USS Nassau (LHA-4) is a Tarawa class amphibious assault ship in active service with the United States Navy. The Tarawa class formed the basis for the Wasp class and can be best distinguished by the bow sponsons, which the Wasp does not have. Like her sister ships, Nassau integrates complex weapons systems, automated cargo handling and state-of-the-art propulsion to form a ship with a wide range of mission capabilities. This includes amphibious, anti-air and anti-surface warfare, and power projection ashore. Named after Fort Nassau in the Bahamas, the target of the US Navy and Marine Corps' first ever amphibious landing during the American Revolution, she is the fourth ship in the Tarawa class and the second ship to bear the name. In 1999, she was given Battle "E" award.

Scale 1/800
Length 12.3"
Width 3.8"
Height 4"

Nassau stands 20 stories high and measures 820 feet in length. Her crew consists of 82 officers, 882 enlisted and over 1,900 embarked Marines. She can cary a variety of aircraft, including the AV-8B Harrier, CH-46 Sea Knight, CH-53 Sea Stallion, AH-1W SuperCobra and UH-1N Huey. Nassau has 1,400 compartments, almost the same as a large hotel. Her two boilers are the largest ever manufactured for the US Navy, with horsepower equivalent to that of more than 700 average automobiles. She has a 300 bed hospital, four medical operating rooms and three dental operating rooms.

Commissioned on July 28, 1979, Nassau has been an example of excellence and dedication for over 25 years. In support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, she was deployed to the Middle East for over eight months on only eight days notice. Upon leaving the United States, she became the flagship for Commander, Amphibious Task Force and the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade's Commanding General. During this deployment, President George H. W. Bush selected Nassau as the site for a special Thanksgiving Day meal with sailors and Marines who were away from home.

Nassau participated in several more missions throughout the 1990s, including Operations Support Democracy, Deny Flight, Allied Force and Noble Anvil. These operations, as well as participation in various Navy and joint exercises, took the ship to Haiti, Spain, Morocco, France, Greece, Italy, Albania, Israel, Zaire and Kosovo. She also took part in Operation Iraqi Freedom, providing support to ongoing US operations. Her versatility has allowed her to adapt to the needs of virtually any mission assigned. In addition to her primary role as a Marine transport, Nassau has served as a flagship, logistics hub for incoming and outgoing mail, cargo and other supplies, combat search and rescue, and tactical recovery and rescue of downed aircraft and personnel.

Bring any empty space to life with the USS Nassau wooden ship model. From planning to packaging, each step is performed with utmost care; everything is done by hand. Master craftsmen become magicians as they turn simple pieces of mahogany into ship replicas. After the wood is sanded and puttied, talented artists duplicate every single detail with extraordinary accuracy. Hand-casted resin and handmade metal parts complete the ship. A final coat of clear lacquer provides lasting protection for the product. Each model ship comes on a display base with brass pedestals and a brass name plate, and undergoes various stages of quality control. A double-lined box with high density foam ensures the safe arrival of each item.