USS Essex (LHD-2)

USS *Essex* (LHD-2)
	USS Essex in the Arabian Sea in September 2021
History
United States
Name	Essex
Namesake	USS Essex (CV-9)
Ordered	10 September 1986
Builder	Ingalls Shipbuilding
Laid down	20 March 1989
Launched	23 February 1991
Commissioned	17 October 1992
Homeport	San Diego
Identification	MMSI number: 368779000; Callsign: NESX; ; Hull number: LHD-2;
Motto	Take Notice
Nickname(s)	The Iron Gator
Status	in active service
Badge
General characteristics
Type	Wasp-class amphibious assault ship
Displacement	40,500 long tons (41,150 t) full load
Length	844.0 ft (257.25 m)
Beam	106 ft (32.3 m)
Draft	27 ft (8.1 m)
Propulsion	Two boilers, two geared steam turbines, two shafts, 70,000 shp (52,000 kW);
Speed	22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Range	9,500 nautical miles (17,600 km; 10,900 mi) at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Well deck dimensions:	266-by-50-foot (81 by 15.2 m) by 28-foot (8.5 m) high
Boats & landing ; craft carried	3 Landing Craft Air Cushion or; 2 Landing Craft Utility or; 12 Landing Craft Mechanized;
Troops	1,687 troops (plus 184 surge) Marine Detachment
Complement	1,208
Sensors and ; processing systems	1 AN/SPS-49 2-D Air Search Radar; 1 AN/SPS-48 3-D Air Search Radar; 1 AN/SPS-67 Surface Search Radar; 1 Mk23 Target Acquisition System (TAS); 1 AN/SPN-43 Marshalling Air Traffic Control Radar; 1 AN/SPN-35 Air Traffic Control Radar; 1 AN/URN-25 TACAN system; 1 AN/UPX-24 Identification Friend Foe;
Armament	Two RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile launchers; Three 20 mm Phalanx CIWS systems; Four 25 mm Mk 38 chain guns; Four .50 BMG machine guns;
Aircraft carried	Actual mix depends on the mission; Standard Complement:; 6 AV-8B Harrier II attack aircraft; or; 6 F-35B Lightning II stealth strike-fighters; 4 AH-1W/Z Super Cobra/Viper attack helicopter; 12 MV-22B Osprey assault support tiltrotor; 4 CH-53E Super Stallion heavy-lift helicopters; 3–4 UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters; Assault:; 22+ MV-22B Osprey assault support tiltrotor; Sea Control:; 20 AV-8B Harrier II attack aircraft; or; 20 F-35B Lightning II stealth strike-fighters; 6 SH-60F/HH-60H ASW helicopters;

USS Essex (LHD-2) is a Wasp-class Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) in service with the United States Navy. The amphibious assault ship was built at what is now Huntington Ingalls Industries in Pascagoula, Mississippi. She was launched 23 February 1991 and commissioned on 17 October 1992 while moored at Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island. She is the fifth ship named for Essex County, Massachusetts. Essex served as the command ship for Expeditionary Strike Group Seven until replaced by USS Bonhomme Richard on 23 April 2012.^[2]

^ "Fact File: Amphibious Assault Ships – LHD/LHA(R)". U.S. Navy. 13 April 2016. Archived from the original on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
^ Burke, Matthew (23 April 2012). "Navy crews swap ships during Sasebo ceremony". Stars and Stripes. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2015.

[Navy_fact_file-1] "Fact File: Amphibious Assault Ships – LHD/LHA(R)". U.S. Navy. 13 April 2016. Archived from the original on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2016.

[2] Burke, Matthew (23 April 2012). "Navy crews swap ships during Sasebo ceremony". Stars and Stripes. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2015.

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History
USS Essex in the Arabian Sea in September 2021
United States
Name	Essex
Namesake	USS Essex (CV-9)
Ordered	10 September 1986
Builder	Ingalls Shipbuilding
Laid down	20 March 1989
Launched	23 February 1991
Commissioned	17 October 1992
Homeport	San Diego
Identification	MMSI number: 368779000 Callsign: NESX Hull number: LHD-2
Motto	Take Notice
Nickname(s)	The Iron Gator
Status	in active service
Badge
General characteristics
Type	Wasp-class amphibious assault ship
Displacement	40,500 long tons (41,150 t) full load
Length	844.0 ft (257.25 m)
Beam	106 ft (32.3 m)
Draft	27 ft (8.1 m)
Propulsion	Two boilers, two geared steam turbines, two shafts, 70,000 shp (52,000 kW);
Speed	22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Range	9,500 nautical miles (17,600 km; 10,900 mi) at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Well deck dimensions:	266-by-50-foot (81 by 15.2 m) by 28-foot (8.5 m) high
Boats & landing craft carried	3 Landing Craft Air Cushion or 2 Landing Craft Utility^[1] or 12 Landing Craft Mechanized
Troops	1,687 troops (plus 184 surge) Marine Detachment
Complement	1,208
Sensors and processing systems	1 AN/SPS-49 2-D Air Search Radar 1 AN/SPS-48 3-D Air Search Radar 1 AN/SPS-67 Surface Search Radar 1 Mk23 Target Acquisition System (TAS) 1 AN/SPN-43 Marshalling Air Traffic Control Radar 1 AN/SPN-35 Air Traffic Control Radar 1 AN/URN-25 TACAN system 1 AN/UPX-24 Identification Friend Foe
Armament	Two RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile launchers Three 20 mm Phalanx CIWS systems Four 25 mm Mk 38 chain guns Four .50 BMG machine guns
Aircraft carried	Actual mix depends on the mission Standard Complement: 6 AV-8B Harrier II attack aircraft or 6 F-35B Lightning II stealth strike-fighters 4 AH-1W /Z Super Cobra /Viper attack helicopter 12 MV-22B Osprey assault support tiltrotor 4 CH-53E Super Stallion heavy-lift helicopters 3–4 UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters Assault: 22+ MV-22B Osprey assault support tiltrotor Sea Control: 20 AV-8B Harrier II attack aircraft or 20 F-35B Lightning II stealth strike-fighters 6 SH-60F/HH-60H ASW helicopters