USS Wasp (LHD-1) is a modern American universal amphibious assault ship. The keel for this unit was laid in 1985, the launch took place in August 1987, and the entry into service with the US Navy took place in 1989. The ship is 257 m long, 32 m wide, and has a full displacement of about 41,000 tons. The maximum speed of the ship is around 22-23 knots. The unit has on-board armament such as: two 20 mm Vulcan Phalanx sets, three 25 mm Bushmaster cannons or two NATO Sea Sparrow launchers. The ship can also use up to 25-27 manned aircraft.
The USS Wasp (LHD-1) is the leading unit of the class of the landing craft of the same name. Wasp-class ships were created to replace Tarawa-class ships, but in their construction they used a lot of experience gained from their operation. The main task of Wasp ships is landing operations. For this purpose, they have been adapted to transport about 2,000 US Marine Corps soldiers with full equipment, who can be disembarked by helicopters, landing barges or hovercraft, also carried by this type of landing craft. Due to their size, they can act as light aircraft carriers and are adapted to operate with AV-8 Harrier II or F-35B Ligthning II aircraft. The lead vessel of this class - USS Wasp (LHD-1) - was built at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula. It began its combat service in the Mediterranean Sea, and in 1993 it operated in the Somali region, and later returned to this reservoir. In the years 2004-2012, the unit was operated less intensively than its sister ships. However, it supported the actions of US troops in Afghanistan in 2004. It is worth adding that during this period prototypes of the F-35B were tested on the unit. The unit is still in active service.