General characteristics of the Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship:

• Builders: Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi
• Power Plant: Two boilers, two geared steam turbines, two shafts, 70,000 total shaft horsepower (52 MW)
• Length: 820 ft (249.9 m)
• Beam: 106 ft (31.8 m)
• Displacement: 39,400 tons (40,032 t) full load
• Speed: 24 knots (44 km/h)

• Aircraft: (Actual mix depends upon mission)
  • Nine CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters
  • Twelve CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters
  • Six AV-8B Harrier II fighter-bombers

• Ships:
  • USS Tarawa (LHA-1), San Diego, California
  • USS Saipan (LHA-2), Norfolk, Virginia
  • USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3), San Diego, California
  • USS Nassau (LHA-4), Norfolk, Virginia
  • USS Peleliu (LHA-5), San Diego, California

• Crew:
  • Ships Company: 82 officers, 882 enlisted
  • Marine Detachment 1,900 plus

• Armament: Two RAM launchers; two 5 inch (127 mm) 54 cal. MK-45 lightweight guns; two Phalanx 20 mm CIWS mount; four 0.50 cal (12.7 mm) machine guns; four 25 mm Mk 38 machine guns

• Date Deployed: May 29, 1976 (Tarawa)

The Tarawa class formed the basis for the later Wasp class.