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General Characteristics Crew List Cruise Books Memorabilia Accidents aboard the Ship About the Ship's Coat of Arms History Construction Gallery Image Gallery to end of page |  |
USS NEW ORLEANS is the second SAN ANTONIO - class amphibious transport dock and the fifth ship in the Navy to be named after the largest city in the state of Louisiana.
| General Characteristics: | Awarded: December 18, 1998 |
| Keel laid: October 14, 2002 | |
| Launched: December 11, 2004 | |
| Commissioned: March 10, 2007 | |
| Builder: Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, Avondale, New Orleans, La. | |
| Propulsion system: four sequentially turbocharged marine Colt-Pielstick Diesels | |
| Propellers: two | |
| Length: 684 feet (208.5 meters) | |
| Beam: 105 feet (31.9 meters) | |
| Draft: 23 feet (7 meters) | |
| Displacement: approx. 24,900 tons | |
| Speed: 22 knots | |
| Well deck capacity: two LCAC or one LCU and 14 Expeditionary Fighting Vehicles | |
| Aircraft: landing platform for all helicopters and the MV-22 Osprey; maintenance facilities for one CH-53E or two CH-46s or one MV-22 or three UH/AH-1s | |
| Crew: Ship: 28 officers, 332 enlisted | |
| Marine Detachment: 66 officers, 633 enlisted (can be expanded to 800) | |
| Homeport: Sasebo, Japan | |
| Armament: two Bushmaster II 30 mm Close in Guns; two |
back to top go to the end of the pageback to top go to the end of the pageCrew List:
This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS NEW ORLEANS. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.
back to top go to the end of the pageback to top go to the end of the pageUSS NEW ORLEANS Cruise Books:
back to top go to the end of the pageAccidents aboard USS NEW ORLEANS:
| Date | Where | Events |
|---|---|---|
| March 20, 2009 | Strait of Hormuz | USS HARTFORD (SSN 768) and the USS NEW ORLEANS collide at approx. 1 a.m. local time. 15 submarine sailors are slightly injured while no injuries are reported aboard the NEW ORLEANS. The submarine suffers damage to its sail but the propulsion plant was unaffected by the collision. NEW ORLEANS suffers a ruptured fuel tank, which resulted in an oil spill of approximately 25,000 gallons of diesel fuel marine. Both ships were able to continue operating under their own power. The photo below shows the HARTFORD underway in the Persian Gulf after the collision. Note the damaged sail.     |
| August 20, 2025 | off White Beach, Okinawa | While anchored near White Beach, Okinawa, USS NEW ORLEANS experienced a shipboard fire that burned for 12 hours. Two sailors sustained minor injuries. The crew, assisted by harbor tugs, contained and extinguished the blaze by the early hours of August 21. After initial assessments at sea, the ship returned under her own power to White Beach on August 22 and then proceeded to Sasebo for follow-on evaluation. |
back to top go to the end of the pageAbout the Ship's Coat of Arms:
The Army's Institute of Heraldry designed the ship's crest based upon research into the namesake city and with assistance from the ship's Commanding Officer, Commander Skillman. The eventual design for LPD 18 represents the ship's crew, Navy, Marine Corps, other ships named New Orleans and the city of New Orleans.
Dark blue and gold are the colors traditionally used by the United States Navy. Green and blue, representing land and sea areas of operation, highlight the amphibious mission of USS NEW ORLEANS. The fleur-delis honor the three previous ships named USS NEW ORLEANS and are adapted from the City Flag of New Orleans. The battlements symbolize defense and highlight the city of New Orleans being the site of Andrew Jackson's victory in the War of 1812. The eagle with the globe and anchor refers to the Marine Corps insignia and reflects the Marine Corps role in executing LPD 18's expeditionary missions. The fouled anchor is taken from the CPO collar insignia represents the Sailor's role in the Navy and LPD 18. The eighteen stars represent Louisiana being the 18th state to join the Union. The crossed Navy and Marine swords symbolize combat readiness and the teamwork between the Navy and Marine Corps. The white alligator is unique to the city of New Orleans and emphasizes the amphibious nature of USS NEW ORLEANS' mission to embark, transport and land elements of a landing force. The globe underscores the world wide mission of LPD 18. The cannons recall New Orleans' heritage and Jackson's defense of the city.
back to top go to the end of the pageUSS NEW ORLEANS History:
USS NEW ORLEANS entered the fleet at the start of the SAN ANTONIO-class era with a build contract awarded on December 18, 1998 to Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in Louisiana. Her keel was laid at Avondale on October 14, 2002, she was christened on November 20, 2004, launched on December 11, 2004, completed builder's trials on October 26, 2006, and was commissioned at her namesake city on March 10, 2007. After transiting the Panama Canal, she reached her new homeport at Naval Base San Diego on May 3, 2007, and was assigned to an amphibious squadron on the U.S. Pacific coast. These early steps positioned the ship for West Coast expeditionary duty at the height of post-9/11 maritime deployments.
The ship's shakedown period proved demanding. In August 2008, during a period of intense scrutiny of new-construction surface combatants, she failed a Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) material inspection, prompting a round of corrective work and follow-on trials in San Diego. The episode reflected the wider early-class reliability issues the Navy and industry addressed across the first SAN ANTONIO hulls at the time.
NEW ORLEANS sailed on her first deployment on January 9, 2009, with the BOXER (LHD 4) Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, operating alongside USS BOXER and USS COMSTOCK (LSD 45), later working with the cruiser USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN (CG 57) and other enablers during the cruise. The ARG trained in the 5th Fleet theater on maritime security tasks, including an ARG/MEU integration period near Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, as the Navy-Marine Corps team supported theater cooperation missions across the Indian Ocean and Arabian Gulf.
Operations in the constrained Strait of Hormuz underscored the risks of crowded sea lanes. On March 20, 2009, while westbound to enter the Persian Gulf, NEW ORLEANS collided with the submarine USS HARTFORD (SSN 768) at periscope depth. Fifteen HARTFORD sailors sustained minor injuries. NEW ORLEANS suffered a ruptured fuel tank, spilling roughly 25,000 gallons of marine diesel. Both ships continued under their own power to ports for assessment, with NEW ORLEANS inspected in Bahrain before returning to duty after repairs. The Navy's later investigation placed fault on the submarine's watchstanding and command climate.
After post-deployment upkeep, NEW ORLEANS spent early 2010 in the Southern California operating areas supporting amphibious integration training and then surged south for U.S. Southern Command's "Southern Partnership Station/Partnership of the Americas" engagement cycle. By late June 2010, she was operating off the Peruvian coast in combined events with regional navies and conducting port calls that linked training ashore with shipboard demonstrations of amphibious capability and small-boat operations - typical of SPS's mix of subject-matter exchanges and humanitarian outreach.
Returning to the Pacific Fleet rhythm in 2011, the ship completed sea trials after maintenance and prepared to deploy with the MAKIN ISLAND (LHD 8) ARG. NEW ORLEANS departed on November 14, 2011, with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, pausing in Southeast Asia for partnered training - including evolutions with the Royal Cambodian Navy and a Changi stop in Singapore - before chopping into U.S. 5th Fleet. In the Gulf region she hosted a large diplomatic reception in Abu Dhabi that highlighted maritime security ties with Gulf partners. She steamed home in the late spring and returned to San Diego on June 22, 2012. The cruise mirrored the pivot of amphibious forces to partner capacity building and coastal security in the Arabian Gulf while major U.S. operations in Iraq had already concluded and maritime focus was shifting to deterrence and theater engagement.
Through 2013-2015, the ship cycled through work-ups off Southern California - periods like DAWN BLITZ that brought allied navies into amphibious rehearsals - and then advanced into formal pre-deployment events. In October 2015, NEW ORLEANS completed a Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) with the BOXER ARG and, in December, finished Certification Exercise (CERTEX) despite a widely reported MV-22B landing mishap on her flight deck on December 9, 2015, that caused damage to the aircraft but no injuries. The aircraft was stabilized and later craned off at Naval Air Station North Island, and the ship and ARG concluded certification, a reminder of the complexity of tiltrotor operations from LPD-class decks as the Marine Corps matured MV-22 procedures at sea.
On February 12, 2016, NEW ORLEANS again deployed - this time with the BOXER ARG of USS BOXER and USS HARPERS FERRY (LSD 49) under PHIBRON 1 - first exercising with allies in the Western Pacific and then entering the CENTCOM theater. In March, she took part in the ROK-U.S. amphibious exercise SSANG YONG, and by April 5, the ARG entered 5th Fleet, shifting to maritime security and crisis-response tasking in the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Aden as the counter-ISIS campaign intensified. On June 16, 2016, AV-8B Harriers from BOXER began strike sorties in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, while NEW ORLEANS continued sea base logistics, well-deck, and command-and-control roles for the ARG/MEU team. After the Gulf phase the ship headed to the Indian Ocean and on July 24, 2016, moored at Colombo, Sri Lanka, for a port visit linked to humanitarian assistance/disaster relief exchanges with the Sri Lankan Navy before completing the seven-month cruise and returning to San Diego that September.
With deployment wear showing across the hull and combat systems, NEW ORLEANS entered a major Dry-dock Selected Restricted Availability at BAE Systems San Diego. Contracted in November 2016, she became the inaugural ship in BAE's new "Pride of California" floating dry dock on February 23, 2017, receiving extensive hull, tank, ventilation, auxiliary, propulsion, and habitability work. She undocked in late November 2017 and, after a period of pier work, lit off systems and returned to sea for contractor and type-commander trials, closing out the extended maintenance and restoration phase.
By late 2019, NEW ORLEANS was oriented to a new mission: forward deployment to Japan. Ahead of the move she executed an unusual "stern gate marriage" proof-of-concept with U.S. Army Logistics Support Vessel USAV CW3 HAROLD C. CLINGER (LSV 2) at Pearl Harbor on October 24, 2019, validating an Army-Navy vehicle transfer method directly into an LPD well deck. She then crossed the Pacific and, on December 1, 2019, joined the U.S. 7th Fleet amphibious force in Sasebo as a Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Japan (FDNF-J) unit. The assignment placed the ship at the center of day-to-day allied deterrence and crisis response across the first island chain.
Her life as an FDNF ship began amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Even with regional port restrictions, the ship maintained an active operating profile in 2020, including replenishment at sea in the Philippine Sea with USNS CHARLES DREW (T-AKE 10) while maneuvering with USS AMERICA (LHA 6) and other 7th Fleet units. The focus during this period was persistent presence and readiness in the Western Pacific while allied exercises were carefully resumed under health protocols.
From May 11-16, 2021, NEW ORLEANS joined the multinational amphibious exercise Jeanne d'Arc/ARC 21 off southern Japan with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, the French Armed Forces, and the Royal Australian Navy, conducting formation maneuvers, air defense drills, and preparations for amphibious landings with JMSDF units including JS ISE and an OSUMI-class LST. In July 2021, she operated as part of the AMERICA Amphibious Ready Group - AMERICA, USS NEW ORLEANS, and USS GERMANTOWN (LSD 42) - for Exercise TALISMAN SABRE 21 with Australia, Japan, Canada, and the Republic of Korea, rehearsing distributed littoral operations across the Coral Sea. These evolutions reflected the maturing allied emphasis on high-end amphibious integration in the Indo-Pacific.
Operating continuously with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit through 2022, NEW ORLEANS supported bilateral and multilateral events across the Philippine Sea and Japan. In November 2022, during KEEN SWORD 23, she embarked Japan's Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade assault amphibious vehicles and launched them from her well deck into the Philippine Sea for combined amphibious training, one of several visible signs of deepening U.S.-Japan amphibious cooperation. Maintenance and readiness milestones punctuated the tempo - among them a Type Commander material inspection in Sasebo on May 10, 2022 - before the ship resumed regular patrols.
The ship's forward-deployed cycle continued into 2023-2024 with routine patrols, training at sea with allied navies, and local upkeep periods in Sasebo. Leadership turnover reflected the normal progression of command at sea: on March 22, 2024, command passed to a new commanding officer during a ceremony aboard the ship in Sasebo, marking continuity of operations within the AMERICA Expeditionary Strike Group.
On August 20, 2025, while anchored near White Beach, Okinawa, NEW ORLEANS experienced a shipboard fire that burned for several hours. Two sailors sustained minor injuries. The crew, assisted by harbor tugs, contained and extinguished the blaze by the early hours of August 21. After initial assessments at sea, the ship returned under her own power to White Beach on August 22 and then proceeded to Sasebo for follow-on evaluation. The incident underscored the hazards of material casualties in forward areas and the importance of shipboard damage control training.
back to top go to the end of the pageUSS NEW ORLEANS Construction Gallery:
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back to top go to the end of the pageUSS NEW ORLEANS Image Gallery:
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The photos below were taken by me and show the NEW ORLEANS at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on March 10, 2008.
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The photo below was taken by me and shows the NEW ORLEANS returning to Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on March 24, 2010.
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The photos below were taken by me and show the NEW ORLEANS transiting San Diego Bay from the Naval Base to Bravo Pier at Naval Air Station North Island, Calif. The last photos show the ship a few hours later moored at Bravo Pier. The photos were taken on September 29, 2011.
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The photos below were taken by me on October 3, 2012, and show the NEW ORLEANS undergoing a Phased Maintenance Availability at BAE Ship Repair in San Diego, Calif.
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The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the NEW ORLEANS at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on December 27, 2014.
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The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the NEW ORLEANS arriving at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., respectively three hours later at the Naval Base, on October 2, 2015.
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The photo below was taken by Michael Jenning and shows the NEW ORLEANS at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on October 6, 2016.
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The photo below was taken by Sebastian Thoma and shows the NEW ORLEANS at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on December 20, 2016.
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The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the NEW ORLEANS undergoing a Drydocking Selected Restricted Availability (DSRA) at BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair on October 11, 2017.
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The photos below were taken by Sebastian Thoma and show the NEW ORLEANS undergoing a Drydocking Selected Restricted Availability (DSRA) at BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair on November 10, 2017.
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The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the NEW ORLEANS at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on September 28, 2018.
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The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the NEW ORLEANS at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on March 2, 2019.
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