USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) is a modern American universal amphibious assault ship. The keel for this unit was laid in 1995, the launch took place in March 1997, and the entry into service with the US Navy took place in 1998. The ship is 257 meters long, 32 meters wide, and has a full displacement of about 41,000 tons. The maximum speed of the ship is around 20-22 knots. The unit has on-board armament such as: two 20 mm Vulcan Phalanx sets, TWO RIM-116 missile launchers or two NATO Sea Sparrow launchers. The ship can also use up to 25-27 manned aircraft.
USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) is one of the Wasp class units. The ships of this type were created to replace the Tarawa-class units, but in their construction they used a lot of experience gained from their operation. The main task of Wasp ships is landing operations. For this purpose, they have been adapted to transport about 2,000 US Marine Corps soldiers with full equipment, who can be disembarked by helicopters, landing barges or hovercraft, also carried by this type of landing craft. Due to their size, they can act as light aircraft carriers and are adapted to operate with AV-8 Harrier II or F-35B Ligthning II aircraft. The sixth vessel of this class - USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) - was built at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula. Shortly after entering service, the ship was directed to the Pacific. From December 2001 to July 2002, he supported American operations in Afghanistan as part of the so-called war on terrorism. In the first half of 2003, it was used for operations in the Persian Gulf region against Iraq. At the beginning of 2005, he supported the rescue operation after the tsunami wave that crossed the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004. In 2014, USS Bonhomme Richard operated in the South Korea region. The unit is still in active service.