The US Navy said it sent the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge to the Baltic Sea to “strengthen relationships with allied nations and partners in the region”.
The USS Kearsarge will continue to undertake several missions in the Baltic Sea and engage in joint training exercises with the Finnish army following the successful combat training that took place in the French city of Brest. This trip gives our staff a fantastic opportunity to see Finland’s rich culture while also highlighting America’s commitment to security and stability in the area. Defense Blog was informed on August 7 by Captain Tom Foster, the USS Kearsarge’s commanding officer.
The USS Kearsarge is an amphibious assault ship from the Wasp-class that was built by the US and entered into service in 1993. The ship’s dimensions are 257 meters long, 31.8 meters wide, and 8.1 meters deep. The ship can carry a crew of up to 1,208 persons and has a maximum tonnage of over 40,500 tonnes. Two boilers and two steam turbines with a combined output of up to 70,000 horsepower were installed on the USS Kearsarge. The train has a range of more than 17,600 kilometres and a top speed of 41 km/h.
The USS Kearsarge has a variety of long-range radars that can find targets in the air and at sea because it engages in maritime battle. For instance, the ship’s AN/SPS-49 radar system is capable of detecting enemy aircraft or anti-ship missiles up to 474 kilometres away.
The USS Kearsarge’s defensive weaponry is highly varied, including a variety of weapons such two Phalanx multiple-barreled artillery systems that fire 20mm rounds, four 25mm Mk38 cannons, two RIM-116 anti-aircraft missile launchers, and two RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missile launchers.
The USS Kearsarge’s capacity to carry a large number of aircraft, however, is what gives it its strength. The ship’s inner hull compartment has room for 12 fighters and 23–24 different types of helicopters.
