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US large-deck amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LDH-1)

The US large-deck amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LDH-1) departed from Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia on Aug. 30 en route to its new home port at Sasebo in southern Japan. The US Navy expects forward deployment of the ship, which carries the state-of-the-art F-35B stealth fighter, to improve its combat capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region.

With the Wasp’s regular deployment to Sasebo that day, the ship is set to alternate duties with fellow Wasp-class USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) as flagship carrier for the Seventh Fleet amphibious forces, the Navy said. The date of the Wasp’s arrival in Japan was not disclosed.

The Bonhomme Richard, which was deployed to Sasebo in Apr. 2012, has taken part in several joint South Korea-US amphibious exercises. The current plan is for it to remain anchored alongside the Wasp at Sasebo until next year, when it is to travel to Naval Base San Diego in California.

One of seven Wasp-class amphibious assault ships, the Wasp measures 257 meters long and 32 meters wide. The ship finished preparations to join the Seventh Fleet after six months of improvement work late last year. It is capable of carrying 31 aircraft, including F-35B Lightning II next-generation stealth fighters, which the US would deploy in the event of an emergency on the Korean Peninsula, along with transport and attack helicopters. It is set to perform a firepower support role, carrying an initial reinforcement of around 2,200 troops from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) in Okinawa in the event of a peninsula emergency.

The F-35B was deployed in Jan. 2017 with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 at Air Station Iwakuni in Japan’s Yamaguchi Prefecture, performing key Expeditionary Strike Group (ESP) functions with the 31st MEU during expeditionary operations. Four F-35B aircraft with the squadron took part in precision strike exercises at Pilsung Firing Range in Gangwon Province on Aug. 31, along with US B-1B strategic bombers on a sortie from Guam and the South Korean Air Force’s own F-15K aircraft.

By Jeon Jeong-yun, staff reporter

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