The Meaning Of Lhd In Boat Names Explained

LHD stands for Landing Helicopter Dock, a type of amphibious assault ship that is capable of operating as a helicopter carrier. LHD vessels are built with a full flight deck and a well deck for supporting landing craft. They are used by the United States Navy and the Royal Australian Navy as a specific hull classification symbol.

LHD vs LHA: Differences

LHD stands for "Landing Helicopter Dock", a multipurpose amphibious assault ship capable of operating as a helicopter carrier. It has a well deck for supporting landing craft and a full flight deck to operate VTOL rotorcraft like utility and attack helicopters. Examples include the USN's Wasp class and the French Navy's Mistral class.

Now, onto the differences between LHD and LHA.

LHD vs LHA

The LHD and LHA are similar USN hull classifications for amphibious assault ships. LHAs also have well decks, usually of a comparable size to LHDs. However, the first two America-class ships (LHA-6 and LHA-7) are exceptions, as they lack a well deck to accommodate larger hangars. This difference will be addressed in the upcoming LHA-8, which will feature a well deck.

Aircraft Capabilities

Both LHD and LHA vessels are designed to support aircraft operations. The LHD, or Landing Helicopter Dock, is a multipurpose amphibious assault ship capable of operating as a helicopter carrier. It has a well deck for supporting landing craft and can also operate VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) rotorcraft such as utility and attack helicopters. Additionally, it can support tiltrotor aircraft like the MV-22 Osprey and VSTOL (short takeoff and landing) fixed-wing aircraft such as the AV-8 Harrier or the F-35B Lightning II.

The LHA, or Landing Helicopter Assault, is also an amphibious assault ship. While most LHAs have well decks, the absence of this feature in the LHA-6 and LHA-7, as previously mentioned, allows for larger hangars. This design choice enables these LHAs to potentially carry more aircraft or larger types of aircraft than LHDs.

Operational Capabilities

The LHD and LHA classifications cater to different operational needs. The LHD's well deck provides versatility in supporting landing craft operations, enhancing their capabilities in amphibious assaults. On the other hand, the LHA's larger hangars in specific classes like the LHA-6 and LHA-7 allow for a greater number or size of aircraft, potentially giving them an advantage in air support and offensive capabilities.

Examples

Examples of LHD vessels include the USN's Wasp class, the French Navy's Mistral class, and ships of the Spanish Navy's Juan Carlos I class. The Wasp-class LHDs can transport and deploy a significant number of personnel and equipment, including almost a full United States Marine Corps Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). They also provide medical facilities, with a hospital capacity of 64 patient beds and additional overflow casualty wards.

Prominent LHA vessels include the America-class ships, specifically the LHA-6 and LHA-7, which lack the well deck but offer expanded hangar space.

LHD Capabilities

LHD stands for Landing Helicopter Dock, a multipurpose amphibious assault ship capable of operating as a helicopter carrier. LHD vessels are built with a full flight deck and a well deck for supporting landing craft.

LHDs are designed to support both amphibious landings and helicopter operations, offering greater flexibility in deployment. The well deck can accommodate landing craft such as the Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC), while the flight deck allows for the operation of helicopters, tiltrotors, and VSTOL fixed-wing aircraft. This enables LHDs to transport and deploy troops, vehicles, and equipment by air or sea.

LHDs have a large cargo capacity, capable of hosting a significant number of personnel and their vehicles. For example, the Wasp-class LHD can carry almost a full United States Marine Corps Marine Expeditionary Unit, along with their equipment, which typically includes battle tanks, amphibious assault vehicles, howitzers, trucks, and other support vehicles.

In terms of armament, LHDs are equipped with a range of weapons systems, including missile launchers, chain guns, and machine guns. They also have countermeasure systems such as chaff and decoy launchers, torpedo decoys, and electronic warfare suites.

LHDs are designed for speed and range, capable of reaching speeds of over 20 knots and travelling thousands of nautical miles without refuelling. This enables them to quickly respond to situations and project force over long distances.

In addition, LHDs have medical facilities, including hospitals with patient beds, operating rooms, and additional beds that can be set up in an overflow casualty ward as needed.

Overall, LHDs offer a versatile range of capabilities, making them well-suited for amphibious assault and support operations. Their combination of air and sea deployment options, along with their cargo and medical capacities, make them a valuable asset for naval and military forces.

LHD Examples

LHD stands for "Landing Helicopter Dock", a multipurpose amphibious assault ship capable of operating as a helicopter carrier. LHD vessels have a full flight deck that can support VTOL rotorcraft, such as utility and attack helicopters, as well as tiltrotor aircraft like the MV-22 Osprey.

• Wasp-class - Operated by the United States Navy, the Wasp-class is based on the Tarawa-class design but with modifications to accommodate more advanced aircraft and landing craft. Wasp-class ships can transport and deploy almost a full United States Marine Corps Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) via landing craft or helicopters, while also providing air support. The first ship of the Wasp-class, the USS Wasp, was commissioned on 29 July 1989.
• Mistral-class - The French Navy operates the Mistral-class LHDs, which are similar in design to the USN's Wasp-class.
• Juan Carlos I class - These ships are part of the Spanish Navy's fleet and include designs based on the class, such as the Royal Australian Navy's Canberra class.
• Dokdo class - The Republic of Korea Navy operates the Dokdo-class LHDs.
• Type 075 and Type 076 classes - The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in China operates these classes, which are considered amphibious assault ships in their native country but are classified as LHDs by NATO.

LHDs in the US Navy

LHD stands for "Landing Helicopter Dock", a multipurpose amphibious assault ship capable of operating as a helicopter carrier. LHD vessels are built with a full flight deck and well deck, allowing them to support landing craft. The United States Navy (USN) uses the term as a specific hull classification symbol.

The USN's Wasp-class is a class of LHD amphibious assault ships. The USS Wasp (LHD-1) is the lead ship of her class and the tenth USN vessel to bear the name. The Wasp-class is based on the Tarawa-class design, with modifications to operate more advanced aircraft and landing craft. The design changes include the lower placement of the ship's bridge, the relocation of command and control facilities inside the hull, the removal of the 5-inch Mk 45 naval guns, and a lengthening of 24 feet to accommodate Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) hovercraft.

The Wasp-class ships have a displacement of 40,500 long tons at full load and are 831 feet long, with a beam of 104 feet and a draft of 27 feet. They are fitted with two steam boilers connected to geared turbines, delivering 70,000 shaft horsepower to the two propeller shafts. This allows the LHDs to reach speeds of 22 knots, with a range of 9,500 nautical miles at 18 knots. The Wasp-class can support amphibious landings by landing craft or helicopter, with a well deck that can carry three LCACs, twelve Landing Craft Mechanised, or 40 Amphibious Assault Vehicles (with another 21 AAVs on the vehicle deck). The flight deck has nine helicopter landing spots and can operate helicopters and tiltrotors as large as the Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion and MV-22B Osprey.

Each Wasp-class ship can host 1,894 personnel of the United States Marine Corps, almost the full strength of a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). They can transport up to 30,800 square feet of cargo and an additional 20,000 square feet is allocated for vehicles, typically including M1 Abrams battle tanks, AAVs, M198 howitzers, trucks, and other support vehicles. The ships also have medical and dental facilities, with four main and two emergency operating rooms, four dental operating rooms, x-ray rooms, a blood bank, laboratories, and patient wards.

LHDs in Other Navies

LHD stands for "Landing Helicopter Dock". A landing helicopter dock is a multipurpose amphibious assault ship that can operate as a helicopter carrier and support landing craft. LHD vessels have a full flight deck that can accommodate VTOL rotorcraft, utility and attack helicopters, tiltrotor aircraft, and VSTOL fixed-wing aircraft.

The United States Navy (USN) and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) use the term LHD as a specific hull classification symbol. However, other navies also utilise LHD vessels or have similar vessel classifications. Here are some examples:

• French Navy: The French Navy operates the Mistral-class ships, which are classified as LHDs. These vessels are designed to support amphibious operations and can carry a range of aircraft and landing craft.
• Spanish Navy: The Spanish Navy operates the Juan Carlos I class ships, which are considered LHDs. These vessels combine features of aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships, and helicopter carriers.
• Republic of Korea Navy: The Republic of Korea Navy operates the Dokdo-class vessels, which are designated as LHDs. These ships are designed for amphibious warfare and can carry helicopters and landing craft.
• People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN): The Type 075 and Type 076 classes of the PLAN are considered amphibious assault ships in China. However, NATO reporting names classify these vessels as LHDs.
• Japanese Navy: In 2014, Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera suggested the purchase of at least one Wasp-class LHD to bolster defensive capabilities for Japan's outer islands in response to potential threats from China.
• Other Navies: While not mentioned specifically, it is likely that other navies of the world also operate vessels that fall under the LHD classification or have similar capabilities. These may include countries with significant naval presence and amphibious warfare capabilities, such as the United Kingdom, France, Russia, India, or Brazil.

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