U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel visited officers and crew aboard the amphibious assault ship USS America on Wednesday, January 13th, 2015.
The ship is “one of the most sophisticated Navy platforms we have,” said Hagel, during his speech in the ship’s hangar bay.
America is the first ship of its class, replacing the Tawara-class of amphibious assault ships. As the next generation “big-deck” amphibious ship, America is optimized for aviation, capable of supporting current and future aircraft such as the tilt-rotor MV-22 Osprey and F-35B Joint Strike Fighter.
She is currently undergoing trials off the California Coast.
NavalToday Staff