Huntington
Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) announced today that the company's seventh
amphibious transport dock, Anchorage (LPD 23), returned Friday from
successful builder's sea trials in the Gulf of Mexico. The ship is currently
under construction at Ingalls' Avondale facility.
"The LPD 23 team just finished one of the most successful builder's
trials of any LPD so far," said Doug Lounsberry, Ingalls' vice
president and program manager, LPD 17 Program. "The ship demonstrated
its quality through operational testing over the past four days, including
propulsion, steering, navigation, communications and weapons. It took
the dedication of thousands of craftsmen and women to get this ship
to this state. We have a very short time until acceptance trials, and
it will take the same dedication and determination to get us there with
the high standards we have set for ourselves."
Ingalls' test and trials team thoroughly tested the ship's systems.
More than 200 test events took place during the four-day sea trial,
including anchor handling, flight operations, ballasting and de-ballasting
the well deck, and compartment air balancing.
"I am very pleased with LPD 23'sperformance during this builder's
trial," said Richard Schenk, Ingalls' vice president of test and
trials. "The Ingalls and Navy team has proven this ship is very
well-built and it operates extremely well. We've demonstrated all of
the major systems on the ship, and they performed great. We have work
to do to prepare for acceptance trials, but we'll be ready when we need
to be." |
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The ship will now prepare for acceptance sea trials
to demonstrate the same tests and seaworthiness to the U.S. Navy's Board
of Inspection and Survey (INSURV). The ship is scheduled to be delivered
to the Navy this year.
The 11 ships of the LPD 17 class are a key element of the Navy's ability
to project power ashore. Collectively, they 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, survivable and built to operate with 21st century
platforms, such as the MV-22 Osprey.
Ingalls has delivered six ships in the class and has four more in various
stages of construction, including LPD 23. Advance procurement contracts
have been awarded for an 11th ship, LPD 27.
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 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.
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