View source for General Frank S. Besson-class support vessel

{{Short description|Type of watercraft in the United States Army}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
|+''General Frank S. Besson'' class
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = LSV-7 SSGT Robert T Kuroda.jpg
| Ship caption = USAV ''SSGT Robert T. Kuroda'' (LSV-7)
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
| Builders = VT Halter Marine, Inc.
| Operators = * {{Army|United States}}
* {{navy|Israel}}
| Class before = 
| Class after = 
| Subclasses = *SSGT ''Robert T. Kuroda'' class
*{{sclass|Bacolod City|logistics support vessel|4}}
| Built range = 1987–2006
| In commission range = 1988–present
| Total ships building = 
| Total ships planned = 8
| Total ships completed = 8
| Total ships cancelled = 
| Total ships active = 8
| Total ships laid up = 
| Total ships lost = 
| Total ships retired = 
| Total ships preserved = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = 
| Ship type = Logistics support vessel
| Ship displacement = {{convert|4199|LT|t|0|abbr=on}}
| Ship length = {{convert|273|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|60|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship draft = {{convert|12|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship propulsion = 2 × EMD 16-645E2; {{convert|1950|hp|0|abbr=on}} each at 999 [[Revolutions per minute|rpm]]
| Ship speed = *{{convert|12.5|kn|lk=in}} light
*{{convert|11.5|kn}} loaded
| Ship range = *{{convert|8200|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} light
*{{convert|6500|nmi|abbr=on}} loaded
| Ship complement = 8 officers, 23 enlisted
| Ship sensors = 
| Ship EW = 
| Ship armament = 
| Ship armor = 
| Ship aircraft = 
| Ship aircraft facilities = 
| Ship notes = 
}}
|}
'''''General Frank S. Besson''-class logistics support vessels''' ('''LSV''') are the largest powered watercraft in the [[United States Army]], and are designed to give the Army a global strategic capability to deliver its vehicles and cargo.<ref>[http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/army.htm FAS.org – Army Watercraft]</ref>

==Design==
Named in honor of Gen. [[Frank S. Besson Jr.]], former Chief of Transportation, U.S. Army, these ships have bow and stern ramps and the ability to beach themselves, giving them the ability to discharge 816 tonnes of vehicles and cargo over the shore in as little as 1.2 m of water, or 1,814 tonnes as an intra-theater line haul [[roll-on/roll-off]] cargo ship.<ref>Naval Technology – Frank S. Besson Class – LSV Logistics Support Vessel [http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/lsv/]</ref> The vessel's cargo deck is designed to handle any vehicle in the US Army inventory and can carry up to 15 [[M1 Abrams]]-series main battle tanks or 82 [[Containerization|ISO standard containers]].<ref name="army">[https://www.army.mil/article/326/new-army-vessel-arrives-in-hawaii/ The United States Army News | New Army Vessel Arrives in Hawaii]</ref>

==Subclasses==
The ''Robert T. Kuroda'' is the lead vessel of a new subclass of the ''Frank S. Besson'' class called LSV (MOD). The ''Kuroda'', named after [[Robert T. Kuroda]], and its sister ship, the ''Smalls'', named after [[Robert Smalls]], are generally similar to the rest of the class except that the ships are {{convert|42|ft|m|sp=us}} longer than the other ships of the class. This is due to a more streamlined "visor" bow that hides the front ramp and allows for the vessels to move through rough water more easily. While these ships have the same main deck area as the rest of the class—{{convert|10500|ft2|m2|sp=us}}— however they displace {{convert|6000|ST}}, can make {{convert|10000|gal|L|sp=us}} of water a day, have incinerators for burning trash, are taller than the traditional Besson-class LSVs, and have 25% more horsepower. The ship has a range of more than {{convert|5500|nmi|km}} and can deploy fully provisioned worldwide at a speed of {{convert|12|kn|km/h}} carrying a standard port-opening package weighing {{convert|1000|ST}}.{{clarify|date=July 2015}}<ref name="army"/>

==Related classes==
The [[Philippine Navy]] commissioned two {{sclass|Bacolod City|logistics support vessel|1}}s during the early 1990s. These ships were based on a helicopter-capable variant of the ''General Frank S. Besson Jr.''-class logistics support vessel.

==Ships==
* {{ship|USAV|General Frank S. Besson Jr.|LSV-1}} – 335th Transportation Detachment, [[7th Transportation Brigade (United States)|7th Expeditionary Transportation Brigade]]
* {{ship|USAV|CW3 Harold C. Clinger|LSV-2}} – 489th Transportation Detachment, [[United States Army Reserve|USAR]]
* {{ship|USAV|General Brehon B. Somervell|LSV-3}} – 805th Transportation Detachment, [[8th Theater Sustainment Command]]
* {{ship|USAV|Lt. General William B. Bunker|LSV-4}} – 1099th Transportation Detachment, [[7th Transportation Brigade (United States)|7th Expeditionary Transportation Brigade]]
* {{ship|USAV|Major General Charles P. Gross|LSV-5}} – 411th Transportation Detachment, [[1st Theater Sustainment Command]]
* {{ship|USAV|SP4 James A. Loux|LSV-6}} – [[United States Army Reserve|USAR]]
* {{ship|USAV|SSGT Robert T. Kuroda|LSV-7}} – [[United States Army Reserve|USAR]]
* {{ship|USAV|Major General Robert Smalls|LSV-8}} – 605th Transportation Detachment, [[8th Theater Sustainment Command]]
== Operators ==
* {{Army|United States}}
* {{navy|Israel}}
* {{navy|PHI}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:LSV-1 General Frank S. Besson Jr.jpg|USAV ''General Frank S. Besson Jr'' (LSV-1) docked across from the {{USS|Intrepid|CV-11|6}} in [[Manhattan]] during [[Fleet Week]] 2010.
File:Gen Frank S Besson Jr Tower.jpg|USAV ''General Frank S. Besson Jr'' (LSV-1)
File:Army's Persian Gulf Watercraft fleet.jpg|From L to R: USAV ''MG Charles P. Gross'' (LSV-5), USAV ''MG Robert Smalls'' (LSV-8), and the USAV ''Churubusco'' (LCU-2013). Photo was taken while aboard the USAV ''Five Forks'' (LCU-2018)
File:US Naval Ship Pollux (T-AKR-290) anchored in the harbor off the Port of Pusan, Republic of Korea - 19 Oct. 1998.jpg|LSV alongside [[USNS Pollux (T-AKR-290)|USNS ''Pollux'' (T-AKR-290)]] in the port of [[Pusan]], [[South Korea]]. ''Pollux'' is loading vehicles onto the LSV which will then transport them to shore.
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/lsv/ Frank S Besson Class LSV Logistic Support Vessel]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/lsv-a.htm LSVs at globalsecurity.org]
* [http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Aug/11/ln/ship.html Photo gallery: Family tour aboard the LSV-7 Kuroda | The Honolulu Advertiser]
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/pby5a/sets/72157602036943941/ LSV-8 USAV MG Roberts Smalls – a set on Flickr]


{{General Frank S. Besson-class support vessel}}

[[Category:Ships of the United States Army]]
[[Category:Landing craft]]
[[Category:Transport ships of the United States Army| ]]
[[Category:Auxiliary transport ship classes]]
[[Category:General Frank S. Besson-class support vessels| ]]