Танкодесантные корабли типа "Ньюпорт": служба и модернизация

US Navy tank landing ship class in service 1969 to 2002

Newport class tank landing ships were an improved class of tank landing ship (LST) designed for and employed by the United States Navy from 1969 to 2002. The ships were intended to provide substantial advantages over their World War II era predecessors. Larger and faster than any previous LST design, they carried a ramp over the bow that allowed them to surpass , a goal of the United States amphibious forces. 27 were planned of which twenty were completed, the high number due to the demands of US force projection estimates. However, the arrival of the air cushioned landing craft which allowed for over the horizon attacks made the class obsolete in the eyes of the United States Navy. Placed in reserve, twelve were eventually sold to foreign navies, while the remaining eight have since been decommissioned.

The Newport class were designed under project SCB 247 to meet the goal put forward by the United States amphibious forces to have a tank landing ship (LST) capable of over However, the traditional bow door form for LSTs would not be capable of such speed. Therefore, the designers of the Newport class came up with a design of a traditional ship hull with a 112 feet (34 m) aluminum ramp slung over the bow supported by two derrick arms. The ramp was capable of sustaining loads up to This made the Newport class the first to depart from the standard LST design that had been developed in early World War II. LSTs of the Newport class had a displacement of when light and at full load. They were 522 feet (159 m) long overall and 562 feet (171 m) over the derrick arms which protruded past the bow. They had a beam of 69 feet (21 m), a draft forward of 11 feet (3 m) and 17 feet (5 m) at the stern at full load. The first three ships of the class were fitted with six General Motors 16 645 ES diesel engines, while the remainder of the class were fitted with six ALCO 16 251 diesel engines turning two shafts, three to each shaft. The system was rated at and gave the ships a maximum speed of for short periods and could only sustain for an extended length of time. The LSTs carried of diesel fuel for a range of at the cruising speed of The ships were also equipped with a bow thruster to allow for better maneuvering near causeways and to hold position while offshore during the unloading of amphibious vehicles. The Newport class were larger and faster than previous LSTs and were able to transport tanks, heavy vehicles and engineer groups and supplies that were too large for helicopters or smaller landing craft to carry. The LSTs have a ramp forward of the superstructure that connects the lower tank deck with the main deck and a passage large enough to allow access to the parking area amidships. The vessels are also equipped with a stern gate to allow the unloading of amphibious vehicles directly into the water or to unload onto a utility landing craft (LCU) or pier. At either end of the tank deck there is a 30 feet (9 m) turntable that permits vehicles to turn around without having to reverse. The Newport class has the capacity for of vehicles, of cargo area and could carry up to 431 troops. The vessels also have davits for four vehicle and personnel landing craft (LCVPs) and could carry four pontoon causeway sections along the sides of the hull. The Newport class were initially armed with four Mark 33 /50 caliber guns in two twin turrets. They were equipped with two Mk 63 gun control fire systems (GCFS) for the 3 inch guns, but these were removed in 1977–1978. They also had SPS 10 surface search radar. Atop the stern gate, the vessels mounted a helicopter deck. They had a maximum complement of 213 including 11 officers.

The first vessel of the class, Newport was ordered as part of Fiscal Year (FY) 1965. The next eight were authorized in FY 1966, followed by eleven in 1967. The first three LSTs were constructed by Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the remaining seventeen by National Steel and Shipbuilding of San Diego, California. Seven more were ordered in FY 1971, but these were later deferred, then canceled. Beginning in FY 1981, ships of the class were transferred to the Naval Reserve Force. By 1994, the 3 inch guns had been removed as a weight saving measure. The 1987 introduction of LCACs — which allowed the United States Navy to launch over the horizon amphibious landings — made the Newport class obsolete, but they remained with the fleet for another decade because they were the only means by which the hundreds of thousands of gallons of motor vehicle fuel needed by a Marine Expeditionary Force could be landed. Only the development of tankers with the Offshore Petroleum Discharge System (OPDS) and the later development of special fuel bladders which gave the LCACs a tanker capability allowed for their retirement.

Newport class Hull No. Ship name Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Decommissioned Fate LST 1179 NewportPhiladelphia Naval Shipyard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1 November 1966 3 February 1968 7 June 19691992Sold to Mexican Navy as ARM Papaloapan LST 1180 Manitowoc 1 February 1967 4 June 1969 24 January 19701993 Sold to Republic of China Navy in Taiwan as Chung Ho LST 1181 Sumter 14 November 1967 13 December 1969 20 June 1970 1993 Sold to Republic of China Navy in Taiwan as Chung Ping LST 1182 Fresno National Steel and Shipbuilding, San Diego, California 16 December 1967 28 September 1968 22 November 1969 1993 Disposed of in support of fleet training exercise, 15 September 2014 LST 1183 Peoria 22 February 1968 23 November 1968 21 February 1970 1994 Disposed of in support of fleet training exercise, 7 December 2004 LST 1184 Frederick 13 April 1968 8 March 1969 11 April 1970 2002 Sold to Mexican Navy as ARM Usumacinta on 22 November 2002 LST 1185 Schenectady 2 August 1968 24 May 1969 13 June 1970 1993 Disposed of in support of fleet training exercise on 13 November 2004 LST 1186 Cayuga 28 September 1968 12 July 1969 8 August 1970 1994 Sold to Brazilian Navy as Mattoso Maia, decommissioned in 2023. LST 1187 Tuscaloosa 23 November 1968 6 September 1969 24 October 1970 1993 Sunk as target, July 2014 LST 1188 Saginaw 24 May 1969 7 February 1970 23 January 1971 1994 Sold to Royal Australian Navy as , 1994 LST 1189 San Bernardino 12 July 1969 28 March 1970 27 March 1971 1995 Sold to Chilean Navy to as Valdivia LST 1190 Boulder 6 September 1969 22 May 1970 4 June 1971 1994 Towed to Brownsville for scrapping 16 March 2022. LST 1191 Racine 13 December 1969 15 August 1970 9 July 1971 1993 Sunk as a target on 12 July 2018 LST 1192 Spartanburg County 7 February 1970 11 November 1970 1 September 1971 1994 Sold to Royal Malaysian Navy as KD Sri Inderapura LST 1193 Fairfax County 28 March 1970 19 December 1970 16 October 1971 1994 Sold to Royal Australian Navy as , 1994 LST 1194 La Moure County 22 May 1970 13 February 1971 18 December 1971 2000 Disposed of in support of fleet training exercise on 10 July 2001 LST 1195 Barbour County 15 August 1970 15 May 1971 12 February 1972 1992 Disposed of in support of fleet training exercise on 6 April 2004 LST 1196 Harlan County 7 November 1970 24 July 1971 8 April 1972 1995 Sold to Spanish Navy as Pizarro, decommissioned in 2012 LST 1197 Barnstable County 19 December 1970 2 October 1971 27 May 1972 1994 Sold to Spanish Navy as Hernán Cortés, decommissioned in 2009 LST 1198 Bristol County 13 February 1971 4 December 1971 5 August 1972 1994 Sold to Royal Moroccan Navy as Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah

Two LSTs were acquired by the Royal Australian Navy in 1994; Sagainaw on 25 August and Fairfax County on 27 September. Renamed Kanimbla and Manoora, the two vessels underwent conversion in May 1995 at Forgacs Shipbuilding, Newcastle, New South Wales. The LSTs were significantly modified by removing their bow ramps and adding another deck over the bow of the ship, allowing for a third landing spot and increased aviation fuel capacity. Over the new deck two LCM 8 landing craft are carried when the third landing spot is not used, handled by a 70 ton crane. Improved medical facilities were constructed. A hangar was installed aft, allowing for the stowage of four Seahawk helicopters. Both ships were based at Sydney, Australia. The two vessels were taken out of service in 2011 and replaced by and the s.

Valdivia Pennant No. Ship name Commissioned Decommissioned Fate 93 Chilean landing ship Valdivia 30 September 1995 14 January 2011

The Royal Malaysian Navy acquired one Newport class LST from the United States on 16 December 1994. A second was to be leased in 1998, but the option was not taken up. Spartanburg County arrived in Malaysia in June 1995 and was renamed KD Sri Inderapura. The vessel was refit between 1995 and 1998 at Johore. On 15 December 2002, the ship was damaged by fire. On 8 October 2009, while berthed at the Lumut Naval Base, Sri Inderapura caught fire and sank. The vessel was later raised. Sri Inderapura was officially decommissioned by the Royal Malaysian Navy on 21 January 2010.

Sri Inderapura Pennant No. Ship name Commissioned Decommissioned Fate 1505 KD Sri Inderapura 1995 21 January 2010 Caught fire and sank on 8 October 2009.

Mexico acquired two ships from the United States. Newport was purchased on 18 January 2001 and renamed Sonora by the Mexican Navy, before becoming Rio Papaloapan. Frederick was purchased on 9 December 2002 and renamed Usumacinta. Rio Papaloapan is based at Tampico and Usumacinta at Manzanillo.

Newport class Hull No. Ship name Commissioned Decommissioned Fate A411 (ex A 04) ARM Rio Papaloapan (ex Sonora) 23 May 2001 A412 ARM Usumacinta 9 December 2002

The Royal Moroccan Navy acquired one ship from the United States as a grant transfer on 16 August 1994. Bristol County was renamed Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah upon entering Moroccan service. The LST was acquired to replace the aging Moroccan transport Arrafiq. By late 1995, Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah was considered non operational but was later returned to service.

Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah Pennant No. Ship name Commissioned Decommissioned Fate 407 Moroccan landing ship Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah 1995 2010 Sunk as a target in May 2013

Two ships were leased by the Spanish Navy from the United States. The first, Barnstable County was recommissioned into the Spanish Navy on 26 August 1994 and renamed Hernán Cortés. The second, Harlan County, recommissioned on 14 April 1995 and was renamed Pizarro. Both ships were based at Rota, Spain. Hernán Cortés was initially to be decommissioned in 2006, but continued until 2009, when the vessel was taken out of service. The LST was scrapped at Arinaga, Gran Canaria, Spain in 2014. Pizarro was decommissioned in December 2012 and sold for scrap in February 2016 and was broken up in El Puerto de Santa Maria beginning in March.

Newport class Hull No. Ship name Commissioned Decommissioned Fate L 41 Spanish landing ship Hernán Cortés 26 August 1994 2009 Broken up for scrap at Arinaga, Gran Canaria, Spain 2014 L 42 Spanish landing ship Pizarro 14 April 1995 December 2012 Broken up for scrap in Cadiz, Spain in March 2016

Two ships were leased by the Republic of China Navy (ROCN) from the United States on 1 July 1995. Manitowoc and Sumter were taken to Newport News Shipbuilding and refitted before being recommissioned into the ROCN on 8 May 1997 and renamed Chung Ho and Chung Ping respectively. The two ships were purchased on 29 September 2000.

Newport class Hull No. Ship name Commissioned Decommissioned Fate 232 ROCS Chung Ho 8 May 1997 233 ROCS Chung Ping