USS Ashland (LSD-48)
Displacement: 11,149 tons (light) 16,883 tons (full)
Length: 610 ft (190 m)
Beam: 84 ft (26 m)
Draft: 21 ft (6.4 m)
Propulsion: 4 Colt Industries, 16-cylinder diesel engines, 2 shafts, 33,000 shp (25 MW)
Speed: 20+ knots (37+ km/h)
Boats and landing
craft carried: 4 LCACs or 21 LCM-6 or up to 36 Amphibious Assault Vehicles AAV
Capacity: on deck: one LCM-6, two LCPL and one LCVP
Troops: Marine detachment: 402 + 102 surge
Complement: 22 officers, 391 enlisted
Armament: 2 × 25 mm Mk 38 cannons
2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS mounts
2 × Rolling Airframe Missile
6 × .50 caliber M2HB machine guns
The MK 38’s should make a mess of a skiff!
My son was on the Ashland for a brief time during their recent deployment. When he returned to the USS Nassau, the joke was that while they were at sea for 7 months, The somalis attack, get caught and get back to USA (for trial) before they do. Proof that crime does pay!