US Navy awards HII $1.4B contract for first Flight II LPD ship construction

The US Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division a $1.47 billion contract for the detail design and construction of the amphibious transport dock LPD 30.

The ship will be the 14th in the San Antonio class and the first Flight II LPD.

LPD 30 is the evolution of the dock landing platform that strengthens the Navy and Marine Corps’ needs in future warfare. Utilizing the LPD 17 class’ proven hull, the Flight II ship will feature a fully capable flight deck and hangar, a well deck, and the vehicle and cargo capacities to support and sustain more than 500 combat-equipped marines for up to 30 days.

Ingalls has delivered 11 San Antonio-class ships to the Navy and has two more under construction. Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) will launch in 2020 and deliver in 2021; the keel for Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29) will be laid later this year.

Start of fabrication on LPD 30 is scheduled for 2020.

“Ingalls looks forward to continuing our strong legacy of providing the men and women of our naval forces with the capable and survivable warships they need and deserve,” said Ingalls Shipbuilding president Brian Cuccias. “The LPD Flight II builds upon the significant investment that has been made in this platform to improve the capability and flexibility of our deployed Navy-Marine Corps team. LPD 30 will leverage a hot production line and further benefit from the investments we continue to make in our shipbuilders and facilities. We are honored to be a part of the team that will provide this next-generation platform today.”

The 684-foot-long and 105-foot-wide San Antonio-class are used to embark and land Marines, their equipment and supplies ashore via air cushion or conventional landing craft and amphibious assault vehicles, augmented by helicopters or vertical takeoff and landing aircraft such as the MV-22 Osprey. The ships support a Marine Air Ground Task Force across the spectrum of operations, conducting amphibious and expeditionary missions of sea control and power projection to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions throughout the first half of the 21st century.