Landing helicopter dock
A landing helicopter dock is a multipurpose amphibious assault ship which is capable of operating helicopters and has a well deck. The United States Navy, Royal Australian Navy and NATO use the term as a hull classification symbol.
LHD vessels are built with a full flight deck similar in appearance to an aircraft carrier to operate utility and attack helicopters. Some can also operate tilt rotor aircraft such as the MV-22 Osprey and VSTOL aircraft such as the AV-8 Harrier and the F-35B Lightning II. Examples of this kind of ship include the USN's, French Navy's and ships of the Spanish Navy's Juan Carlos I class including those designs based on the class, such as the Royal Australian Navy's. Other nations also use the designation for their vessels, such as the Republic of Korea Navy for its.
USN warship classes that precede and follow the ships classed LHD are designated as LHA and are interchangeable with LHDs, they also have well decks with the exception of the first two ships, LHA-6 and LHA-7, which take the space for larger aviation facilities.
