HII to build US Navy’s LPD 30
Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division has received a $1.47 billion contract from the US Navy for the detail design and construction of amphibious transport dock LPD 30, the company announced on 26 March.
Start of fabrication on LPD 30 is scheduled for 2020.
The ship will be the 14th in the San Antonio class and the first Flight II LPD. The vessel will have a well deck, flight deck and hospital facilities, and will support a Marine Air Ground Task Force in conducting a wide range of missions including combat, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
The San Antonio class vessels are 684ft long and 105ft wide. The ships 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 take-off and landing aircraft such as the MV-22 Osprey.
To date, 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 in 2019.
More from Naval Warfare
-
Make or break: Can the European Patrol Corvette programme save shipbuilding in Europe?
With funding from the European Defence Fund and partner countries, the European Patrol Corvette programme has an opportunity to become the standard bearer for defence procurement and potentially offer a route forward for naval shipbuilding in Europe.
-
Portugal contracts Damen for multi-purpose vessel designed for integrated uncrewed air and sea systems
The new ship’s primary roles will be search and rescue, emergency relief and oceanic research but will also be used for naval support operations and maritime safety.
-
Kongsberg to develop improved Naval Strike Missile
Kongsberg’s Naval Strike Missile was developed in the early 2000s and delivered to the Norwegian Armed Forces from 2011 to 2015. The new missile will be a collaborative project between Norway and Germany and has been planned to be deployed on both countries' naval vessels.
-
France orders seven offshore patrol vessels
The first offshore patrol vessel (OPV) is scheduled for delivery in 2026 and 10 OPVs are expected to be in service by 2035. They are intended to replace the high seas patrol vessels based in Brest and Toulon, as well as the Cherbourg public service patrol boats.
-
Birdon selected for new Australian medium littoral craft with plans for the heavy element to follow
The Royal Australian Navy is developing a new amphibious capability that will allow it to forward position Australian Army units from shore-to-shore or ship-to-shore at long distances. This will enhance the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF’s) rapid deployment capability and ability to operate in a contested environment.