Tarawa Class: Builder: Ingalls Shipbuilding Service: USN, USMC Armament: 2x RAM launchers; 2x Phalanx 20 mm CIWS mount ... The lead ship, USS Wasp (LHD 1) was commissioned in July 1989 in Norfolk ...

Phalanx production started in 1978 with the Block 0 configuration, and was first installed in 1980 on the USS Coral Sea. The Block 1 configuration was installed on USS Wisconsin in 1988.

The Phalanx is both an offensive and defensive weapon, a common trend among the equipment of these mighty ships. The CIWS equipped on the USS George ... such as the Wasp class.

50-cal machine guns and Phalanx CIWS for close-in defense ... ships are based in part on the last ship of the Wasp-class – the USS Makin Island. These ships were constructed to land a Marine ...