HII launches new San Antonio-class vessel
The Harrisburg being launched by the Ingalls team. (Photo: HII)
The Harrisburg (LPD 30) will be the 14th vessel in the San Antonio-class.
HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division has launched its new LPD Flight II, San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship, the Harrisburg (LPD 30).
The Harrisburg comes as the newest ship in a long line: HII has so far delivered 13 previous San Antonio-class amphibious ships to the US Navy, and the Harrisburg will be followed by the Pittsburgh in due course. In fact, there will eventually be 13 LPD Flight II vessels in the fleet, mirroring the Flight I provision.
The San Antonio-class vessels can conduct a wide variety of missions, including amphibious assault, special operations and expeditionary warfare. They can operate independently or as part of Amphibious Readiness Groups (ARGs), Expeditionary Strike Groups or Joint Task Forces.
Related Articles
HII Ingalls to build four more amphibious ships under $9.6 billion in contracts
All that versatility comes at a cost, though, with many in the class costing US$1.6 billion per ship (almost twice the original quoted unit price of $890 million). That overspend is set to be reined in at least slightly after the Harrisburg though, with future vessels in the class expected to be delivered for $1.4 billion apiece.
The Ingalls team translated the Harrisburg from land to the company’s floating dry dock using translation railcars to support the ship’s movement across the pier. While in the dry dock, the team completed final preparatory work required ahead of the launch.
The launch of LPD 30 follows the recent announcement of the amphibious multi-ship procurement contract for the construction of three San Antonio-class (LPD 17) amphibious ships [LPD 33-35] and a contract modification for the next America-class (LHA 6) large-deck amphibious ship [LHA 10].
Ingalls currently has two Flight II LPDs under construction, the Harrisburg and the Pittsburgh. Pre-construction work is currently underway on the Philadelphia, which will be the 16th ship in the San Antonio class.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
San Antonio LPD 17 Flight II [USN]
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Australia’s A$12 billion Perth shipyard upgrade offers positive sign for AUKUS]()
Australia’s A$12 billion Perth shipyard upgrade offers positive sign for AUKUS
While the Australian government insists the investment is predominantly aimed at strengthening the country’s defence capabilities, the upgrade also bodes well for the AUKUS pact which Australia’s defence minister said “is going well”.
-
![US Coast Guard orders 10 additional Fast Response Cutters]()
US Coast Guard orders 10 additional Fast Response Cutters
The USCG exercised a $507 million contract option for the acquisition of 10 extra FRCs. This new order will raise the total number of Sentinel-class vessels procured by the service from 67 to 77.
-
![DSEI 2025: Red Cat expands into USV production with focus on combat-proven technology]()
DSEI 2025: Red Cat expands into USV production with focus on combat-proven technology
At DSEI 2025, Red Cat outlines its expansion from UAVs into uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), positioning itself as a multi-domain defence provider spanning land, sea, and air.
-
![Anduril Australia wins A$1.7 billion Ghost Shark XL-AUV contract]()
Anduril Australia wins A$1.7 billion Ghost Shark XL-AUV contract
The vessels are expected to deliver a major boost to Australia’s undersea warfare capabilities, with production set to start immediately.
