Wasp-class Amphibious Assault Ships at Pearl Harbor

The two amphibious assault ships rest in the back bay of Pearl Harbor, their flight decks marked for helicopters and V/STOL aircraft. Towering island structures rise above, lined with radar domes, antennas, and sensors. Their steel hulls, worn from deployments, reveal open well decks ready for landing craft. These ships have launched airstrikes, deployed Marines in combat zones, and supported operations in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific. Their decks can carry F-35B stealth fighters, MV-22 Ospreys, and attack helicopters, ready to strike targets deep inland.

Nearby, a guided-missile cruiser and a destroyer hold position. The cruiser, armed with Tomahawk missiles, anti-ship Harpoons, and SM-6 air defense interceptors, has fired in combat over Iraq, Syria, and the South China Sea. The destroyer, built for escort and defense, carries torpedoes, missile launchers, and a rapid-fire deck gun, used to intercept threats in the Persian Gulf and Pacific standoffs. Their reflections ripple in the harbor, briefly broken by a passing tugboat.

The naval base stretches along the shore, a maze of piers, dry docks, and warehouses stocked with munitions—missiles, bombs, and torpedoes ready for deployment. Beyond, the green slopes of the Koʻolau Mountains rise as the sun breaks over the ridges. Beneath the harbor’s surface, history lingers. The USS Arizona still rests where it fell, a reminder of the Japanese surprise attack that shattered battleships and took thousands of lives in minutes. Bomb craters remain on the base, hidden beneath layers of time. Once caught off guard, Pearl Harbor now stands armed, its warships scanning the horizon, lessons learned in steel and fire.