The US Navy’s amphibious transport dock ships USS San Antonio (LPD-17) (L) and USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28) remain docked at the port of La Guaira, state of La Guaira, Venezuela(Photo by Raul ARBOLEDA / AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
Long deployments are increasingly becoming the norm for the United States Navy, which is taking a toll on the crews and their families, and putting added wear and tear on the vessels. This week, the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship, the USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28), is set to return to Naval Station Norfolk, Va., completing a deployment that began on August 14, 2025.
LPD-28, which was deployed to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations, departed from Norfolk with the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) and the USS San Antonio (LPD-17). Both of those vessels previously completed their respective deployments, with LPD-17 arriving at Naval Station Norfolk on April 28 and USS Iwo Jima weeks later on June 6.
USS San Antonio Is Already Back At Sea
The United States Navy continues to juggle its warships, notably its aircraft carriers but also its amphibious ships, which serve as self-contained “sea bases” that are able to project military, humanitarian, and diplomatic power globally without relying on host-nation ports.
The three aforementioned amphibious ships were dispatched last year to support U.S. military operations in the Caribbean to disrupt illicit drug trafficking.
In June, USS Fort Lauderdale was dispatched to Venezuela as part of the disaster relief efforts following two devastating earthquakes that struck the country. LPD-28 arrived at the port of La Guaria on June 28, becoming the first U.S. Navy warship to make a port call to the South American country in decades.
USS Fort Lauderdale is now on its way back home, having been relieved by the USS San Antonio, which arrived at the port on July 9.
LPD-17, which had spent 258 days, or roughly eight and a half months, at sea, was dispatched for a rapid follow-on deployment, departing from Naval Station Norfolk on June 29.
Too Few Amphibious Ships In Service
The unscheduled deployment of the USS San Antonio began after only a brief maintenance window.
The U.S. Navy simply doesn’t have the assets required to deal with multiple crises around the world, as it continues to maintain a presence in the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East. But another factor is that the San Antonio-class amphibious transport docks are ideally suited to such a mission.
While in port at La Guaria, the vessel will be a “critical force multiplier for the interagency relief operation,” the U.S. Navy explained. “Designed for extended, self-sustaining operations, the ship requires minimal local security, logistical support or port resources. This approach ensures that all local Venezuelan assets can remain entirely focused on domestic recovery rather than supporting the U.S. presence.”
The LPDs are essential to modern naval operations as they can quickly deploy Marines, vehicles and aircraft, enabling rapid, adaptable crisis response, humanitarian assistance, and expeditionary warfare by transporting troops via well decks and helipads.
The lead vessel of the class, USS San Antonio, is the first ship of the U.S. Navy to be named for the city in Texas, and she was also the first U.S. Navy vessel to feature improved crew creature comforts, including increased headroom in the bunks and pull-out laptop computer shelves.
Built by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in New Orleans, LPD-17 was commissioned in January 2006.
The United States Navy currently operates a dozen San Antonio-class amphibious transport docks, with a 13th delivered earlier this year. Six more Flight II variants, incorporating design upgrades, are now under construction or on order. As these warships enter service, they will replace the aging Whidbey Island-class dock landing ships.