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U.S.S. SAIPAN

(LHA-2)

OMNIUS FASIMUS - WE DO IT ALL

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The USS SAIPAN (LHA-2), a Tarawa class amphibious assault ship, was commissioned on 15 OCT 1977. USS SAIPAN served her country for 29 years, 6 months and 10 days, until decommissioned on 25 APR 2007. USS SAIPAN's first major deployment was the August 1980 through February 1981 North Atlantic - Mediterranean - Indian Ocean voyage while the Iranian Hostage Crisis was underway. That set the stage for her career. From her homeport of Norfolk, VA, she under took numerous MEDS, CARIBS and North Atlantic deployments. USS SAIPAN participated in special/contingency operations in Nicaragua, the Cuban Mariel boat lift, Grenada, Liberia, Yugoslavia and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Following her decommissioning in 2007, USS SAIPAN is to be scrapped by International Shipbreaking Ltd., of Brownsville, Texas.

The USS SAIPAN (LHA-2) deployment history and significant events of her service career follow:

LHA-2 Deployments - Major Events

Add a LHA-2 Shellback Initiation Add a LHA-2 Deployment - Major Event
Month Year to Month Year Deployment / Event
JUL1972-Keel Date: 21 JUL 1972
at Ingalls Shipbuilding Pascagoula MS
JUL1974-Launch Date: 20 JUL 1974
FEB1977-JUN1977West Pac-Viet Nam
OCT1977-Commissioned: 15 OCT 1977
JAN1979-JAN1981Mediterranean-Indian Ocean
APR1979-MAY1979Guantanamo Bay
OCT1979-OCT1979Guantanamo Bay
FEB1980-APR1980Blue Nose - Arctic Circle
APR1980-OCT1980Mediterranean-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf
APR1980-OCT1980Operation Freedom Flotilla
APR1980- Shellback Initiation - 4 APR 1980 - Atlantic Ocean
APR1980- Shellback Initiation - 4 APR 1980 - Atlantic Ocean
APR1980- Shellback Initiation - 2 APR 1980 - Atlantic Ocean
JUL1980-Shellback Initiation - 15 JUL 1980 - Indian Ocean
AUG1980-MAR1981North Atlantic-Med-Indian Ocean
AUG1980-FEB1981Mediterranean-Indian Ocean
AUG1980-FEB1981Mediterranean-Indian Ocean
AUG1980-FEB1981Mediterranean-Indian Ocean
AUG1980-DEC1980First Mediterranean deployment by an LHA.
NOV1980- Shellback Initiation - 5 NOV 1980 - Indian Ocean
NOV1980- Shellback Initiation - 5 NOV 1980 - Indian Ocean
NOV1980- Shellback Initiation - 5 NOV 1980 - Indian Ocean
JAN1981-FEB1982shellback info correction, pierside 7 in feb 82.no s/b then
MAY1981- Shellback Initiation - 16 MAY 1981 - Indian Ocean
MAY1981-Shellback Initiation - 16 MAY 1981 - Indian Ocean
SEP1981-FEB1982Mediterranean
OCT1981-OCT1981Anwar al-Sadat Killed October 6 1981 Mediteranian
OCT1981-OCT1981Mediterranean
NOV1981-Shellback Initiation - 11 NOV 1981 - Indian Ocean
NOV1981- Shellback Initiation - 11 NOV 1981 - Indian Ocean
NOV1981- Shellback Initiation - 11 NOV 1981 - Indian Ocean
APR1982-Shellback Initiation - 5 APR 1982 - Atlantic Ocean
SEP1983-DEC1983Operation Urgent Fury Grenada W.I.
JAN1984-MAR1984North Atlantic
JAN1984-MAR1984Blue Nose - Arctic Circle
JAN1985-AUG1985Mediterranean-Lebanon
JAN1985-JUL1985Mediterranean
MAR1986-OCT1987Blue Nose - Arctic Circle
MAR1986-JUL1986Northern Wedding
AUG1986-MAR1987Blue Nose - Arctic Circle
AUG1986-AUG1986Blue Nose - Arctic Circle
AUG1986-MAR1987Mediterranean
AUG1986-MAR1987North Atlantic-Med-Indian Ocean
AUG1986-MAR1987Mediterranean
OCT1987-Shellback Initiation - 10 OCT 1987 - Atlantic Ocean
FEB1989-OCT1989Mediterranean
JAN1990-MAY1990Mediterranean
MAR1990-SEP1990Mediterranean/Operation Sharp Edge
MAR1990-SEP1990Mediterranean-West Africa
MAR1990-SEP1990North Atlantic-Med-Indian Ocean
MAR1990-SEP1990Mediterranean
JUL1990-Shellback Initiation - 7 JUL 1990 - Atlantic Ocean
SEP1991-MAR1992Desert Storm
MAY1992-JUN1992Sea Trials
JAN1993-JAN1994Mediterranean
JAN1993-SEP1993Desert Storm
MAR1993-SEP1993Mediterranean
MAR1993-SEP1993Mediterranean
MAR1993-SEP1993Desert Storm
APR1994-MAY1995Regular Overhaul
JUL1995-DEC1995Mediterranean-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf
JUN1996-DEC1996Mediterranean
JAN1998-JAN1999Mediterranean
JUL1998-DEC1998Mediterranean
JAN2000-JAN2002Mediterranean-Indian Ocean
JUN2000-DEC2000Mediterranean
JAN2001-JAN2003West Pac-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf
JAN2003-JUN2003OIF/OEF 2003
MAY2005-AUG2005North Atlantic-Med-Indian Ocean
AUG2006-DEC2006Mediterranean Red Sea Arabian Gulf
APR2007-Decommissioned: 25 APR 2007

LHA-2 General Specifications

Class: Tarawa class amphibious assault ship

Named for: Battle of Saipan

Complement: 65 Officers and 1009 Enlisted

Displacement: 27165 tons

Length: 820 feet

Beam: 106 feet

Flank Speed: 20+ kt

Final Disposition: Sold for Scrapping 30 September 2009 to International Ship



USS SAIPAN (LHA-2)



The second Saipan (LHA-2) was laid down on 21 July 1972 by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Division Litton Industries Pascagoula Miss.; launched on 20 July 1974; sponsored by Mrs. J. William Middendorf II wife of Secretary of the Navy Middendorf. Commissioning of the amphibious assault ship is scheduled to take place in September 1975.

[Note: The above USS SAIPAN (LHA-2) history may or may not contain text provided by crew members of the USS SAIPAN (LHA-2) or by other non-crew members and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]