USS SAN DIEGO (LPD 22)

USS San Diego is the sixth ship in the San Antonio class of amphibious transport dock ships (LPD). San Diego is the fourth ship named after the Southern California city, but the first homeported there. She is currently the only U.S. Navy ship in the fleet homeported in her namesake city.

San Diego’s keel was laid on May 23, 2007 in Huntington Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss. In honor of naval custom, coins and tokens were placed in the keel, in particular 7 pennies and 3 nickels, a total of 22 cents, all with dates significant in the city of San Diego’s history.

The ship was completed and delivered to the Navy Dec. 19, 2011 and the first crew, the plankowners, moved aboard Jan. 4, 2012. After months of training and familiarization with the ship’s numerous new systems and equipment, San Diego sailed away Mar. 15, 2012. After passing through the Panama Canal, the ship entered San Diego harbor for the first time Apr. 6, 2012. She was placed into formal service to the fleet at Navy Pier in downtown San Diego May 19, 2012.

Characteristics:

Length: 684 ft (208.5 m)
Beam: 105 ft (31.9 m)
Displacement: 25K Long Tons
Sustained Speed: 22+ knots
Crew: 360 Sailors (330 Enlisted, 30 Officers) and 3 Marines
Troop Accommodations: 699 troops, surge total 800
Main Propulsion: 4 Sequentially turbo-charged diesel, 2 shafts
Ship Weapons:
MK 31 Rolling Airframe Missile launchers
MK 46 30mm guns
MK 26 .50 caliber machine guns
Medical Capability:
24 beds (ward and ICU)
2 Operating Rooms - Medical
2 Operating Rooms - Dental

Mission:

Amphibious ships are designed with a well deck in the afterpart of the ship. The ship will ballast her stern to either completely flood the well deck for launching or recovering conventional landing craft or only partially for a Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC). LPDs have extensive cargo areas to stow vehicles and gear required by a Marine Expeditionary Unit to conduct a wide-variety of landing missions.

America’s expeditionary warships with their Marine Expeditionary Units (Special Operations Capable) (MEU [SOC]) execute multi-mission requirements, exploiting strategic maneuverability in a sea-based environment.

Amphibious ships are also valuable assets in humanitarian missions with exceptional health services facilities, flight and small boat transfers capabilities and fresh-water production.