America-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli completes final trials.

According to information published by the U.S. Navy on August 30, 2021, USS Tripoli (LHA 7), the U.S. Navy’s second America-class amphibious assault ship completed final contract trials (FCT).
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America-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli LHA-7 (Picture source: Twitter account of CJR1321)

FCT are a component of a ship’s post-delivery test period and mark the final in-depth review of the ship, the crew, and its systems. Trials were conducted by the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey over a four day period and consisted of both in-port and at-sea evaluations. The at-sea phase included full power runs, demonstrations of combat systems, simulated damage control situations and other events designed to fully flex the ship’s crew and its systems.

LHA 7, commissioned in July 2020, incorporates key components to provide the fleet with a more aviation-centric platform. The ship’s design features an enlarged hangar deck, aviation maintenance facilities realignment and expansion, a significant increase in available stowage for parts and support equipment, and increased aviation fuel capacity.

The ship also recently conducted its first Combat System Ship Qualification Trials to demonstrate the ship’s weapons systems’ ability to effectively engage and destroy incoming threats in an operational environment. The ship will continue with its Post Shakedown Availability before eventual fleet tasking.

As one of the Defense Department's largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships, boats and craft.

USS Tripoli is homeported in San Diego. The ship is assigned to Amphibious Squadron 7.

The America class (formerly the LHA(R) class) is a ship class of landing helicopter assault (LHA) type amphibious assault ships of the United States Navy (USN). The class is designed to put ashore a Marine Expeditionary Unit using helicopters and MV-22B Osprey V/STOL transport aircraft, supported by AV-8B Harrier II or F-35 Lightning II V/STOL aircraft and various attack helicopters.

The first of these warships was commissioned by the U.S. Navy in 2014 to replace the USS Peleliu of the Tarawa class; as many as eleven will be built. The design of the America class is based on that of USS Makin Island, the last ship of the Wasp-class.

They can carry about 20 to 25 AV-8B, F-35Bs, or a mixture of the two, but the future ships of this class, starting with USS Bougainville (LHA-8), will have smaller aircraft hangars to leave room for larger amphibious warfare well decks.

The America-class amphibious assault ships are engineered with a (CODLOG) hybrid-electric propulsion system derived from the one used on Makin Island. The ships can use gas turbines for high speeds and diesel-electric engines when required.