[[File:USS Bataan (LHD-5);10080504.jpg|thumb|{{USS|Bataan|LHD-5|6}} of the US Navy]]
Due to their aircraft carrier heritage, all amphibious assault ships resemble aircraft carriers in design. The flight deck is used to operate attack and utility helicopters for landing troops and supplies and on some ship types also launch and recover fixed wing aircraft such as V/STOL [[Harrier Jump Jet|Harrier "jump jet"s]]s to provide air support to landing operations. STOL aircraft such as the [[North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco|OV-10]] were sometimes deployed on and were able to perform short take-offs and landings on large-deck amphibious assault ships without needing catapults or arresting wires, although for safety and clearance reasons, the latter was most often not permitted.<ref>{{cite book |last=Polmar |first=Norman |title=The Naval Institute Guide To The Ships And Aircraft Of The U.S. Fleet |page=[https://archive.org/details/navalinstitutegu0018polm/page/392 392] |location=[[Annapolis, Maryland]] |publisher=[[United States Naval Institute#Publications and products|Naval Institute Press]] |year=2004 |isbn=1-59114-685-2 |url=https://archive.org/details/navalinstitutegu0018polm/page/392 |via=Archive.org }}</ref> [[Landing craft]] are also carried, either on deck-mounted [[davit]]s, or in an internal [[well dock]] (USN: "well deck in USN").
