2) in April 2007 and USS Tarawa (LHA 1) in March 2009 and USS Nassau (LHA 4) in March 2011.

                              http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_di...0&ct=4&tid=400

                              *Less gas turbine use = fuel savings.

                              When you consider what they are carrying and the ships capabilities there is no need to match the speed of the CVN's or DDG's.

                              You dont need the speed considering the aircraft and helos that are to be deployed. No need for 20+ knots of wind over the flight decks for flight if you are carrying the V-22, F-35 or other helos.
                              Last edited by Dreadnought; 05 Feb 14,, 19:06.
                              Fortitude.....The strength to persist...The courage to endure.

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                              • #60
                                Very true Dread thanks for the insight. Gearhead like me always wants to see more power in anything though ;). Heck once i get promoted I wanna get an 03-07 Buick Rainier (small SUV) and throw a turbo on it cause those 5.3s are strong (it will be so unsuspecting :whome:).
                                Last edited by 85 gt kid; 06 Feb 14,, 04:48. Reason: Can't spell apparently
                                RIP Charles "Bob" Spence. 1936-2014.

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