Ingalls Shipbuilding launches Richard M. McCool Jr LPD-29 amphibious transport dock for US Navy.

According to information published by Huntington Ingalls on January 7, 2022, the Ingalls Shipbuilding division announced January 7, 2022, the successful launch of amphibious transport dock Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29). Richard M. McCool Jr., the 13th LPD in the San Antonio class of amphibious assault force ships, will support U.S. amphibious assault, special operations, and expeditionary warfare missions through the first half of the 21st century.
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On January 7, 2021, Ingalls Shipbuilding division has launched amphibious transport dock Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29) built for U.S. Navy. (Picture source Huntington Ingalls video Screen Shot)

“The LPD class ships, like all of our programs, are critically important to U.S. national security,” said Kari Wilkinson, president of HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division. “In addition, thousands of Americans, from engineers to electricians, have worked on LPD 29 over the years. Ingalls Shipbuilding is proud to build them and even more proud of the talented people that make up our shipbuilding team.”

With the assistance of tugs, Richard M. McCool Jr. came off the floating dry dock Wednesday morning, after first being translated via Ingalls’ rail car system. The dock was moved away from the pier and then ballasted to float off the ship.

Launching Richard M. McCool Jr. is the first of a series of significant milestone events in bringing the ship to life, and eventual delivery to the U.S. Navy which is planned for later next year.

The USS Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD-29) is an Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship built by Ingalls Shipbuilding division for the United States Navy. The San Antonio class is a class of amphibious transport docks, also called a "landing platform, dock" (LPD) which is designed to provide the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps with modern, sea-based platforms that are networked, survivable, and built to operate with 21st centuries transformational platforms, such as the MV-22 Osprey, the (since canceled) Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV), air-cushioned landing craft (LCACs), and future means by which marines are delivered ashore.

The USS Richard M. McCool Jr. LPD-29 has a length of 208.5 m, a beam of 31.9 m, a draft of 7 m, and a displacement of 25,000 tons. She is powered by four Four Colt-Pielstick diesel engines developing 40,000 hp driving two shafts. The ship can reach a top speed of 22 knots (41 km/h).

For its self-protection, the USS Richard M. McCool Jr. is armed with Two 30 mm Bushmaster II cannons, for surface threat defense and two Rolling Airframe Missile launchers for air defense. The ship is able to launch or land up to two MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft simultaneously with room to place four MV-22s on the flight deck and one in the hangar deck.