HII wins contract to build 16th San Antonio class, LPD 32.

According to a PR published by April 3, 2023, HII announced that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division has received a $1.3 billion modification to a previously awarded contract from the U.S. Navy for the procurement of the detail design and construction of amphibious transport dock LPD 32.
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Artist rendering of San Antonio class amphibious transport dock. (Picture source: HII)

The resulting fixed-price-incentive contract totals $1.54 billion. The ship will be the 16th in the San Antonio class and the third Flight II LPD.

In June 2022, Ingalls Shipbuilding was awarded a $240 million advance procurement contract for LPD 32 from the Navy to provide long-lead-time material and advance construction activities.

The funds from this contract allowed Ingalls to begin purchasing long-lead time material and major equipment across a supplier network of nearly 400 companies in 30 states.

Ingalls Shipbuilding is the sole builder of the entire San Antonio class of ships and currently has three LPDs under construction, including Richard M. McCool (LPD 29); Harrisburg (LPD 30), the first Flight II LPD; and Pittsburgh (LPD 31), which began fabrication in September 2022. LPD Flight II is the next generation amphibious ship to replace Whidbey Island (LSD 41) and Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) classes of dock landing ships.

Amphibious transport docks are a major part of the Navy’s 21st century expeditionary force, deployed with a U.S. Marine Corps Air-Ground Task Force for amphibious and expeditionary crisis response operations that range from deterrence and joint-force enablement to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

About the San Antonio class

The ship has a displacement of 25,300 tons when fully loaded and is 684 feet (208 meters) long, 105 feet (32 meters) wide, and has a draft of 23 feet (7 meters).

She is powered by four sequentially turbocharged marine Colt-Pielstick diesel engines, which produce 41,600 shaft horsepower and can propel the ship at speeds in excess of 22 knots (25 miles per hour or 41 kilometers per hour).

The San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock can carry up to two LCACs (air cushion) or one LCU (conventional) and 14 Amphibious Assault Vehicles. The crew consists of 28 officers and 333 enlisted sailors, with an additional landing force of 66 officers and 633 enlisted troops.

The ship is armed with two Bushmaster II 30 mm close-in-guns, two Rolling Airframe Missile launchers, several twin M2 Browning machine gun turrets, and two Mk 41 eight-cell VLS for quad-packed ESSMs (not fitted). She also has AN/SPS-48G and AN/SPQ-9B sensors and processing systems, as well as an AN/SLQ-32 electronic warfare and decoy system.