amphibious command ship
{{Short description|Type of amphibious warfare ship used for command and control}}
{{For |the unrelated Landing Craft, Control (LCC) used in WWII|Landing craft}}
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{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
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{{Infobox ship image | Ship image = USS Mount Whitney (LCC-JCC 20) in Souda Bay.jpg | Ship caption = USS Mount Whitney }} {{Infobox ship class overview | Name = Blue Ridge Class | Builders =*Philadelphia Naval Shipyard - LCC 19
| Operators = United States Navy | Class before = | Class after = | Subclasses = | Cost = | Built range = | In commission range = 1970 - Present | Total ships building = | Total ships planned = | Total ships completed = 2 | Total ships cancelled = | Total ships active = 2 | Total ships laid up = | Total ships lost = | Total ships retired = | Total ships scrapped = | Total ships preserved = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = | Ship type = | Ship displacement = 18,874 long tons (19,176.89 metric tons) full load | Ship length = {{convert|634|ft|abbr=on}} | Ship beam = {{convert|108|ft|abbr=on}} | Ship draft = {{convert|26|ft|9|in|abbr=on}} full load | Ship propulsion = Two boilers, one geared turbine, one shaft; {{convert|22,000|hp|abbr=on}} | Ship speed = {{convert|23|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}} | Ship range = {{convert|13,000|nmi|km mi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|16|kn|km/h}} | Ship complement = 720 enlisted, 23 officers | Ship sensors = | Ship EW = | Ship armament = | Ship armour = | Ship armor = | Ship aircraft = All helicopters except the CH-53 Sea Stallion can be carried | Ship aircraft facilities = | Ship notes = }} |
An amphibious command ship (LCC) of the United States Navy is a large, special-purpose ship, originally designed to command large amphibious invasions. However, as amphibious invasions have become unlikely,{{Cite web |title=The questionable future of amphibious assault |url=https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-questionable-future-of-amphibious-assault/ |access-date=2023-08-19 |website=Brookings |language=en-US}} they are now used as general command ships, and serve as floating headquarters for the various combatant commands. Currently, they are assigned to the 6th and 7th Fleets as flagships.
Active ships
- USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19){{cite journal|title=Blue Ridge Again Serves As Flagship For Seventh Fleet|journal=Defense Daily|date=28 September 2004|volume=223|issue=62|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-123870716.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011021455/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-123870716.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 October 2017|issn=0889-0404}}
- USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20)
Previous ships
{{USS|Mount McKinley|AGC-7}} was the lead ship of the previous class of amphibious force command ships. She was designed as an amphibious force flagship, a floating command post with advanced communications equipment and extensive combat information spaces to be used by the amphibious forces commander and landing force commander during large-scale operations.
World War II
In World War II this type of ship was termed Amphibious Force Flagship (AGC).
It was not a specific ship class, but rather one that had appropriate radio capabilities and space for command operations. Typically a merchant ship under construction would be completed as an Amphibious Force Flagship, but some ships were refitted for this purpose.
- {{USS|Ancon|AGC-4}}, former AP-66
- {{USCGC|Duane|WAGC-6}}, former WPG-33
- {{USS|Biscayne|AGC-18}}, former AVP-11
- {{USCGC|Taney|WAGC-37}}, former WPG-37
The original meaning of AGC was based on the General Auxiliary class of miscellaneous unclassified vessels AG and sub-class C, with 3 possible meanings; Command, Control, or Communications, but it became an anacronym, since all AGCs were called Amphibious Force Flagships.
The British used the term Landing Ship Infantry (Headquarters) for this type of ship.
See also
- {{slink|List of United States Navy amphibious warfare ships#Amphibious Force Flagship (AGC)}}
- {{slink|List of United States Navy amphibious warfare ships#Amphibious Command Ship (LCC)}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20050527203405/http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4200&tid=500&ct=4 U.S. Navy Factfile]
- [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/lcc-19.htm LCC 19 Blue Ridge class] at GlobalSecurity.org
- [https://books.google.com/books?id=8MwyTX-iA2wC&lpg=PP1&pg=PP1 p177 AGC ships of the U.S. fleet]
- [https://books.google.com/books?id=oWX-x0b4pw4C p261 U.S. amphibious ships and craft: Command and Control]
Category:Naval ships of the United States
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