USS Comstock (LSD-45) is a Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship of the United States Navy. She was the second Navy ship to be named for the Comstock Lode in Nevada, the first being Comstock (LSD-19), commissioned in 1945 and decommissioned in 1976. The Comstock Lode was discovered in 1859, and was one of the richest deposits of precious metals known in the world.
_returns_to_Joint_Base_Pearl_Harbor-Hickam_after_participating_in_Rim_of_the_Pacific_(RIMPAC)_2010_exercises.jpg) USS Comstock in 2010 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Comstock |
| Namesake | Comstock Lode in Nevada |
| Ordered | 26 November 1984 |
| Builder | Avondale Shipyards New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Laid down | 27 October 1986 |
| Launched | 15 January 1988 |
| Commissioned | 3 February 1990 |
| Home port | Naval Base San Diego |
| Identification | International Call Sign "NCWK" |
| Motto | Teamwork, Drive, Courage |
| Status | in active service |
| Badge |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 609 ft (186 m) |
| Beam | 84 ft (26 m) |
| Draft | 21 ft (6.4 m) |
| Propulsion | 4 Colt Industries PC2.5V, 16-cylinder diesel engines, 2 shafts, 33,000 shp (25,000 kW) |
| Speed | over 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
| Boats & landing craft carried | 4 LCACs, or 2 LCUs. |
| Troops | Marine detachment: 402 + 102 surge |
| Complement | 22 officers, 391 enlisted |
| Armament | |
History
editComstock was laid down on 27 October 1986, by the Avondale Shipyards, New Orleans, Louisiana; launched on 15 January 1988; and commissioned on 3 February 1990. At first USS Comstock had an all-male crew, but soon became the first United States Navy combatant ship to have a fully integrated crew of male and female sailors.
As of 2002, Comstock is homeported at NS San Diego, California, and assigned to Expeditionary Strike Group 3. As of 2014, she is part of the Makin Island amphibious ready group.[1]
In December 2020, the U.S. Navy's Report to Congress on the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels stated that the ship was planned to be placed Out of Commission in Reserve in 2026.[2]
She took part in Exercise Tiger Triumph's fourth edition in 2025 with the Indian Armed Forces in Visakhapatnam, India.[3][4]
On 19 March 2026, it was reported that the USS Boxer-led Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) was deploying ahead of schedule to support Operation Epic Fury. The Boxer had left San Diego, California to begin its journey to the Middle East. It will be joined by the USS Portland and Comstock. The ARG will join the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group that is already underway. The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) has embarked on the ARG ships which will sail through the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East. There are around 2,500 Marine Corps personnel of the 4,000 service members in the fleet. The sailors and Marines have shortened their leave following certification and training in order to accelerate their deployment.[5][6]
References
edit- ↑ "Makin Island amphibious ready group arrives in Mideast".
- ↑ "Report to Congress on the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels" (PDF). Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. 9 December 2020. p. 17. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
- ↑ "Curtain Raiser: Ex Tiger Triumph - 25" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 31 March 2025. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
- ↑ "USS Comstock (LSD 45) arrives in Visakhapatnam, India, for Exercise Tiger Triumph 2025". cpf.navy.mil. 30 March 2025. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
- ↑ Reporter, Vic Verbalaitis Night Breaking News (19 March 2026). "Trump Plotting to Send Thousands More Troops to His War". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ↑ Newdick, Thomas; Trevithick, Joseph (20 March 2026). "USS Boxer The Second Amphibious Assault Ship Now Heading To Middle East (Updated)". The War Zone. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Naval Vessel Register.
External links
edit