America (LHA 6) Sails the Gulf

The America (LHA 6) Amphibious Assault Ship, built by Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, MS, sails the Gulf of Mexico on builder's sea trials, Nov. 7-9, 2013. An LHA is 844 feet long with a 106-foot beam. It weighs 44,854 tons and takes approximately five years to build. The large deck ships are the centerpiece of an Amphibious Ready Group used to transport Marine Expeditionary Units and their equipment. LHA 6 is the first ship in its class built without a well deck. The ships have a crew of 1,204 and can transport up to 1,800 troops and their equipment. America (LHA 6) is nearly three football fields in length and is 20 stories high from its keel to the top of its deckhouse. It has 2 acres of flight deck.