The U.S. Navy’s newest amphibious transport dock ship, USS Somerset docked during week-long commissioning events in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Somerset was commissioned during a formal ceremony at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia, March 1. She is the ninth San Antonio-class amphibious dock and was built at Northrop Grumman’s Avondale shipyard.
The 24,900-ton ship is designed to launch helicopters, tilt-rotor aircraft and assault watercraft, and can accomodate up to 800 Marines. Somerset will provide improved warfighting capabilities, including an advanced command-and-control suite, increased lift-capability in vehicle and cargo-carrying capacity and advanced ship-survivability features.
The ship will be homeported in San Diego.
[mappress] Press Release, March 6, 2014, 2014; Image: Lance Davis