Amphibious Transport Dock

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This three-dimensional model of a San Antonio with the hull open shows a possible internal payload

Amphibious Transport Dock (German amphibious transport dock ) or Landing Platform Dock ( LPD ) is the name for a type of warship that supports amphibious warfare . They serve in amphibious formations such as the Expeditionary Strike Group of the United States Navy together with dock landing ships as cargo ships. The main differentiation to this LSD is the larger proportion of freight, especially for heavy equipment such as tanks. In addition to vehicle decks, these ships have a corrugated deck that accommodates landing craft and lands the vehicles, as well as a helicopter landing platform and a hangar for sheltering aircraft.

Today's amphibious transport docks replace several generations of amphibious transport ships. In addition to pure freighters, they also replace the armored landing ships . The US Navy put the first LPD into service with the Raleigh class in 1960 and the Austin class a little later . In 1965, parallel to the Austins , the Royal Navy put LPD into service with the Fearless class ; shortly afterwards the French Navy followed with the Ouragan class .

Modern LPD are the Rotterdam class of the Dutch Koninklijke Marine and Galicia class of the Spanish Armada , which was jointly developed from 1988 onwards , the San Giorgio class of the Italian Marina Militare , the French Foudre class and the British Albion class and the one from 1996 onwards built ships of the American San Antonio class .

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