[dragoon500ly]

VSTOL Support Ship During the mid-1970s there was increased USN interest in VSTOL aircraft, with a major analysis known as the Sea-Based Air Master Study developing a long-term program for several categories of VSTOL aircraft.
Admiral Zumwalt's successor as CNO, James L. Holloway III abandoned plans for the SCS and instead proposed a larger and faster design, the VSTOL Support Ship, or VSS. By June 1976, it was planned that the VSS would be 690 feet (210 m) long and would be powered by four General Electric LM2500 gas turbines driving two propeller shafts (essentially double the machinery of the single shaft SCS) which would give a speed of 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph). It would carry 22 helicopters (16 H-53 Sea Stallions and six LAMPS light helicopters) together with four Harriers. Holloway hoped to develop a series of advanced V/STOL aircraft, including a supersonic fighter and a utility aircraft for Anti-Submarine and Airborne Early Warning duties which could operate from the VSS as well as from the Navy's existing carriers, although these types were never fully defined. The need to accommodate the new designs resulted in the carrier's design being reworked in February 1978 as the VSS II. This design had a larger hangar and greater beam than the original design to allow the potentially larger advanced aircraft to be carried, and carried substantially more aviation fuel.
A third variant, the VSS III, evolved by July 1978 as a result of a requirement to protect the ship's magazines. In order to cope with the extra weight of the armor, the ship had a new hull form with less freeboard but allowing greater speed. The final VSS III design was 717 feet (218.5 m) long overall and 690 feet (210.3 m) at the waterline, with a beam of 178 feet (54.3 m) and a draft of 24 feet 4 inches (7.42 m). Displacement was 20,116 long tons (20,439 t) light and 29,130 long tons (29,600 t) full load. As well as the ship's aircraft, two quadruple Harpoon anti-ship-missile launchers were to be mounted on the fantail, with two Phalanx Close-in weapon systems were to be fitted. A complement of 49 officers and 910 other ranks were to operate the ship while the ship's air wing had 87 officers and 541 other ranks. The final configuration is described below.

Displacement: 20,115 tons light; 29,130 tons full load Length: 690ft (210.4m); 717ft (218.6m) oa Beam: 178ft (54.3m) Draft: 25.5ft (7.7m) Propulsion: (4) General Electric LM2500 gas turbines; 2 shafts; 90,000shp Speed: 30kts Manning: 97 officers and 910 enlisted, air group of 87 officers and 541 enlisted; total of 184 officers and 1,451 enlisted. Armament: (2) Mk15 Phalanx CIWS Air Group: 8 AV-8A Harrier VTOL; 6 SH-2F Sea Sprite and 16 SH-3 Sea King ASW helicopters