Newport-class tank landing ship

USS Newport (LST-1179)
Class overview
Builders:	Philadelphia Naval Shipyard National Steel and Shipbuilding Company
Operators:	Initial operator  United States Navy Later operators (onsold after US service)  Royal Australian Navy  Brazilian Navy  Chilean Navy  Royal Malaysian Navy  Mexican Navy  Royal Moroccan Navy  Peruvian Navy (proposed)  Republic of China Navy  Spanish Navy
Preceded by:	De Soto County-class tank landing ship
Succeeded by:	None
Built:	1966–1972
In commission:	1969–2002 (USN)
Completed:	20
Active:	0 (US)
Laid up:	2
Lost:	1
Retired:	12
General characteristics
Type:	Tank Landing Ship
Displacement:	approx. 4,793 tons light loaded, 8,500 tons fully loaded
Length:	522 ft (159 m)
Beam:	70 ft (21 m)
Draft:	17.4 ft (5.3 m)
Propulsion:	6 ALCO diesels (3 per shaft) 16,000 shaft horsepower; 800 hp GE bow thruster. 2 Hydraulically Controlled Variable Pitch Reversible Props and 1 Variable Pitch Bow Thruster 3 ALCO/GE Generators (750 kW, 1201 A each)
Speed:	Over 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Troops:	Approximately 400 Marines, when embarked
Complement:	14 officers, 210 enlisted

Newport-class tank-landing ships are an improved class of tank-landing ship (LST) designed for the United States Navy. The ships were intended to provide substantial advantages over their World War II-era predecessors. Twenty were completed, of which twelve were eventually sold to foreign navies, while the remaining eight have since been decommissioned.

Twenty ships of the Newport tank landing ship class were built to replace the traditional bow door design LST.

The Newport class has higher speeds and trimmer lines than the LSTs of World War II. The vessels have two huge derricks used to extend and retract a bow ramp. The 110-foot (34 m) ramp has a 75-ton capacity.

The Newport class is the first amphibious ship to be fitted with an internal side propulsion unit located below the waterline near the bow. The bow thruster allows the bow to be pushed from side to side while the stern remains nearly stationary.

This class of LST also has a stern gate. It allows them to load and launch amphibious assault vehicles, and permits sterngate matings with Landing Craft Utility (LCU) units.

USS San Bernardino (LST-1189) during a landing exercise in 1979.

The USS Frederick (LST-1184) with its bow ramp dropped to take on U.S. Marines and equipment.

Aft view of Spartanburg County returning from Operation Desert Storm, 1991.

Racine bow view with bow ramp sitting on deck.

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