U.S. Navy Awards Contract For 10th San Antonio-Class Amphibious Transport Dock

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Ingalls Shipbuilding to Build Company's 10th San Antonio-Class Amphibious Transport Dock
UNITED STATES - 4 APRIL 2011

PASCAGOULA, Miss. | Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. announced on Friday a U.S. Navy contract awarded to its Ingalls Shipbuilding division for the construction of the 10th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock. The contract, worth $1.5 billion, will be used to build John P. Murtha (LPD 26), with construction expected to start in May.

Huntington Ingalls Industries, America's largest military shipbuilder, was previously a business sector of Northrop Grumman Corp. until effectively separating on March 31 in a spinoff of the company to shareholders.

"This is the first contract awarded to our new company, and our shipbuilders are excited about continuing the LPD product line," said Irwin F. Edenzon, corporate vice president and general manager, Gulf Coast Operations. "More than 1,500 shipbuilders will be working on LPD 26 over the next four years, and our focus will be on safety, quality, cost and schedule. We've been working hard for the last three years making some changes and focusing on important process improvements. I am confident that LPD 26 will be a great ship, and that is our commitment to the sailors and Marines who will serve on her."

Ingalls Shipbuilding has delivered the first five ships of the San Antonio class, LPDs 17-21. San Diego (LPD 22) will undergo sea trials this summer; Anchorage (LPD 23) will be christened at the company's Avondale facility on May 14; Arlington (LPD 24) was christened on March 26, and Somerset (LPD 25) is 40 percent complete and will be launched in 2012.

The 11 planned ships of the San Antonio class are a key element of the Navy's ability to project power ashore. Collectively, these ships functionally replace more than 41 ships (the LPD 4, LSD 36, LKA 113 and LST 1179 classes of amphibious ships), providing the Navy and Marine Corps with modern, sea-based platforms that are networked and survivable and built to operate with 21st century platforms, such as the MV-22 Osprey.

The San Antonio-class ships are 684 feet long and 105 feet wide and displace approximately 25,000 tons. Their principal mission is to deploy the combat and support elements of Marine Expeditionary Units and Brigades. The ships can carry up to 800 troops and have the capability of transporting and debarking air cushion (LCAC) or conventional landing crafts, augmented by helicopters or vertical take-off and landing aircraft such as the MV-22. These ships will support amphibious assault, special operations or expeditionary warfare missions through the first half of the 21st century.

LPD 26 will be similar to the Ingalls-built LPD 19, shown here underway during sea trials in the Gulf of Mexico.

Source: Huntington Ingalls Industries

 

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* * * U.S. Navy 's Future LPD 27 is the 11th amphibious transport dock ship of the USS San Antonio (LPD 17) class* * *

Ingalls Shipbuilding Awarded $98.6 Million Advance Procurement Contract for Amphibious Transport Dock Ship LPD 27
UNITED STATES - 14 JULY 2011

PASCAGOULA, Miss., July 14, 2011 -- The U.S. Navy awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) a $98 million cost-plus-fixed-fee advance procurement contract modification for long-lead materials for LPD 27, the 11th amphibious transport dock ship of the USS San Antonio (LPD 17) class.

The work, which will be conducted by the Ingalls Shipbuilding division in Pascagoula, will include the purchase of long-lead-time materials and major equipment in support of the new ship, such as main engines and diesel generators and other equipment, including electrical switchboards, deck equipment and fire extinguishing systems.

This is the second advance procurement contract for LPD 27. The first contract was awarded in October 2010.

"This contract provides means to continue our development and efficient planning to build LPD 27," said Doug Lounsberry, vice president and program manager of the LPD program, Ingalls Shipbuilding. "It is necessary for our supply chain management so the essential equipment will be aligned and ready to effectively meet our schedule commitments with our Navy customer."

The 11 ships of the LPD 17 class are a key element of the Navy's ability to project power ashore. Collectively, the ships functionally replace more than 40 ships (LPD 4, LSD 36, LKA 113 and LST 1179 classes of amphibious ships), providing the Navy and Marine Corps with modern, sea-based platforms that are networked, survivable and built to operate with 21st century platforms, such as the MV-22 Osprey and the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV).

The LPD 17-class ships are 684 feet long and 105 feet wide and displace approximately 25,000 tons. Their principal mission is to deploy the combat and support elements of Marine Expeditionary Units and Brigades. The ships can carry up to 800 troops and have the capability of transporting and debarking air cushion (LCAC) or conventional landing craft and EFVs, augmented by helicopters or vertical take-off and landing aircraft such as the MV-22. These ships will support amphibious assault, special operations or expeditionary warfare missions through the first half of the 21st century.


Source: Huntington Ingalls Industries

 

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USS New Orleans (LPD 18) Prepares for Deployment
UNITED STATES - 20 JULY 2011

SAN DIEGO -- Sailors aboard the amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18) departed Naval Base Point Loma July 20 following a six-day deperming evolution in preparation for the ship's scheduled deployment.

Deperming a ship reduces the ship's magnetic signature. Naval Base Point Loma is the only station on the West Coast with magnetic silencing support capability. Lt. j.g. Ryan Haught, New Orleans assistant combat systems officer and Pittsburgh native, served as New Orleans' deperming coordinator.

"We wrapped cables around the ship, sent a lot of power through them, and unwrapped the cables to reduce our signature. From here, we will go on 14 range runs on the degaussing range to see how they did," Haught explained.

The deperming process is a key element in preparation for New Orleans' future taskings.

"We need to reduce the magnetic signature to be ready for deployment and decrease the undersea warfare threat so we can be good to go when we go into hostile waters," said Haught. "After the degaussing runs, we have a couple of short underways before deploying."

Haught praised the crew's effort during the complex process, and said the endeavor would not have been possible without all hands contributing.

"The crew worked extremely hard. This was an all hands effort, and it went smoothly because they came together to get this done," Haught emphasized. "One way or another, everyone contributed. We spent about four days wrapping the ship up in the cables and two days unwrapping them, starting at 7:15 in the morning and ending at around 3:30 in the afternoon every day."

USS New Orleans is the first San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship to undergo the deperming process at Point Loma. Haught said the planning and execution phases were influenced by the past.

"We looked at what other LPDs had done on the East Coast, and we took a lot of lessons learned from other ships [that] have already gone through it," said Haught. "We looked at the processes they did, and we tried to make ours better."