The USS New York
November 9, 2009

USS NEW YORK (LPD-21) is the newest entry to the U.S. Navy's fleet of
San Antonio-class LPD (Landing Platform, Dock) warships.

On Nov. 9, 2009, my daughter Eileen & I went into NYC to see the USS New York. It was docked at Pier 88 on exhibit through Veteran's Day.

THE CREST OF THE USS NEW YORK

**Seven rays of sunlight signify the crown atop the Statue of Liberty and the Seven Seas
*Central focus placed on the Twin Towers and the bow of the ship,
forged from Twin Towers steel
**Breastplate of the phoenix bears the colors of the first responders from the NY Police Dept, NY Fire Dept, and Port Authority of NY & NJ
**Blood drops represent the fallen
*3 stars for those earned by the battleship USS New York (BB34) in World War II at Iwo Jima, Okinawa and North Africa

The LPD of the 21st century is state-of-the-art in design & technology, superseding 4 older classes of amphibious landing craft. It has a speed in excess of 22 knots.

Upon arrival in NY, the Ship paused at Ground Zero for a 21-gun salute. (OL Pic)

Me across from the ship

You were required to go through a security check and metal detector

prior to entry to the pier and ship.

LEFT: The bow was forged of 7.5 tons of steel from the Twin Towers.
RIGHT: Under construction at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems’ shipyard in Avondale, LA

Her keel was laid in August 2004

When Hurricane Katrina hit in Aug 2005, 1,200 shipyard workers opted to keep on working!

She was christened at Northrop Grumman's Avondale, Louisiana shipyard on March 1, 2008 (OL Pics)

The bow of the ship as we passed by.

From the dock, nearing the entrance to ship looking up towards the front.

A view in the opposite direction of the rear of ship.

Boarding platform.

Ships length is 684 ft.
Besides all the military equipment, the ship has 4 Operating Rooms (2 medical and 2 dental) plus a 24-person Hospital Ward/ICU as well as crews quarters.
Crew 360 Sailors (28 officers), 3 Marines Troups-699 (66 officers);
surge to 800 total!

As force-projection platforms, USS NEW YORK and her sister LPDs are designed and equipped to operate with maximum stealth and tactical flexibility.

HER COMPONENTS INCLUDE:
The V-22 tilt-rotor Osprey aircraft
Three types of helicopters
14 Expeditionary fighting vehicles (EFVs) and/or several air-cushioned landing craft (LCACs) for across-the-beach deployments of US Marine Corps
and Special Forces personnel
Power plant 4 Colt-Pielstick diesel engines, 2 shafts, 40,000 hp

The ship is loaded with all sorts of vehicles and equipment for battle.

We were surprised to see that people were allowed to climb all over them!

The ship will carry up to 14 expeditionary fighting vehicles (EFVs) like this one above. (OL Pic)

THERE ARE 3 VEHICLE DECKS ON BOARD

ME - Standing on the ramp to the well deck where
two Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) Transports dock.

The ship lowers it's ramp and the vehicles exit directly into the water.

The Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) Transports weapons systems, equipment, cargo and personnel of the assault elements of the Marine Air/Ground Task Force. The LCAC is a high-speed, over-the-beach fully amphibious landing craft capable of carrying a 60-75 ton payload. (OL Pic)

NOTE the size comparison between the men on board!

The LCAC rides on a cushion of air supplied by 4 centrifugal fans driven by the craft's gas turbine engines. The air is enclosed by a flexible skirt system of rubberized canvas. No portion of the LCAC hull structure penetrates the water surface; the entire hull rides approx 4 ft above the surface. (OL Pic)

The LCAC can carry heavy payloads at high speeds. Their payload and speed mean more forces reach the shore in shorter time, with shorter intervals between trips.

One of the large double-blade fans on the LCACs

The HMMWV (High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle) is a light, highly mobile, diesel-powered, 4-wheel drive vehicle. Based on the M998 chassis, using common components and kits, the HMMWV can be configured to become a troop carrier, armament carrier, S250 shelter carrier, ambulance, TOW missile carrier, and a Scout vehicle. It has a deep-water fording package for water crossings.

All HMMWVs are extremely effective in the most difficult terrain. The HMMWV’s high power-to-weight ratio, four-wheel drive and high ground clearance combine to give it outstanding cross-country mobility.

We are standing on one of the LCACs looking back up into the ship.

Eileen & Me with the 2 LCACs behind us.

The ship carries three different types of helicopters. This one was huge.

Same helicopter from opposite side with upper level of ship behind.

Eileen trying out a seat on the big helicopter.

Me standing next to a smaller helicopter.

The V-22 Osprey is a tilt-rotor aircraft developed by Boeing and Bell Helicopters.

It operates as a helicopter when taking off and landing vertically. The nacelles rotate 90° forward once airborne, converting into a turboprop aircraft.

The aircraft can provide VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) with a payload of 24 troops or 6,000 lbs of cargo at 430nm combat range, or VTOL with a payload of 8,300 lbs of cargo for a range of 220nn (Pic on right only is OL Pic)

Another helicopter.

Advanced Enclosed Mast/Sensor - there are two. This one on the rear of ship and another up front. By enclosing major antennas and other sensitive equipment, the AEM/S System protects them from the weather. This reduces maintenance, as well as providing significantly reduced radar signature.

Eileen in a smaller helicopter.

Instrument panel for the above helicopter.

Me standing by the flag.

Name across back of ship.
The ship is named for the City of New York,
not the State, as some mistakenly think.

Flag at half mast in memory of those lost.

Understandably, these were the only areas of the ship we were permitted to tour.

The following pics are from a Memorial on one of the decks

Flag draped on the edge of table.

When the WTC collapsed, its 30 ft American Flag was destroyed by the falling debris. On the 9/11 Anniversary 2008, residents of Greensburg, Kansas, a town 95% destroyed by an F5 tornado, stitched the flag back together using flags salvaged from the tornado. The ongoing restoration and display of the National 9/11 Flag is being made possible by THE NEW YORK SAYS THANK YOU FOUNDATION www.NewYorkSaysThankYou.org

On Thursday, Nov. 12, the only warship with the motto
"Never Forget" emblazoned on her bridge deck,
departed for Atlantic Fleet headquarters in Norfolk, VA for full time duty with the US Navy Fleet.

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Still in construction are the other two ships: the soon-to-be USS ARLINGTON (LPD-24) named for the Virginia county in which the Pentagon is located, and the USS SOMERSET (LPD-25) named for the Pennsylvania county where American Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a field.

All three ships will go to sea with steel in their bows that was salvaged and re-formed from all three terrorists attack sites: LPD-24's from the Pentagon building's structural girders, LPD-25's from the meltdown of a crane used to excavate the airliner wreckage.
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