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LANDING FORCE: EVOLUTION OF AMPHIBIOUS WARFARE

“War is both timeless and ever changing. While the basic nature of war is constant, the means and methods we use evolve continuously.” - Marine Corps Doctrinal Publication 1, Warfighting

The Roots of Amphibious Warfare

Gator Navy! Amphibious warfare, the coordinated use of naval and land forces to project power onto a hostile shore, boasts a long and storied history. Ancient civilizations employed rudimentary forms of this strategy. The Greeks, for instance, famously launched a seaborne assault on Troy, highlighting the inherent vulnerabilities of coastal defenses. Similarly, the Persian Empire leveraged naval power to transport troops and supplies for their invasions of Greece.

The origins of modern amphibious ships can be traced back to World War I with the development of landing craft called X‐Lighters by the British for the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915. These early vessels marked a significant step towards specialized ships designed to transport troops and equipment ashore. Since then, amphibious ships have undergone continuous evolution, adapting to changing operational requirements and technological advancements.

While these early examples demonstrated the potential of combining sea and land power, modern amphibious warfare, with its specialized vessels and intricate planning, emerged primarily in the 20th century. The World Wars witnessed significant advancements in this domain, with operations like the D‐Day landings in Normandy and the island‐hopping campaigns in the Pacific showcasing the scale and complexity of modern amphibious assaults.

Inactive Amphibious Ship Types

Active Amphibious Ship Types

Today's amphibious ships are highly advanced warships, functioning as flexible, floating bases for projecting power ashore. They are designed to efficiently transport and deploy Marines, their vehicles, and various aircraft. Featuring specialized well decks for landing craft and flight decks that accommodate helicopters and even cutting-edge VTOL aircraft like the F-35B, these ships possess incredible versatility. This allows them to execute diverse missions, from critical humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts to complex amphibious assaults. Integrating advanced technologies such as stealth, sophisticated command and control, and powerful self-defense systems, modern amphibious ships are formidable and adaptable platforms vital for naval power projection in the 21st century.

  • USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19)
  • USS Mount Whitney (LCC 8)
  • USS America (LHA 6)
  • USS Tripoli (LHA 7)
  • Bougainville (LHA 8) *first Flight I variant (well deck reintroduced), christened December 2023, under construction, delivery scheduled for 2025
  • Fallujah (LHA 9) *keel laid September 2023, under construction, delivery scheduled for 2029
  • Helmand Province (LHA 10) *start of construction scheduled for 2026, delivery scheduled for 2033
  • USS Wasp (LHD 1)
  • USS Essex (LHD 2)
  • USS Kearsarge (LHD 3)
  • USS Boxer (LHD 4)
  • USS Bataan (LHD 5)
  • USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7)
  • USS Makin Island (LHD 8)
  • USS San Antonio (LPD 17)
  • USS New Orleans (LPD 18)
  • USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19)
  • USS Green Bay (LPD 20)
  • USS New York (LPD 21)
  • USS San Diego (LPD 22)
  • USS Anchorage (LPD 23)
  • USS Arlington (LPD 24)
  • USS Somerset (LPD 25)
  • USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26)
  • USS Portland (LPD 27)
  • USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28)
  • USS Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29)
  • Harrisburg (LPD 30) *first Flight II variant, christened 1/11/25, delivery scheduled for 2026
  • Pittsburgh (LPD 31) *keel laid June 2023, under construction, delivery scheduled for 2028
  • Philadelphia (LPD 32) *under construction, delivery scheduled for 2029
  • Travis Manion (LPD 33) *start of construction sheduled for 2026, delivery scheduled for 2031
  • (LPD 34) *start of construction sheduled for 2028, delivery scheduled for 2033
  • (LPD 35) *start of construction sheduled for 2030, delivery scheduled for 2035
  • Whidbey Island Class
  • USS Germantown (LSD 42) 1986- *2023 decommissioning blocked, original means of disposal: dismantle 2024
  • USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) 1989- *2023 decommissioning blocked, original means of disposal: dismantle 2024
  • USS Comstock (LSD 45) 1990- *scheduled for decommissioning 2026
  • USS Tortuga (LSD 46) 1990- *2023 decommissioning blocked, original means of disposal: dismantle 2024
  • USS Rushmore (LSD 47) 1991- *scheduled for decommissioning 2024, original means of disposal: out of commission in reserve 2024
  • USS Ashland (LSD 48) 1992- *2023 decommissioning blocked, original means of disposal: dismantle 2025
  • Harpers Ferry Class
  • USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) **2024 decommissioning blocked
  • USS Carter Hall (LSD 50) **2024 decommissioning blocked
  • USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) *scheduled for decommissioning 2025
  • USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) **2024 decommissioning blocked
  • *The future of these ships is currently in question as the US Navy, USMC, and Congress debate amphibious ship procurement and force-level. Among the ten ships scheduled for early retirement in the Navy's FY2025 budget is one LSD (TBD).

Tomorrow's Amphibious Ships UPDATED 6/4/25

The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps have canceled the RFP for the Landing Ship Medium (LSM), previously known as the Light Amphibious Warship (LAW), due to escalating costs. The program, originally slated for delivery in 2023, faced criticism for its limited capabilities, including slow speed (14-16 knots), troop capacity (only 75), limited weapons (25mm or 30mm gun system and a .50 caliber machine gun), and an inability to carry the Ship to Shore Connector (SSC), which is the replacement for existing LCAC (Landing Craft Air Cushion). The services are now exploring the acquisition and modification of existing commercial vessels to meet their amphibious warfare needs.

On January 16, the Department of Defense announced the naming of the lead ship of the McClung Class LSM; USS McClung* (LSM 1). The ship is named after Major Megan McClung, USMC, who was the first female Marine Officer to be killed in the Iraq War, and the first female US Naval Academy graduate to be killed in action in the school's 172-year history.

  • USS McClung (LSM 1) *start of construction scheduled for 2026, delivery scheduled for 2029
  • LSM 2 *start of construction scheduled for 2027, delivery scheduled for 2029
  • LSM 3 *start of construction scheduled for 2027, delivery scheduled for 2030
  • LSM 4 *start of construction scheduled for 2028, delivery scheduled for 2030
  • LSM 5 *start of construction scheduled for 2028, delivery scheduled for 2030
  • LSM 6 *start of construction scheduled for 2029, delivery scheduled for 2031
  • LSM 7 *start of construction scheduled for 2029, delivery scheduled for 2031
  • LSM 8 *start of construction scheduled for 2030, delivery scheduled for 2032
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