USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19), the “Ghost Gator!”, is the third of the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships. Our mission is to embark, deploy, land and support a marine landing force. The ship was specifically designed to accommodate Landing craft, air cushion (LCAC) for fast troop movement over the beach and helicopters for troop movement, air support, and search-and-rescue movements.

USS Mesa Verde (LPD) 19 transports and lands Marines, their equipment and supplies, by embarked air cushion or conventional landing craft or expeditionary fighting vehicles, augmented by helicopters or vertical take off and landing aircraft. USS Mesa Verde supports amphibious, special operations, or expeditionary warfare missions through the first half of the 21st Century. 

SHIP CHARACTERISTICS

• Length:  684 feet (208.5 meters)

• Beam:  105 feet (31.9 meters)

• Displacement:  Approximately 24,900 tons full load

• Speed:  In excess of 22 knots (24.2 mph)

• Aircraft:  Four CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters or two MV-22 Osprey tilt rotor
  
  aircraft may be launched or recovered simultaneously. The ship’s hangar
  
  can store 1-2 aircraft.

• Armament:  Two 30 mm Close-in-Guns, for surface threat defense; two
  
  Rolling Airframe Missile launchers for air defense

• Landing Craft:  Two LCACs (air cushion) or one LCU (conventional)

• EFVs:  14 Marine Corps Expeditionary Fighting Vehicles

• Power plant:  Four Colt-Pielstick diesel engines, two shafts, 40,000 Hp

• Crew:  360 Sailors (28 officers, 332 enlisted), three Marines

• Troops:  699 (66 officers, 633 enlisted); surge to 800 total

• LPD 17 Class: San Antonio (LPD 17), New Orleans (LPD 18), Mesa Verde
  
  (LPD 19), Green Bay (LPD 20), New York (LPD 21), San Diego (LPD 22),
  
  Anchorage (LPD 23), Arlington (LPD 24), and Somerset (LPD 25)

• Motto:  “Courage, Teamwork, Tradition”