What is the name of the LPD's old class?

• A. Harpers Ferry Class
• B. Austin Class
• C. Whidbey Island Class
• D. San Antonio Class

Answer: (B)

LPD stands for Landing Platform Dock, ships designed to carry Marines and their equipment, with a well deck for landing craft and a flight deck for helicopters. The older generation of these ships is known as the Austin class, which came into service in the 1960s–70s as the first dedicated LPD design. They established how amphibious operations were staged from a single hull, combining embarkation, docking, and airlift capabilities. The San Antonio class is the modern line of LPDs that replaced the Austin design, while the Whidbey Island class and the Harpers Ferry designation refer to different ship families (dock landing ships of a different design and LSDs, respectively). So the old LPD class is the Austin class.