The first of these warships was commissioned by the U.S. Navy in 2014 to replace USS Peleliu of the Tarawa class; as many as eleven will be built.

Also, while more than 124 feet (38 m) shorter, America class ships are of comparable displacement to the former US Navy Midway-class aircraft carriers.

Ships of the America class can be used as a small aircraft carrier with a squadron of jet fighters plus several multipurpose helicopters, such as the MH-60 Seahawk.

They can carry about 20 to 25 AV-8B, F-35Bs, or a mixture of the two, but the future ships of this class, starting with USS Bougainville (LHA-8), will have smaller aircraft hangars to leave room for larger amphibious warfare well decks.

[9] America is based on the design of USS Makin Island, herself an improved version of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ships with gas turbine power.

About 45 percent of the "Flight 0" design of this class is based on that of Makin Island, but with its well deck omitted to allow more room for aircraft, spare parts, weapons and fuel.

[12] The America-class amphibious assault ships are engineered with a (CODLOG) hybrid-electric propulsion system derived from the one used on Makin Island.

The Congressional Budget Office found that if before 2040 the price of oil reached and remained above $140 per barrel then the use of nuclear propulsion for LHX-class ships would be more cost-effective.

[15] This would remove the current restriction on MV-22s to land on spots 5 and 6, and also giving room for four MV-22B, three F-35B Lightning IIs, or three CH-53Ks to use the flight deck.

[16] Funding for the MPF(F) and the LHA(R) was tabled by the Senate Armed Services Committee in the fiscal year 2008 budget.

"[18] Minor modifications to America are as small as putting covers over life rafts and refueling stations and moving antennas.

[26] On 13 June 2014, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that it had awarded a contract worth for $23.5 million to General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, California for design and development work on LHA-8.

[27] On 14 December 2021, a $70.8 million U.S. Navy contract was awarded to Huntington Ingalls as its latest installment toward acquiring long-lead-time materials for LHA-9.