General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co.(NASSCO) has received a $12.1 million worth contract modification to exercise the option for the fitting-out availability of San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, the USS Somerset (LPD 25).
The contract includes engineering, planning, management, labor and material in support of the fitting-out availability.
Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by December 2014.
Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division delivered the amphibious transport dock Somerset (LPD 25) to the U.S. Navy on October 18th. The DD 250 document officially signifying custody transfer of the ship was signed by officials on the ship at the company’s Avondale facility.
The 24,900-ton Somerset is 684 feet in length, has an overall beam of 105 feet, and a navigational draft of 23 feet. Four turbo-charged diesels power the ship to sustained speeds of 22 knots.
The LPD incorporates both a flight deck to accommodate CH-46 helicopters and MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, and a well deck that can launch and recover landing craft and amphibious vehicles.
Somerset will provide improved warfighting capabilities, including an advanced command-and-control suite, increased lift-capability in vehicle and cargo-carrying capacity and advanced ship-survivability features. The ship is capable of embarking a landing force of up to 800 Marines.
Somerset is the ninth ship in the San Antonio (LPD 17) class of ships, slated to commission into service with the US Atlantic Fleet in 2014.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, November 21, 2013; Image: Navy