An auxiliary ship is a naval ship designed to support combatant ships and other naval operations. Auxiliary ships are not primary combatant vessels, though they may have some limited combat capacity, usually for purposes of self-defense.
31-731: LCU may refer to: A US Navy hull classification symbol: Landing craft utility (LCU) Largest coding unit , the basic processing unit of the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) video standard Last Chance U , a documentary series Lego City Undercover , a video game Limited Contact Unit , a class of fictional artificially intelligent starship in The Culture universe of late Scottish author Iain Banks Lokesh Cinematic Universe ,
62-432: A Type V ship . and barges are classified as a Type B ship or YF, YFN, YFR, or YFRN. Radar picket to increase the radar detection range around a force. Communications Relay Ships (AGMR) are floating communications stations. Tracking ships or Range Instrumentation Ships (AGM) are equipped with antennas and electronics to support the launching and tracking of missiles and rockets. Command ship (AGF) are flagships of
93-456: A mine countermeasures support ship (MCS) . All of these ships would be scrapped or sunk as targets by 2018. Essex class The following LPH ships were converted Essex class aircraft carriers, due to budget constraints with the construction of the Iwo Jima class ships. Casablanca class : MC type S4-S2-BB3 Thetis Bay was a converted Casablanca class escort carrier. Under
124-541: A minimum speed of 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) to increase their chances of survival. The High Speed Transport destroyer conversions (APD/LPR), the Landing Platform Docks (LPD), and all new ships with a full flight deck (LPH, LHA, LHD) would meet this criterion. The other major types would see relatively small numbers of new ships constructed with this 20 knot requirement, with the last appearing in 1969. Amphibious warfare ships were considered by
155-462: A nation's military (AK, AKA, AKN, AKR, AKS). In particular, troopships and attack transports are used to carry a large number of soldiers to operational theatres. Some transport ships are highly specialized, like the ammunition ships employed by the US Navy. Large ocean tugs (AT, ATO, ATF, ATA, ATR) are used to tow large auxiliary ships, like barges, floating repair docks, and floating cranes in
186-442: A navy with a better understanding of its operating environment or to assist in testing new technologies for employment in other vessels. Hospital ships are able to provide medical care in remote locations to personnel. The US Navy also used an unclassified miscellaneous auxiliary ship classification in which the unclassified miscellaneous auxiliary ship classification is IX . An unclassified miscellaneous auxiliary ship can be
217-474: A shared universe of action thriller films directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj Local colleges and universities in the Philippines Local currency unit Lookahead Carry Unit Lubbock Christian University Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title LCU . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
248-578: A temporary telescoping helicopter hangar. Several of these ships were built with space dedicated for command capabilities. Two of these, La Salle and Coronado , would be redesignated as auxiliary command ships (AGF) . The Raleigh class would be designed under project SBC 187 ( La Salle under SBC 187A) and the Austin class under SBC 187B. Raleigh class Austin class Austin class ( Cleveland subclass) Austin class ( Trenton subclass) San Antonio class The San Antonio -class were
279-567: A well deck, so as to dedicate more space to the support of air operations. This was criticized as a repeat of the mistakes of the LPH concept , and so it was decided that Bougainville and all future ships of this class would have a well deck. Wasp class The well deck of the Tarawa -class LHA was not designed to accommodate the LCAC, which came into service just six years after the last of that class
310-468: Is a list of United States Navy amphibious warfare ships. This type of ship has been in use with the US Navy since World War I . Ship status is indicated as either currently active [A] (including ready reserve), inactive [I], or precommissioning [P]. Ships in the inactive category include only ships in the inactive reserve, ships which have been disposed from US service have no listed status. Ships in
341-486: Is a critical support role, with various types of vessels including tugboats , barges , lighter barges , derrick-crane vessels , and others used to move ships and equipment around the port facilities, and depot ships and tends to service ships currently in the harbor. These vessels also help maintain the harbor by dredging channels, maintaining jetties and buoys , and even providing floating platforms for port defenses. In US Navy, tugboats are type YT, YTB, YTM, YTL or
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#1732786696727372-760: Is basically the Whidbey Island -class with more cargo capacity at the expense of a shorter well deck which could carry 2 LCACs. The APM hull classification was short-lived; it was changed to Landing Ship Dock (LSD) . All Amphibious force flagships (AGC) in service in 1969 were reclassed as Amphibious Command Ships (LCC), which should not be confused with the World War II era Landing craft, control (LCC) . Mount McKinley class : MC type C2-S-AJ1 Adirondack class Blue Ridge class Auxiliary ship Auxiliary ships are extremely important for navies of all sizes because if they were not present
403-476: The LPH would be reliant on landing craft supplied by other ships, which proved awkward in practice. This defect would drive the design of the Tarawa -class LHA, in effect a LPH with a well deck. Commencement Bay class : MC type T3 Iwo Jima class As the 'definitive' LPH design under project SCB 157, the Iwo Jima class would be the only class to be built as such, with sufficient 'hotel' accommodations for
434-581: The U.S. Navy's Report to Congress on the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels stated that it was planned that all LSDs would be placed Out of Commission in Reserve by 2027. Ashland class Casa Grande class Thomaston class The Thomaston class, designed under project SCB 75, would be the first class of LSDs capable of 20 knots. Anchorage class The Anchorage class, designed under project SCB 404,
465-519: The US Navy created new hull classification symbols that began with an 'E' to designate 'expeditionary' vessels. Expeditionary vessels are designed to support low-intensity missions, allowing more expensive, high-value amphibious warfare ships to be re-tasked for more demanding missions. Most of these ships are not commissioned warships, but rather are operated by the Military Sealift Command . Tarawa class The Tarawa -class LHA
496-484: The US Navy originally classifying these ships as Mechanized artillery transports (APM) , then changing them to LSDs. The first LSDs could carry 36 Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM) at 16 knots (30 km/h) in a flooding well deck, the first ships with this capability. Late in the war they were modified with the addition of a temporary superdeck over the well deck; this could carry vehicles, support helicopter operations, or be removed for outsized cargo. In December 2020
527-523: The US Navy to be auxiliaries and were classed with hull classification symbols beginning with 'A' until 1942. Many ships were reclassed at that time as landing ships and received new hull symbols beginning with 'L'; others would retain 'A' hull symbols until 1969 and then receive 'L' symbols. This article pairs the two lists of what are the same ships, with each 'L' list preceding the respective 'A' list. Littoral Combat Ships also use 'L' hull symbols but are not solely intended for amphibious warfare. In 2015
558-501: The United States Maritime Administration (MARAD): In the following lists MARCOM types are abbreviated as 'MC type' and MARAD as 'MA type'; 'MC types' became 'MA types' in 1950. The first amphibious warfare ships had a top speed of 12 to 17 knots. With the appearance of higher speed submarines at the end of World War II, the US Navy decided that all new amphibious warfare ships would have to have
589-520: The commander of a fleet. Wind-class icebreaker (AGB WAGB) are support ships. Rescue and salvage ship and Submarine rescue ship (ASR) for surface support ship for ship and submarine rescue. Barracks ships or Auxiliary Personal Living ships, (APL) are vessels-barges for service men to live on. A wide variety of vessels are employed as Technical Research Ships(AGTR) , Tracking Ships(AGM) , Environmental Research Ships (AGER) , Hydrofoil Research Ships (AGEH) , and Survey Vessels , primarily to provide
620-405: The embarked Marines. All other LPH ships would be conversions of aircraft carriers, and so had accommodation deficiencies (for example, some Marine units could not bunk together, and water evaporation was insufficient to allow all personnel showers within a 24 hour period). After their retirement as amphibious warfare ships, one ( Inchon ) would be converted to carry minesweeping helicopters as
651-514: The first LPDs designed to accommodate Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC); two could be carried. They were also the first LPDs to be built with a permanent helicopter hangar. The LSD came as a result of a British requirement during World War II for a vessel that could carry large landing craft across the seas at speed. The design was developed and built in the US for the Royal Navy and the US Navy, with
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#1732786696727682-892: The fleet, while the earlier Colliers supplied coal-burning steamships . Specific role replenishment vessels include combat stores ships , depot ships , general stores issue ships , and ammunition ships . Tenders are specifically designed to support a type of smaller naval unit, like submarines , destroyers , and seaplanes , providing a mobile base of operations for these units: specifically destroyer tenders , submarine tenders , seaplane tenders , torpedo boat tenders . Supporting front-line operating bases requires immense transportation capacity. Transport ships are often converted merchant ships simply commissioned (APA, APD, APH, APV) into naval service. Tankers are transports specifically designed to ship fuel to forward locations. Transport ships are often employed not only carrying cargo for naval support but are in support of all forces of
713-485: The hull designation CVHA-1, she was the prototype for the LPH concept. The Landing Platform Dock (LPD) concept began as a compromise design, an attempt to build a ship with much more capability than a Landing Ship Dock (LSD) - the LPD superficially resembles an LSD with an enlarged flight deck - but without the expense of a LPH. The well deck is smaller than that of an LSD. The Raleigh and Austin classes could be fitted with
744-429: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=LCU&oldid=1187975719 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages List of United States Navy amphibious warfare ships#Landing craft utility (LCU) This
775-442: The most direct ways that auxiliary ships support the fleet is by providing underway replenishment (also known as "replenishment at sea") to major fleet units. This allows the fleet to remain in the same location, with the replenishment vessels bringing up fuel, ammunition , food, and supplies from shore to the fleet wherever it is operating. Oilers ("replenishment tankers") are vessels specifically designed to bring fuel oil to
806-520: The open sea, also disabled ships. Repairing ships at sea or in conflict areas is important as it allows these vessels to return to service more quickly, while also increasing the chance of survival for ships critically damaged in battle. Repair vessels (US Navy: AR, ARB, ARC, ARG, ARH, ARL, ARV) range from small equipment ships known as Auxiliary repair docks , to the larger Auxiliary floating drydocks , there are also Aircraft repair ships that specialize in repair of naval aircraft . Harbor support
837-511: The precommissioning category include ships under construction or on order. There have been four generations of amphibious warfare ships , with each generation having more capability than the previous: During the naval build-up for World War II, almost 200 Maritime Commission (MARCOM) standard designs were converted to US Navy amphibious warfare ships. In the Cold War these and newer standard designs were built under MARCOM's successor agency,
868-560: The primary fleet vessels would be unsupported. Thus, virtually every navy maintains an extensive fleet of auxiliary ships, however, the composition and size of these auxiliary fleets vary depending on the nature of each navy and its primary mission. Smaller coastal navies tend to have smaller auxiliary vessels focusing primarily on littoral and training support roles, while larger blue-water navies tend to have larger auxiliary fleets comprising longer-range fleet support vessels designed to provide support far beyond territorial waters . One of
899-538: Was basically the Thomaston class with the well deck enlarged (49 feet longer and 2 feet wider) to accommodate the new larger LCU-1610 class. They would later be modified to carry up to 3 Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC). Whidbey Island class The Whidbey Island -class were the first LSDs designed to accommodate LCACs - up to 5 could be carried - and the first in which the helicopter deck would not be removable. Harpers Ferry class The Harpers Ferry -class
930-653: Was completed. The Wasp -class LHD and the later units of the America -class LHA were designed to be LCAC compatible; the Wasp -class could carry 3 LCACs. The Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH) would be the first ships to operate helicopters for large scale air assault behind beaches. One major defect of the LPH concept was that these ships did not carry landing craft to disembark Marines when weather or hostile anti-aircraft systems grounded helicopters; only Inchon would be modified to carry two landing craft. In such situations
961-618: Was the first to combine the features of the well deck of the Landing Ship Dock (LSD) or Landing Platform Dock (LPD) and the full flight deck of the Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH) into one ship. Though not designed to carry Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC)s , they could accommodate one in their well decks. America class The America -class LHA would be a follow-on to the Wasp -class LHD. The first two ships, America and Tripoli , would not have