Tarawa class

   The Tarawa class LHA ships were intended to combine the capabilities of the helicopter carrier (LPH), the amphibious transport dock (LPD), the command ship (LCC) and the amphibious cargo ship (LKA) in a single hull. The class was originally to have numbered nine, but as a result of the end of the Vietnam War and budgetary constraints, the eventual number built was five. The Ingalls shipyard built them by means of its multi-ship construction technique between 1971 and 1978.

   The Ship's sides are vertical for some two-thirds of their length in order to maximize the internal space available for cargo. An 82-m long by 24 m wide hangar with a 6.1-m overhead is located above a similarly sized well deck set into the stern. The hangar is served by an 18 182-kg capacity side lift to port and a larger 36 364-kg capacity centreline lift at the stern. The docking well, vehicle deck, cargo holds and hangar deck are connected by a series of five elevators capable of carrying 1 000-kg palletised loads. The three forward elevators serve the vehicle deck and use a conveyor belt system, while the aft two elevators (located at the other end of the belt) serve both the well deck, where an overhead cargo-carrying monorail system takes the pallets onto the landing craft, and the hangar deck leads to the flight deck to allow direct loading of helicopters.

   Forward of the docking well (and connected to it and the flight deck by ramps) are the vehicle decks. These normally accommodate 160 tracked vehicles, artillery pieces and trucks together with 40 AAV7A1 amphibious assault personnel carriers. The well deck can accommodate up to four LCUs or two LCUs and two LCM 8s or 17 LCM 6s. The four LCUs and eight of the AAV7A1s can be launched simultaneously from the well deck. The vessels normally carry two LCM 6s and two LCPLs stowed on deck for launch by a large deck crane. The aircraft hangar has the capacity for 26 CH-46E Sea Knight or 19 CH-53D Sea Stallion/CH53E Super Stallion helicopters, although the normal air group embarked tends to be either 12 CH-45Es, six CH-53D/Es, four AH-1W Super Cobra gunships and two UH-1N Twin Huey utility helicopters; or six CH-46Es, nine CH-53D/ES, four AH-1Ws and two UH-1Ns. Both the AV-8 Harrier series and the OV-10 Bronco fixed-wing aircraft have also been operated, the former being a V/STOL close-support fighter and the latter a STOL observation/attack aircraft. A 464.5 m² training and acclimatisation room is fitted for the 1 900-man reinforced US Marine battalion carried to exercise in a controlled environment.

   To act as an amphibious squadron flagship, the LHA is fitted with the Tactical Amphibious Warfare Data System (TAWDS) to provide command and control over the group's aircraft,  weapons, sensors and landing craft. The same satellite communications system and data links as fitted to othe LCCs are carried. Two of the LHAs are assigned to the Atlantic fleets while the other three are with the Pacific fleets.

   The Tarawa class formed the basis for the later Wasp class amphibious assault ships.