The LSD 41 is a modified version of the LSD 36 class with design efforts directed to support emerging amphibious warfare concepts.The ships transport and launch loaded amphibious craft and vehicles with their crews and embarked personnel in amphibious assault operations. The ships feature a 440-foot well deck capable of holding four LCACs, a flight deck able to land and launch up to two CH-53E helicopters, the Navy’s latest diesel propulsion and engineering technology, advanced repair facilities, complete medical and dental facilities, and troop berthing accommodations for up to 627 embarked Marines. Limited docking and repair service are provided for both conventional and air cushion craft.
The LSD 41 class ship program replaced the eight aging LSD 28 class ships which reached the end of their service lives during the period 1984-1990. LSD-41 was designed specifically to operate LCAC vessels. It has the largest capacity for these landing craft (four) of any U.S. Navy amphibious platform. The ships use a well deck which is flooded to launch and recover landing craft. LCACs are assault landing craft capable of speeds in excess of 40 knots when carrying a 60-ton payload. Using this versatile craft, RUSHMORE is able to carry out an amphibious assault against a wider range of beaches at distances that were not operationally feasible in the past. After departing the ship, the assault craft are directed toward the shore by the ship's Combat Information Center (CIC).The LSD-41/49 Class Smart Gator Enabling Technologies (Enabling Technologies) upgrade replaces specified existing machinery control and monitoring systems units/consoles plus the addition of specific equipment. Overcoming component obsolescence, reducing equipment support costs, and reducing workload are key objectives in the Navy’s upgrade plan. Reducing the number of different assembly types and total number of assemblies required are considered key factors in meeting this objective. The descriptions of Enabling Technologies follows:
Specifications | |
| Propulsion | Four Colt Industries 16 Cylinder Diesels, two shafts, 33,000 shaft horsepower Two five-blade Controllable Pitch Propellers |
| Length | Overall Length: 610 ft Waterline Length: 580 ft |
| Beam | Extreme Beam: 84 ft Waterline Beam: 84 ft |
| Draft |
Maximum Navigational Draft: 21 ft Draft Limit: 21 ft |
| Displacement |
Light Displacement: 11471 tons Full Displacement: 16360 tons Dead Weight: 4889 tons |
| Well Deck | 440 feet long, 50 feet wide, floodable to 10 feet aft, 6 feet forward |
| Water Barrier | 12 feet 3 inches high, 50 feet
long, divides well deck into forward (dry) and aft (wet) compartments |
| Helicopter Deck | Two spots, 212 feet long, 83 feet wide |
| Speed | 20+ knots (23.5+ miles per hour) |
| Landing Craft | 4 LCAC Landing Craft, Air Cushion |
| Combat Systems |
AN/SPS-49 Air Search Radar AN/SPS-67 Surface Search Radar AN/SPS-64 Navigation Radar AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Counter Measures set MK-36, MOD-6 SRBOC AN/SLQ-25 (NIXIE) Torpedo Counter Measures system |
| Armament |
2 - 25mm MK 38 Machine Guns 2 - 20mm MK 15 Phalanx CIWS mounts 2 - .50 cal. machine guns |
| Generators | Four Fairbanks-Morse 12 cylinder Ship Service Diesel Generators, each capable of producing 1300 kw. |
| Ship's Boats |
One Mk-6 50 foot Utility boat Two Mk-12 36 foot LCP (L)'s One 14 foot punt |
| Cranes |
One 15-ton gantry crane One 20-ton fixed kingpost crane One 60-ton fixed kingpost crane |
| Turntables | 36 foot diameter, 360 degree rotation, capable of handling two MK-55 trucks |
| Crew | Ships Company: 22 officers, 391 enlisted Marine Detachment: 402 plus 102 surge |
| Unit Operating Cost Annual Average | $20,000,000 [source: [FY1996 VAMOSC] |
Ships | |||||||
| Name | Number | Builder | Cost | Homeport | Ordered | Commissioned | Decommissioned |
| Whidbey Island | LSD-41 | Lockheed | $339 M | Little Creek | 09 Feb 1981 | 09 Feb 1985 | ~ 2015 |
| Germantown | LSD-42 | Avondale | $304 M | Sasebo | 26 Mar 1982 | 01 Feb 1986 | ~ 2016 |
| Fort McHenry | LSD-43 | Lockheed | $272 M | Sasebo | 27 Jan 1983 | 24 Jul 1987 | ~ 2017 |
| Gunston Hall | LSD-44 | Avondale | $167 M | Little Creek | 21 Nov 1984 | 24 Feb 1989 | ~ 2019 |
| Comstock | LSD-45 | Avondale | $153 M | San Diego | 26 Nov 1984 | 12 Jan 1990 | ~ 2020 |
| Tortuga | LSD-46 | Avondale | $153 M | Little Creek | 26 Nov 1984 | 07 Sep 1990 | ~ 2020 |
| Rushmore | LSD-47 | Avondale | $149 M | San Diego | 11 Dec 1985 | 26 Apr 1991 | ~ 2021 |
| Ashland | LSD-48 | Avondale | $149 M | Little Creek | 11 Dec 1985 | 12 Mar 1992 | ~ 2022 |
