This made the Newport class the first to depart from the standard LST design that had been developed in early World War II.

The LST carried 1,750 long tons (1,780 t) of diesel fuel for a range of 2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) at the cruising speed of 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph).

The ship was also equipped with a bow thruster to allow for better maneuvering near causeways and to hold position while offshore during the unloading of amphibious vehicles.

[3][5] The Newport class were larger and faster than previous LSTs and were able to transport tanks, heavy vehicles and engineer groups and supplies that were too large for helicopters or smaller landing craft to carry.

[1][2] The Newport class has the capacity for 500 long tons (510 t) of vehicles, 19,000 sq ft (1,800 m2) of cargo area and could carry up to 431 troops.

[1][7] The vessels also have davits for four vehicle and personnel landing craft (LCVPs) and could carry four pontoon causeway sections along the sides of the hull.

The ship returned to Okinawa to load diesel electric generating plants for delivery to the government of the Philippines for use in its rural electrification program.

It departed Subic Bay with ARG Alpha on 26 November and, for the next three and a half weeks, conducted operations which ranged from the Philippines to Japan and into the South China Sea.

While operating with the 7th Fleet Schenectady participated in the South Vietnamese Army's offensive to recapture Quang Tri Province, in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam.

It arrived in Subic Bay on 22 September 1973 and, for the next five months, transported men and cargo between ports in Japan, Taiwan, Okinawa, and the Philippines.

On 10 February 1974, it stood out of Buckner Bay, Okinawa, to return to the United States via Pearl Harbor, arriving at San Diego on 6 March 1974.

[9] Ex-Schenectady was sunk as a target on 23 November 2004 in Operation Resultant Fury, the first time a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress independently dropped guided weapons on a moving ship.