Though the USS Wasp is more than 30 years old, it remains an effective platform for the US Navy, with a newly modernized air wing.

The US Navy has decided to keep the USS Wasp (LHD-1), a key warship, afloat for an additional five years.

The USS Wasp, the first of the “Landing Helicopter Dock” multipurpose amphibious assault ships used by Marines to storm littoral targets, will now stay in the fleet until 2034. 

Why the Wasp Got a Stay of Execution

According to Expeditionary Warfare Director Marine Brigadier General Lee Meyer, the Navy decided to extend the operability window of the USS Wasp after a study on amphibious warfare and assault ships. 

“The CNO [Chief of Naval Operations] approved the service life extension of the USS Wasp,” Meyer told reporters at the Modern Day Marine exposition in Washington, DC. “He extended it by five years until 2034. The other LHDs, we’ve got to study to see if we can extend them and the plan is going to be to do that.”

The USS Wasp is the lead vessel of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ships.  

Extending the service life of the class will require urgent maintenance to ensure that the ships can perform in a near-peer conflict. In 2024, three ships of the class suffered engineering problems while underway. 

The USS Wasp’s Specifications

• Year Introduced: 1989   
• Number Built: 8 (7 active, one scrapped after fire) 
• Length: 844 ft (253.2 m) 
• Beam (Width): 106 ft (31.8 m) 
• Displacement: 40,650–41,772 tons full load 
• Engines: Two boilers, two geared steam turbines, two shafts with 70,000 total brake horsepower, or two gas turbines, two shafts with 70,000 total shaft horsepower 
• Top Speed: 20+ knots (23.5+ mph, 37 km/h) 
• Range: 12,000 nmi (13,800 mi, 22,224 km) 
• Armaments: Two RAM launchers; two NATO Sea Sparrow launchers; three 20 mm Phalanx CIWS mounts (two on LHD 5-8); four .50 cal. machine guns; four 25 mm Mk 38 machine guns, and three 25 mm Mk 38 machine guns 
• Air Wing: Combination of CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopters, AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters, MV-22 Osprey helicopters, F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter jets, and HH-60R Sea Hawk anti-submarine warfare helicopters 
• Crew: 1,070 and Marine Detachment: 1,687 troops (plus 184 surge)

At first glance, an amphibious assault ship appears to simply be a small aircraft carrier: it has a runway and carries fighter jets and helicopters. But it is considerably smaller than the US Navy’s Nimitz– and Ford-class carriers, and the aircraft it carries are tasked with supporting the nearly 2,000 Marines housed under deck. The Wasp’s air wing consists of F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter jets, AH-1W/Z Super Cobra/Viper attack helicopters, MV-22B Osprey assault helicopters, HH-60R Sea Hawk anti-submarine warfare helicopters, and CH-53E Super Stallion heavy lift helicopters.

Operation Epic Fury, the campaign against Iran, brought the importance of amphibious assault ships to the limelight. Thus far, the Pentagon has deployed two Marine Expeditionary Units to the region in support of the operation. These units are centered around amphibious assault ships.  

The Navy has nine amphibious assault ships in service (seven Wasp class and two America class); at least two ships of the latter class are expected to join the fleet by 2031. 

In its Fiscal Year 2027 budget request, the Navy has asked for the necessary funds to build an America-class amphibious assault ship and one San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock. 

The Wasp Class Fulfills the “Lightning Carrier” Concept  

But besides providing a floating base Marines can use to attack targets, amphibious assault ships can also act as light aircraft carriers. 

In a future conflict with China in the Indo-Pacific, aircraft carriers will be at the center of the fight. The Navy has 11 supercarriers, but Wasp-class and America-class amphibious assault ships could double as light carriers, helping to effectively create a fleet of 20 carriers.

The recent transition from the AV-8B Harrier II fighter jet to the F-35B Lightning II stealth aircraft has made the concept of lightning carriers that much more appealing to the Navy and Marine Corps. The Harrier was a great platform for close air support missions, but inadequate to go up against Chinese fighter jets. But the addition of the F-35B has changed that, making amphibious assault ships a viable option for light aircraft carrier missions. 

The Navy has some experience with the concept. During World War II, it relied heavily on the Casablanca-class light carriers for a plethora of smaller missions, freeing larger carriers for the most important operations.  

About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou  

Stavros Atlamazoglouis a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operationsand a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.

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