BAE Systems to overhaul USS Wasp before Japan deployment

The U.S. Navy has awarded BAE Systems a $55.7 million modification to a previously awarded contract for the 2017 planned maintenance availability of USS Wasp (LHD-1).

A planned maintenance availability includes the planning and execution of depot-level maintenance, alterations, and modifications that will update and improve the ship’s military and technical capabilities.

According to the contract, BAE Systems is expected to complete the work by May 2017 and ahead of the Wasp’s homeport switch from Norfolk, Virginia, to Sasebo, Japan.

Once amphibious warship USS Wasp (LHD-1) becomes part of the U.S. 7th Fleet, it is scheduled to deploy as part of a new, improved, Expeditionary Strike Group that will combine a three-ship Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) with a three ship guided-missile destroyer surface action group (SAG).

USS Wasp has been recently modernized to accommodate the Marine Corps variant of the Joint Strike Fighter (F-35B), which is capable of Short Take-off Vertical Landing (STOVL), enabling it to operate out of a wide range of bases, both afloat and a shore.

The ship has also received upgrades to the combat systems suite to include upgrades to MK 2 Ship Self Defense System, SPQ-9B horizon search radar, MK 57 NATO Sea Sparrow missile system, and upgrades to the shipboard local area network (LAN) and data link capability.