The world's first "Hybrid" warship the USS Makin Island a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, was commissioned recently at Naval Base, Coronado in San Diego California.

The Navy in an effort to improve the efficiency of current and all future ships, equipped the USS Makin Island with a new "green" gas turbine-electric hybrid propulsions system. The new system is capable of propelling the ship entirely with electric motors at low speeds.

In a testament to the benefits of using Hybrid systems in large ships, during her voyage from the shipyard in Mississippi to her home in San Diego, she consumed 900,000 gallons less fuel than steam ships making the same trip.

At a length of 844 feet and displacing 42,833 tons with a crew of 2,891 persons, the USS Makin Island is one of the largest ships in Navy and it demonstrates the urgent need in producing a future fleet that is efficient, environmentally and cost effective.