The amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli arrives at its new homeport, Sasebo Naval Base, Japan, on June 23, 2025. (Chase Stephens/U.S. Navy)
The Navy’s newest and most advanced amphibious assault ship arrived in Japan this week to take over as flagship of Amphibious Squadron 11, replacing the USS America as part of a homeport shift aimed at strengthening U.S. presence in the Indo-Pacific.
The USS Tripoli pulled into Sasebo Bay on the southern island of Kyushu following a monthlong Pacific journey to its new homeport at Sasebo Naval Base.
“Today is only the first day of what will be a positive and longstanding relationship between USS Tripoli and the people of Sasebo, Japan,” the ship’s skipper, Capt. Eddie Park, said Monday in a 7th Fleet news release. “We are all looking forward to becoming a welcome and active part of the Sasebo community.”
Commissioned in July 2020, the Tripoli is the newest of the Navy’s two America-class amphibious assault vessels and is designed to support the short takeoff and vertical landing F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter. It also carries MV-22 Ospreys tiltrotors and a variety of helicopters, enabling a broad range of expeditionary and air-assault operations.
The ship is crewed by approximately 1,100 sailors and includes expanded aviation support spaces, a larger hangar deck, enhanced command-and-control capabilities, and upgraded medical facilities compared with its sister ship, the America, according to the Tripoli’s website.
This rotation, first announced on Feb. 14, is intended to ensure that “the most capable surface ships and superior technology is best positioned to honor the United States’ security commitment with their Japanese allies,” the Navy said in Monday’s release.
As flagship of Amphibious Squadron 11, the Tripoli will operate alongside the Okinawa-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit during regional deployments. The squadron is part of the Navy’s only permanently deployed amphibious ready group.
The America, which first arrived in Sasebo in December 2019, is on patrol in the region and will return to its former homeport of San Diego.
As part of that patrol, the ship arrived in Sydney, Australia, on June 14 for a scheduled port visit that included tours for Australian military and government officials and time off for sailors to explore the city, according to a June 16 Navy release.
As of Sunday, the America was conducting day and night flight operations in the Coral Sea, northeast of Australia, according to imagery the Navy posted on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.
