BAE Systems awarded $37.7 million contract for USS John P. Murtha modernization.

On July 26, 2023, BAE Systems' San Diego Ship Repair was granted a contract worth $37.7 million by the US Naval Sea Systems Command. This contract's purpose is to support the maintenance, modernization, and repair of the USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26), a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship serving in the United States Navy.
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The amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) returns to its homeport of San Diego (Picture source: US DoD)

Under this agreement, BAE Systems will be responsible for providing various services, including labor, supervision, equipment, production, testing, facilities, and quality assurance. The primary objective is to ensure the USS John P. Murtha remains operational and ready for missions, thus enhancing the overall effectiveness of the United States Navy's fleet.

The modernization efforts will take place at the San Diego Ship Repair facility, situated in San Diego, California, which aligns with the USS John P. Murtha's homeport. The contract is scheduled for completion by September 2024, and there is potential for additional work, which could raise the cumulative value to $42.4 million.

The USS John P. Murtha, the tenth ship of the San Antonio (LPD 17) class, was constructed at the Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) Shipyard. This vessel boasts dimensions of 208.5 meters in length, 31.9 meters in width, and a displacement of 25,000 tons. Propelled by four Colt-Pielstick diesel engines, it can achieve a speed of 22 knots. The ship's system functionality was successfully validated during its acceptance trials in 2016.

An amphibious transport dock, commonly referred to as a landing platform dock (LPD), is a type of amphibious warfare ship employed by various navies, including the San Antonio class utilized by the US Navy. Its primary role is to embark, transport, and deploy landing forces for expeditionary warfare missions. These ships are designed to transport troops to war zones by sea, primarily using landing craft, and are also equipped to operate transport helicopters.

Amphibious transport docks serve the functions of amphibious transports, amphibious cargo ships, and older dock landing ships (LSDs) by incorporating both a flight deck and a well deck that can be ballasted and deballasted to support landing craft or amphibious vehicles. A notable difference between LSDs and LPDs is that LPDs possess hangar facilities in addition to helicopter landing decks, providing protection and maintenance capabilities. The United States Navy has moved to newer LPD classes, and both the Navy and United States Marine Corps are considering the LPD as the basis for their LX(R) program, which is intended to replace existing LSDs.