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Ship's Motto"Courage Teamwork Tradition" reflects the courage, teamwork and tradition of the Ancestral Puebloans who lived and built the cliff dwellings in the Mesa Verde National Park - similar to the attributes displayed by the 21st Century Navy/Marine Corps team. |
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MESA VERDE LPD 19 FactsShip: Mesa Verde LPD 19 is the third of a new class of amphibious transport dock ships. Name: Then Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig announced the decision to name the ships in this class after cities important in American history and not currently recognized by having ships named for them. The lead ship ( LPD 17) is named San Antonio, the second ship is New Orleans. The third is Mesa Verde, named in recognition for the oldest known city in the United States - the centerpiece of Mesa Verde National Park in Southwestern Colorado. This will be the first U.S. Navy ship named Mesa Verde. Namesake:
Ship Yard: In July 2001, Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine cut the first pieces of steel that would become USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19). After the Memorandum of Understanding between Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics, responsibility for construction of Mesa Verde was transferred to Northrop Grumman Ships Systems, Ingalls Operations in Pascagoula, MS in 2002. Keel Laying: The keel was laid for LPD 19 on February 25, 2003 at Northrop Grumman Ships Systems, Ingalls Operations in Pascagoula, MS. Mast Installation: Mesa Verde is the third LPD 17 class ship to receive two Advanced Enclosed Mast/Sensor systems. The ship’s mast stepping ceremony was held prior to christening on January 14,2005. Christening Ceremony: Mrs. Linda Campbell, wife of former U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado, is LPD 19’s sponsor and christened the ship Mesa Verde on January 15, 2005 in Pascagoula, MS. The ceremony also included a Native American blessing provided by Peter Pino, tribal administrator of Pueblo Zia. Commissioning Ceremony: The Secretary of the Navy has approved the request of the Prospective Commanding Officer that USS MESA VERDE be commissioned on December 15, 2007, at Port Panama City in Panama City, Florida Ship’s Crew: 360 Sailors and 3 Marines form Mesa Verde’s crew. Commander Shawn W. Lobree USN, the prospective commanding officer, who grew up in Miami, Florida and graduated from Florida State University, has been selected for promotion to Captain USN. Homeport: LPD 19 will be a Norfolk, VA based ship. Source: www.mesa-verde.navy.mil San Antonio ClassThe San Antonio class is designed and built to fight. Its warfighting capabilities include a state-of-the-art command and control suite, substantially increased landing force vehicle lift capacity, a large flight deck, and advanced ship survivability features that enhance its ability to operate in the unforgiving littoral environment. The deployment of LPD 17s will provide each naval expeditionary force with greatly enhanced operational flexibility. The LPD 17 can operate as part of an Amphibious or Joint Task Force; serve as an integral part of a three-ship ARG; or deploy as part of a larger ESG – each organized to accomplish a broad-range of military objectives. Alternatively, if the mission requires, the LPD 17 with its landing forces may detach and operate independently for short periods of time to accomplish lower-risk missions. This mission flexibility will expand future commanders’ courses of action by providing an improved capability to cover multiple areas of responsibility with the right force at the right objective. |
Congress established Mesa Verde, meaning "green table" in Spanish, as the first cultural park in the National Park System in 1906 to preserve the notable cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Puebloan culture. The park received greater recognition in 1978 when it was designated a World Cultural Heritage Site by the United Nations. Occupying part of a large sandstone plateau rising above the Montezuma and Mancos valleys, What are the dimensions of the ship?
Length - 684 feet (208.5 meters); Beam - 105 feet (31.9 meters); Displacement - ~24,900 long tons.
What is the size of the ship's crew?
Ship's crew size will include 360 Sailors and three permanently assigned Marines.
How many troops can one of these ships accommodate?
Troops include Marines as well as Naval Support Element personnel (Beachmasters, landing craft personnel, SEALs, etc.) The ship will have a berthing capacity to accommodate 699 troops (enlisted, senior non-commissioned officers, and officers) on a "normal" deployment, with a surge capacity to accommodate as many as 800 troops, (101 more), if needed.
How many female Sailors and Marines can the LPDs accommodate?
The design fully supports Navy and Marines Corps policies for accommodating women at sea. The design of smaller crew and troop berthing compartments, the plan for identical sanitary facilities (no urinals) and an overall improved quality of life design will benefit both male and female while providing an unparalleled flexibility in accommodating women.
How many air-cushioned landing craft (LCAC) can each ship carry?
Depending upon the mission requirements, the ships can carry up to two LCACs.
What other landing craft are carried on board and how many of each can be carried?
If LCACs are not embarked, each ship can carry one landing craft utility (LCU), four MK eight SEAL Delivery Vehicles or up to 26 Expeditionary Fighting Vehicles/Amphibious Assault Vehicles (14 in main vehicle stowage, 12 in the well deck). A routine loadout might be two LCACs, 14 EFVs, two SEAL Mission RHIBs and associated Marine equipment and vehicles.
What type of propulsion do these ships use?
The LPD 17 class is equipped with diesel engines for main propulsion. Specifically, there are four 16-cylinder Colt-Pielstick diesel engines sequentially turbocharged to generate up to 10,400 horsepower each. These engines drive two shafts with controllable pitch propellers, which provide enhanced acceleration and maneuverability. These engines are improved versions of the engines currently employed in the LSD 41/49 class.
What are the onboard medical capabilities of the class?
Each ship will have two medical and two dental operating rooms as well as a 24-bed ward that includes ICU facilities.
What contributions does each ship bring in terms of amphibious lift capability?
Each ship will have approximately 24,000 square feet (2,230 meters2) of vehicle storage space and approximately 34,000 cubic feet of cargo/ammunition storage.
What are the air support capabilities?
The flight deck can support the Marine Corps' largest helicopter, the CH-53E. The ship's design also allows support of smaller helicopters such as the CH-46, AH-1H or UH-1H aircraft. The ship may also launch and recover the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. Depending upon the mix of aircraft, the LPD 17 class has the capability to temporarily support as many as six aircraft cross-decked from another ship or routinely launch or recover as many as four aircraft simultaneously.
Do ships of the LPD 17 class have permanently embarked aircraft?
No, the ships do not have aircraft permanently assigned. They may embark or cross-deck aircraft and/or personnel from the large-deck amphibious ships within Expeditionary Strike Group, but only temporarily to support specific mission requirements. However, the ships do have permanently assigned personnel in their Air Departments for handling and fueling aircraft.
What systems does each ship have for self-defense?
For air defense each LPD has the Mk 31 Mod 1 Guided Missile Weapons System with its RIM 116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM), which is used to engage anti-ship missiles or high-speed aircraft. Each ship has two RAM launchers. For defense against surface targets, the ships posses the naval version of the Marine Corps' Expeditionary Fighting Vehicles' (EFV) 30mm gun. It provides greater accuracy and lethality than the 25mm gun currently found on other ships.
What other systems enhance self-defense?
SLQ-32 (V) 2 Electronic Warfare (EW) System, Super RBOC, MK 53 DLS/Nulka decoy, and SLQ-25A (Nixie) towed anti-torpedo systems.
How many ships of the LPD 17 San Antonio class will be built?
The final number of ships built will be based upon national security and Navy needs. Nine ships have been named, two have been commissioned (LPD 17 and LPD 18) and five are under construction.
How much will a ship cost?
The average cost of an LPD 17 class ship is expected to be $1.3 Billion. ($1,300,000,000)
What is the projected service life of the LPDs?
The ships are designed for a 40-year service life.
Amphibious ships normally conduct operations near land. What features in design enhance survivability in such an environment?
Since these amphibious transport docks will operate in the littoral, a potentially more dangerous area than the open ocean, self-defense and survivability were crucial elements that influenced ship design:
- The LPD 17 Class' distinctive profile reduces potential detection through a streamlined design, minimally exposed topside equipment, a boat valley instead of a boat deck, and such technology as the Advanced Enclosed Masts/Sensors (AEM/S) system.
- Other survivability enhancements incorporated into the ship's design include a hardened structure, advanced degaussing to reduce magnetic signature, and optimum separation of redundant systems, where if one part of the ship sustains damage, vital systems are ensured continuity.
- Defense against a chemical-biological-radiation attack calls for a four-zone Collective Protection System with decontamination stations to protect personnel.
- Damage Control (DC) Central is collocated with Engineering Control to provide continuity of damage recovery operations. The ship's design provides for a secondary DC Central, which is located for maximum separation.
- Other damage recovery features include extensive use of fire insulation, wider passageways, a smoke removal system and advanced fire fighting systems.
