The USS Okinawa (LPH-3) was an Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship that served in the United States Navy from 1962 to 1992. It was named after the Battle of Okinawa during World War II. The ship was designed to transport and land Marines on enemy shores using helicopters, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, and amphibious vehicles. Throughout its service, the USS Okinawa participated in numerous military operations and exercises, including deployments during the Vietnam War and the Gulf War. The ship underwent various modernization and upgrades during its career to enhance its capabilities. USS Okinawa was decommissioned in 1992 and subsequently stricken from the Naval Vessel Register. It was later transferred to the Maritime Administration for storage. The ship's fate was sealed when it was sold for scrapping in 2001. The USS Okinawa played a significant role in the projection of American military power and in supporting amphibious operations over its three-decade service life. Its legacy lives on in the annals of naval history as a versatile and reliable platform for conducting amphibious assaults.

This description has been generated using GPT-3.5-TURBO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.