Landing Platform, Helicopter
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A Landing Platform, Helicopter is a type of amphibious assault ship that is specifically designed to deliver troops into a war zone by helicopter, but which usually has a limited capability of landing troops by sea using small landing craft. These ships often resemble traditional aircraft Carriers, although they are invariably much smaller.
These ships are the descendants of the Royal Navy "commando carriers" such as HMS Bulwark and Albion of the post WWII period.
LPH is the US Navy hull classification symbol for Landing Platform, Helicopter—amphibious assault ships of the Iwo Jima class and two converted Ticonderoga class aircraft carriers. No ships of this classification are currently in active service with the United States Navy:
- (LPH-2) USS Iwo Jima
- (LPH-3) USS Okinawa
- (LPH-4) USS Boxer (ex CV-21)
- (LPH-5) USS Princeton (ex CV-37)
- (LPH-7) USS Guadalcanal
- (LPH-8) USS Valley Forge (ex CV-45)
- (LPH-9) USS Guam
- (LPH-10) USS Tripoli
- (LPH-11) USS New Orleans
- (LPH-12) USS Inchon
Note that there is another US Navy amphibious assault carrier named USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7), but they are entirely different vessels. The USS Iwo Jima in question is the only one of the LPH Iwo Jima class.
The Royal Navy has one active ship of this class, HMS Ocean (L12).
