Универсальный десантный корабль «Батан» (LHD 5)

Wasp class amphibious assault ship

Well deck dimensions: by high

USS Bataan (LHD 5) is a in the United States Navy. The ship is named after the Battle of Bataan, fought in the Philippines during World War II. The ship enables the U. S. Navy and U. S. Marine Corps team to seamlessly transition from the sea to a land battle, as the lead ship and centerpiece of an Amphibious Ready Group. She is capable of amphibious assault, advance force, and special purpose operations, as well as evacuation and humanitarian assistance. The ship effected the 2020 targeted killing of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the commander of the Quds Force, which is designated a terrorist organization by the United States.

Ship's sponsor, Linda Sloan Mundy, wife of former Marine Corps Commandant Gen Carl E. Mundy, Jr., christened the new ship "in the name of the United States and in honor of the heroic defenders of Bataan" at Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi. More than 100 members of veterans groups associated with both the Battle of Bataan and the infamous "Bataan Death March" that followed, as well as the Battle of Corregidor, and the aircraft carrier Bataan, were at the christening ceremony. She was launched on 15 March 1996, and commissioned on 20 September 1997. Her homeport is Norfolk, Virginia. The ship is capable of amphibious assault, advance force, and special purpose operations, as well as evacuation and humanitarian assistance.

In September 2008, Bataan participated in the HURREX exercise where the U. S. Second Fleet directed tests designed to evaluate the ship's ability to respond to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief needs during the 2008 hurricane season. She was ordered to be prepared to deploy in the event that the Navy was directed to provide assistance to civilian authorities after Hurricane Gustav came ashore.

In June 2008, the UK based human rights organization Reprieve issued a report that listed Bataan as one of up to 17 ships they believed were used to imprison terrorism suspects. On 2 June 2008, The Guardian reported that "The US had admitted that Bataan and Peleliu were used as prison ships between December 2001 and January 2002".

On 13 January 2010, Bataan was ordered to assist in the humanitarian relief efforts following the 7.0 magnitude 2010 Haiti earthquake. She was deployed to Grand Goâve, and returned home 1 April 2010.

On 23 March 2011, Bataan was deployed to Italy to assist in enforcing the no fly zone over Libya.

In May 2016, Bataan conducted well deck operations with the Mark VI patrol boat, demonstrating the capability to launch and dock the 85 ft patrol boat with an amphibious assault ship. This was the first time the Mark VI operated out of an LHD, and the second time it operated out of a well deck overall.

After effecting the targeted killing in 2020 of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the commander of the Quds Force, which is designated a terrorist organization by the United States, the Bataan was retasked to head to the Middle East to be on standby for operations.

On 19 January 2022, Bataan completed a 16 month maintenance at Norfolk.

As of 11 October 2023, Bataan, with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), along with Carter Hall, were ordered to leave exercises off Kuwait to potentially sail to the Mediterranean due to the ongoing Israel Hamas war.

In January 2024 during the Red Sea crisis one of the Harriers was modified for air defense; its pilot Captain Ehrhart is reported to have shot down seven Houthi suicide attack drones. In May 2024 Bataan, was part of Fleet Week at PortMiami