USS Bataan LHD-5

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USS Bataan (LHD-5) is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship in the United States Navy. The ship is named for the Battle of Bataan in the Philippines, during World War II.

Christening

Ship's sponsor, Linda Sloan Mundy, wife of former Marine Corps Commandant Gen Carl E. Mundy, Jr., christened the new ship "in the name of the United States and in honor of the heroic defenders of Bataan." at Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi. More than 100 members of veterans groups associated with both the Battle of Bataan and the infamous "Bataan Death March" that followed, as well as the Battle of Corregidor, and the aircraft carrier Bataan (CVL-29), were at the christening ceremony. She was commissioned on 20 September 1997.[citation needed]

History

Sailors assigned to Bataan assist in the unfolding of a flag that was flying over the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001, during a ceremony in 2008

2001 to 2003: Operation Enduring Freedom

The USS Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) were the first ships to respond after the 11 September 2001 attacks. The ship was home on leave during the attack and was scheduled to be deployed on 19 September 2001. The crew was called back from early leave and the ship headed for New York Harbor, as she is capable of acting as a 600-bed hospital ship with surgical suites on board. Once it was determined there were few survivors,[clarification needed] Bataan returned to Norfolk, Virginia. The ship's crew prepared and onloaded the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit with gear both pierside in Norfolk, and off the coast of North Carolina from Cherry Point and Camp Lejeune. The Bataan ARG delivered more than 2,500 Marines and their equipment to Pakistan with the aim to enter Afghanistan, thus opening Operation Enduring Freedom. The Bataan ARG stayed on station off the coast of Pakistan and completed the longest sustained amphibious assault in U.S. history with sailors not touching ground for over four months.[citation needed]

2003 to 2007: The Iraq War

Bataan was one of many vessels in the Middle East region at the beginning of the Iraq War on or about 20 March 2003. After delivering her attack and transport helicopters, troops, and vehicles she was employed as a "Harrier Carrier" with primary duties supporting two Marine AV-8B Harrier II squadrons along with USS Bonhomme Richard.[2] She has made two deployments to the region since the invasion. For her third deployment, she joined the Fifth Fleet in the Gulf region, transiting the Suez Canal into the Red Sea on 30 January 2007.[citation needed]

Bataan provided relief to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. She was positioned near New Orleans prior to Katrina making landfall, and began relief operations on 30 August. The ship's helicopters were among the first to provide damage assessment. They went on to transport over 1,600 displaced persons. Bataan delivered more than 100,000 pounds (45,000 kg) of cargo and 8,000 U.S. gallons (30,000 liters) of fresh water to the area. The ship served as a base for two fly-away medical teams, consisting of 84 medical professionals, who provided emergency medical care in New Orleans.[citation needed]

2005: Evaluation of V-22 Osprey

Bataan served as a naval testbed for evaluation of the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft in September 2005. This work included OPEVAL II operational and live fire tests and was accomplished with a total of eight Ospreys.

2008: Hurricane Gustav

Early in September 2008, Bataan participated in the HURREX exercise where the U.S. Second Fleet directed tests designed to evaluate the ship's ability to respond to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief needs during the 2008 hurricane season. She was ordered to be prepared to deploy in the event that the Navy is directed to provide assistance to civilian authorities after Hurricane Gustav came ashore.[4]

2008: Controversial use as a prison ship

In June 2008, the UK-based human rights organization Reprieve issued a report that listed Bataan as one of up to 17 ships they believed were used to imprison terrorism suspects.[5]

On 2 June 2008, The Guardian reported that "The US has admitted that Bataan and Peleliu were used as prison ships between December 2001 and January 2002".[6]

2010: Haiti earthquake

On 13 January 2010, Bataan was ordered to assist in the humanitarian relief efforts following the 2010 Haiti earthquake.[7] She was deployed to Grand-Goâve and returned home 1 April 2010.[8]

2011: Libya and Italy

On 23 March 2011, Bataan was deployed to Italy to assist in enforcing the no-fly zone over Libya.[citation needed]

2014: Air Campaign in Iraq

During the 2014 air campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, AV-8B Harriers from Bataan participated in reconnaissance missions and at least one air strike, including the first use of Marine Corps ordnance against an ISIS-controlled target.[9]

2016: Mark VI patrol boat operations

In May 2016, Bataan conducted well deck operations with the Mark VI patrol boat, demonstrating the capability to launch and dock the 85 ft patrol boat with an amphibious assault ship. This was the first time the Mark VI operated out of an LHD and the second time it operated out of a well deck overall. [10]

2020: Increasing Iran's threat and tensions

After killing Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), commander of the Quds Force, which is designated a terrorist organization by the United States, the Bataan was retasked to head to the Middle East to be on standby for operations.[11]

Awards

National Defense Service Medal

Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal with three (3) service stars

Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

Humanitarian Service Medal with service star

General characteristics

Type: Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) amphibious assault ship

Displacement: 40,500 long tons (41,150 t) full load

Length: 843 ft (257 m)

Beam: 104 ft (31.8 m)

Draft: 27 ft (8.1 m)

Propulsion: Two boilers, two geared steam turbines, two shafts, 70,000 shp (52,000 kW);

Speed: 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)

Range: 9,500 nautical miles (17,600 km; 10,900 mi) at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)

Well deck dimensions: 266-by-50-foot (81 by 15.2 m) by 28-foot (8.5 m) high

Boats & landing

craft carried:

3 Landing Craft Air Cushion or

2 Landing Craft Utility[1] or

12 Landing Craft Mechanized

Troops: 1,687 troops (plus 184 surge) Marine Detachment

Complement: 1,208

Sensors and

processing systems:

1 AN/SPS-49 2-D Air Search Radar

1 AN/SPS-48 3-D Air Search Radar

1 AN/SPS-67 Surface Search Radar

1 Mk23 Target Acquisition System (TAS)

1 AN/SPN-43 Marshalling Air Traffic Control Radar

1 AN/SPN-35 Air Traffic Control Radar

1 AN/URN-25 TACAN system

1 AN/UPX-24 Identification Friend Foe

Armament:

Two RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile launchers

Two RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missile launchers

Two 20 mm Phalanx CIWS systems

Three 25 mm Mk 38 chain guns

Four .50 BMG machine guns

Aircraft carried:

Actual mix depends on the mission

Standard Complement:

6 AV-8B Harrier II attack aircraft

or

6 F-35B Lightning II stealth strike-fighters

4 AH-1W /Z Super Cobra /Viper attack helicopter

12 MV-22B Osprey assault support tiltrotor

4 CH-53E Super Stallion heavy-lift helicopters

3–4 UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters

Assault:

22+ MV-22B Osprey assault support tiltrotor

Sea Control:

20 AV-8B Harrier II attack aircraft

or

20 F-35B Lightning II stealth strike-fighters

6 SH-60F/HH-60H ASW helicopters