USS Wasp to arrive in Sasebo
YOKOSUKA, Japan – The U.S. Navy announced today the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LDH 1) will arrive in Sasebo to join the Forward Deployed Naval Forces (FDNF) shortly.
As announced in October 2016, the forward deployment of Wasp, a Wasp-Class amphibious assault ship, is a part of the U.S. Navy’s long-range plan to send the most advanced and capable units to the Asia-Pacific region.
Commanded by Captain John C. Howard, the ship measures 253 meters (844 feet) in length and displaces roughly 40,532 tons. Her crew consists of approximately 1,100 crewmembers and is capable of embarking approximately 1,600 troops.
USS Wasp was recently modernized to accommodate the Marine Corps variant of the Joint Strike Fighter (F-35B), which is capable of Short Take-off Vertical Landing (STOVL), enabling it to operate out of a wide range of bases, both afloat and ashore.
Wasp has also received upgrades to the combat systems suite.
The rotation is the latest move in the Navy’s ongoing effort, a plan to put the most advanced and capable units forward in order to support the United States’ commitment to the defense of its allies and the security and stability of the Indo-Asia Pacific region.
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This Post's News source is Stripes Japan
by: Mito Iinuma, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Japan Public Affairs Office | . .published: January 13, 2018