The Tarawa class established the basis for all future assault carriers. They combine in a single hull the capabilities of previous LPH (helicopter carrier), LPD (well decks), LKA (cargo ships) and LCC (command and control ships) classes. They have distinctive bow sponsons, originally for 5in (127 mm) Mk 45 lightweight guns, subsequently removed in order to gain a squared-off forward flight deck.
| 1969-may-01 | Ordered | Ordered  LHA-1 USS Tarawa | |
| 1969-nov-15 | Ordered | Ordered LHA-3 USS Belleau Wood | |
| 1970-nov-06 | Ordered | Ordered LHA-5 USS Peleliu | |
| 1971-nov-15 | Laid down | Laid down LHA-1 USS Tarawa | |
| 1972-jul-21 | Laid down | Laid down LHA-2 USS Saipan | |
| 1973-mar-05 | Laid down | Laid down LHA-3 USS Belleau Wood | |
| 1973-aug-13 | Laid down | Laid down LHA-4 USS Nassau | |
| 1973-dec-01 | Launched | Launched LHA-1 USS Tarawa | |
| 1974-jul-20 | Launched | Launched LHA-2 USS Saipan | |
| 1976-may-29 | Commissioned | Commissioned LHA-1 USS Tarawa | |
| 1976-nov-12 | Laid down | Laid down LHA-5 USS Peleliu | |
| 1977-apr-11 | Launched | Launched LHA-3 USS Belleau Wood | |
| 1977-oct-15 | Commissioned | Commissioned LHA-2 USS Saipan | |
| 1978-jan-21 | Launched | Launched LHA-4 USS Nassau | |
| 1978-sep-23 | Commissioned | Commissioned LHA-3 USS Belleau Wood | |
| 1978-nov-25 | Launched | Launched LHA-5 USS Peleliu | |
| 1979-jul-28 | Commissioned | Commissioned LHA-4 USS Nassau | |
| 1980-may-03 | Commissioned | Commissioned LHA-5 USS Peleliu | |
| 1981-mar-03 | Aircraft | Aircraft LHA-3 USS Belleau Wood accident CH-46D 153961 | |
| 1982-oct-01 | Port Visit | Port Visit LHA-4 USS Nassau visited Portsmouth 1-6 Oct 1982 with Ships Flt UH-1N 160838 embarked. | |
| 1984 | | LHA-3 USS Belleau Wood organic helicopter was HH-1N 160834 | |
| 1985 | Deployment | Deployment LHA-1 USS Tarawa Pacific deployment for 6 months, including testing Mastiff UAV procedures in support of amphibious operations, until early 1986 | |
| 1986-aug-29 | Aircraft | Aircraft LHA-2 USS Saipan CH-46 157689 accident | |
| 1988 | Aircraft | Aircraft LHA-2 USS Saipan SAR bird was UH-1N 158256 at least until 1992 | |
| 1989-sep-10 | Aircraft | Aircraft LHA-5 USS Peleliu UH-1N 160828 accident | |
| 1992-mar-31 | Port Visit | Port Visit LHA-4 USS Nassau Embarked several Harriers and a UH-1 160448 | |
| 1997-mar | Deployment | Deployment LHA-4 USS Nassau Operation Helvin ordered off Albanian coast (under Operation Silver Wake) to evacuate US personnel and civilians from its embassy in Tirana. | |
| 1998-jul-09 | Port Visit | Port Visit LHA-1 USS Tarawa Embarked 6 AV8 of VMA-211 UH-1 159689 : 160175 AH-1 165044 : 165277 : 165280 : 165323 H-46 150958 : 151915 : 153350 : 154817 : 156420 : 156426 : 156439 : 157696 H-53 164362 : 164363 : 164364 : 164365 except for the 2 US Navy HH-46D all aircraft for composite unit HMM-268 with code YQ-.. | |
| 2000-dec-23 | Port Visit | Port Visit LHA-4 USS Nassau , Italy up to 4jan01 | |
| 2001-jan-08 | Port Visit | Port Visit LHA-4 USS Nassau , Malta up to 11jan01 | |
| 2001-feb-02 | Port Visit | Port Visit LHA-4 USS Nassau , France up to 5feb01 | |
| 2001-mar-13 | Port Visit | Port Visit LHA-4 USS Nassau , Malta up to 16mar01 | |
| 2001-nov-25 | Deployment | Deployment LHA-5 USS Peleliu Launched CH-63Es from HMM-163 carrying US Marines from Task Force 58 in their assault on Rhino. | |
| 2002-sep | Deployment | Deployment LHA-3 USS Belleau Wood part of a 3 ship Amphibious Ready Group | |
| 2004-jun-29 | Deployment | Deployment LHA-1 USS Tarawa RIMPAC 04 Participated in RIMPAC 04 exercise | |
| 2005-jun-24 | Deployment | Deployment LHA-2 USS Saipan Fleet Review: Trafalgar 200 Present at Trafalgar 200 Fleet Review, off Ryde Sand anchorage | |
| 2005-jul-01 | Port Visit | Port Visit LHA-2 USS Saipan Present at International Festival of the Sea 2005, Portsmouth | |
| 2005-oct-28 | Decommissioned | Decommissioned LHA-3 USS Belleau Wood | |
| 2005-oct-28 | Struck | Struck LHA-3 USS Belleau Wood | |
| 2006-jul-13 | Fate: sunk | Fate: sunk LHA-3 USS Belleau Wood as target during RIMPAC 06 | |
| 2007-apr-25 | Decommissioned | Decommissioned LHA-2 USS Saipan | |
| 2008-jun-02 | Port Visit | Port Visit LHA-5 USS Peleliu visit Singapore | |
| 2009-mar-31 | Decommissioned | Decommissioned LHA-1 USS Tarawa to fleet reserve | |
| 2010-jan-18 | Deployment | Deployment LHA-4 USS Nassau Operation Panlake Diverted with its embarked V-22 and 24 MEU to Haiti for Earthquake relief effort (arrived 18 Jan) as part of US Operation Unified Response, with USS Bataan. | |
| 2011-mar-31 | Decommissioned | Decommissioned LHA-4 USS Nassau to reserve fleet at Beaumont, TX | |
| 2012-jul | Deployment | Deployment LHA-5 USS Peleliu assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361
operating with CH-53E of HMH-361 aboard. | |
Aircraft