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Huntington Ingalls Industries Awarded Design Work For LX(R) Class Of Amphibious Ships.

30 Aug, 2016 6:42 | 2016

Naval Industry News - USA

Huntington Ingalls Industries Awarded Design Work For LX(R) Class Of Amphibious Ships

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced today that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division has been awarded a $13.7 million contract (with incremental funding) to perform contract design effort for the U.S. Navy’s amphibious warfare ship replacement, known as LX(R).

The U.S. Navy's LX(R) amphibious warship class will replace the Harpers Ferry- and Whidbey Island-class dock landing ships and will use the same hull as the San Antonio (LPD 17) class. HII rendering

“Ingalls has the finest shipbuilders and engineers in the world who make it their mission to meet the needs of the men and women of the United States Navy and Marine Corps,” said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias. “Pairing that with a hot production line and deep experience building San Antonio-class LPD amphibious warships, Ingalls stands ready to smoothly transition the Navy from LPD into the new technologically advanced LX(R) program.”

On June 30, Ingalls was selected to perform the majority of the contract design work for LX(R). The Department of Defense made the announcement at the same time Ingalls was awarded a contract to build the next large-deck amphibious assault warship, LHA 8.

LX(R) will replace the Navy’s Harpers Ferry- and Whidbey Island-class dock landing ships and will use the same hull as the San Antonio (LPD 17) class. Ingalls has delivered 10 of the LPD 17 ships to the Navy, is currently building the 11th, Portland (LPD 27), and has received more than $258 million in advance procurement funding for the 12th, Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28).

Video: Interview with the LPD 28/LX(R) program manager during Sea Air Space 2016

Comments by Navy Recognition:
During the Sea Air Space 2016 exposition back in May, Steve Sloan (the program manager at HII) told us the main design features HII and the US Navy worked on to reduce the cost of LPD 28 compared to the San Antonio class on which it is based:
- LPD 28 bow works is simplified
- Forward: LPD 17 composite mast is replaced with a steel mast based on the DDG 51 mast design (AN/SPQ-9B radar on top)
- Structures in the boat valley are removed
- Aft: LPD 17 composite mast is replaced with a mast similar to the one found aboard LHA 6 and 7 (AN/SPS-48 radar on top)
- Stern gate is open at the top

LPD 28 featuring optional 16x Mk41 VLS cells in line with the distributed lethality concept

LPD 28 weapons fit is the same as LPD 17: 2x RIM-116 RAM launchers (21 missiles each) and 2x MK 46 (Bushmaster II) 30mm guns, fitted in the same location (at the stern and on top of the aviation hangar). The scale model at SNA also featured 2x SEWIP electronic warfare system (fitted on each side of the bridge) and 8x Nulka decoy launchers.

The scale model on display at Sea Air Space 2016 featured an important optional difference however: 16x Mk41 VLS cells. We were explained this optional feature is representative of how HII could answer possible future US Navy requirement in line with the distributed lethality concept.

More details on LPD 28 design in our SNA 2016 article from January.

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Huntington Ingalls Industries Awarded Design Work For LX(R) Class Of Amphibious Ships.