Wasp-Class Amphibious Assault Ship

The Wasp class is a series of United States Navy amphibious assault ships built by Ingalls Shipbuilding and based on the earlier Tarawa-class design, with the lead ship USS Wasp commissioned on 29 July 1989 as the first vessel purpose-built to operate both AV-8B Harrier jump jets and air-cushioned landing craft. Eight ships were built in total, seven of which remain in active service, each displacing 40,500 long tons at full load and capable of carrying around 1,687 embarked Marines along with a mixed air group that today includes F-35B Lightning II fighters, MV-22B Osprey tiltrotors, and various helicopters, plus landing craft and amphibious vehicles for ship-to-shore movement. Each ship also includes a substantial onboard hospital with 64 beds and additional overflow capacity, reflecting the class's role as a self-contained platform for projecting Marine Corps aviation and ground forces ashore.