Breaking news
HII Awarded $3 Billion To Build Amphibious Assault Ship Bougainville (LHA 8).
| 2017
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Video: HII Rolling out LHA-8 scale model at Sea Air Space 2017.
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Bougainville will retain the aviation capability of the America-class design while adding the surface assault capability of a well deck. The well deck will give the U.S. Marine Corps the ability to house and launch two landing craft air cushion (LCAC) hovercraft or one landing craft utility (LCU) as needed during their maritime missions. Other additions to Bougainville include a larger flight deck configured for Joint Strike Fighter and Osprey V-22 aircraft, which can be used for surface and aviation assaults. The additional area on the flight deck comes in part from a smaller deck house and an additional sponson.
LHA 8 will be the second Navy vessel to bear the name Bougainville. The name commemorates the Bougainville Campaign that took place during World War II. During the campaign, which lasted from 1943 to 1944, Allied forces secured a strategic airfield from Japan in the northern Solomon Islands, helping the allies break the Japanese stronghold in the South Pacific. Ingalls is currently the sole builder of large-deck amphibious ships for the Navy. The shipyard delivered its first amphibious assault ship, the Iwo Jima-class USS Tripoli (LPH 10), in 1966. Ingalls has since built five Tarawa-class (LHA 1) ships, eight Wasp-class (LHD 1) ships and the first in a new class of ships, America (LHA 6). |
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Two of the design features of LHA-8: A redesigned (smaller but more efficient) Island and the addition of a large sponson for increased flight deck area.
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The main design feature of LHA-8: The reintroduction of the well deck for 2x LCACs. Note the Phalanx, ESSM and RAM launchers all at the stern (from right to left).
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