page_title: United States Navy ships
section_title: Dock landing ships
hierarchical_section_title: United States Navy ships / Amphibious warfare ships / Dock landing ships
caption_attribution_description: 090131-N-6692A-004 EAST CHINA SEA () The amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) is participating in Exercise Cobra Gold 09. Cobra Gold is an annual Thailand and United States co-sponsored coalition military exercise designed to train Thai, U.S. and Singaporean task force personnel.
context_page_description: The names of commissioned ships of the United States Navy all start with USS, for "United States Ship". Non-commissioned, primarily civilian-manned vessels of the U.S. Navy under the Military Sealift Command have names that begin with USNS, standing for "United States Naval Ship". A letter-based hull classification symbol is used to designate a vessel's type. The names of ships are selected by the Secretary of the Navy. The names are those of states, cities, towns, important persons, important locations, famous battles, fish, and ideals. Usually, different types of ships have names originated from different types of sources.
  Modern aircraft carriers and submarines use nuclear reactors for power. See United States naval reactors for information on classification schemes and the history of nuclear-powered vessels.
  Modern cruisers, destroyers and frigates are called surface combatants and act mainly as escorts for aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships, auxiliaries and civilian craft, but the largest ones have gained a land attack role through the use of cruise missiles and a population defense role through missile defense.
context_section_description: Dock landing ships, also known as landing ship, dock or LSD, are amphibious warfare ships with well docks to transport and launch landing craft and amphibious vehicles. Some ships with well decks, such as the Soviet Ivan Rogov class, also have bow doors to enable them to deliver vehicles directly onto a beach (like a Landing Ship, Tank). Modern dock landing ships also operate helicopters.
  A ship with a well deck (docking well) can transfer cargo to landing craft in rougher seas than a ship that has to use cranes or a stern ramp. The US Navy hull classification symbol for a ship with a well deck depends on its facilities for aircraft - a (modern) LSD has a helicopter deck, a LPD also has a hangar, and a LHD or LHA has a full-length flight deck.
  Whidbey Island class (8 in active service)
  Harpers Ferry class (4 in active service)
caption: USS Harpers Ferry, a United States Navy dock landing ship
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