Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship

The Tarawa class was a ship class of Landing Helicopter Assault (LHA) type amphibious assault ships operated by the United States Navy. Five ships were built by Ingalls Shipbuilding at its yard in Pascagoula, Mississippi, between 1971 and 1980. The lead ship, Tarawa, was approved for construction in fiscal year 1969, and Congress ordered two more ships of the class in the 1970 and 1971 fiscal years. Another four ships were planned but later cancelled, and the Wasp-class amphibious assault ships joined the Tarawas in their place. As of March 2015 all of the vessels had been decommissioned, and the America-class amphibious assault ships have replaced them from 2014 onward while the Wasp class remains in service.