The Navy awarded a $2,381,448,356 contract to Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. (HII) May 31, for the detail design and construction of the future USS Tripoli (LHA 7), the Navy’s next large-deck amphibious assault ship.
“I’m very proud of our Navy-Industry shipbuilding team and the tremendous effort that has culminated in the award of this critical shipbuilding program,” said Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus. “This ship will ensure that the amphibious fleet remains capable of expeditionary warfare well into the 21st century.”
The ship will be constructed at HII’s Ingalls Operations in Pascagoula, Miss. Ship delivery is expected in fiscal year 2018.
Like the future USS America (LHA 6), LHA 7 has an increased aviation capacity, including an enlarged hangar deck, realignment and expansion of the aviation maintenance facilities, a significant increase in available stowage for parts and support equipment, and increased aviation fuel capacity.
LHA 7 will use the same gas turbine propulsion plant, zonal electrical distribution and electric auxiliary systems designed and built for USS Makin Island (LHD 8), replacing the maintenance intensive steam plants of earlier amphibious ships. This unique auxiliary propulsion system is designed for fuel efficiency.
LHA 7 will provide a flexible, multi-mission platform with capabilities that span the range of military operations – from forward deployed crisis response to forcible entry operations. The ship also will provide forward presence and power projection as an integral part of joint, interagency and multinational maritime expeditionary forces.
Tripoli will operate for sustained periods in transit to and operations in an amphibious objective area to include: embarking, transporting, controlling, inserting, sustaining and extracting elements of a marine air-ground task force, and supporting forces by helicopters and tilt rotors supported by joint strike fighter aircraft (F-35B).
