HII Awarded $218 Million Advance Procurement Contract for LPD 29 Amphibious Transport Dock
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HII Contract for LPD 29
Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced today that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division has received a $218 million, cost-plus-fixed-fee advance procurement contract from the U.S. Navy to provide long-lead-time material and advance construction activities for LPD 29, the 13th amphibious transport dock of the San Antonio (LPD 17) class.
 
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Naval Industry News - USA
 
 
 
HII Awarded $218 Million Advance Procurement Contract for LPD 29 Amphibious Transport Dock
 
Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced today that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division has received a $218 million, cost-plus-fixed-fee advance procurement contract from the U.S. Navy to provide long-lead-time material and advance construction activities for LPD 29, the 13th amphibious transport dock of the San Antonio (LPD 17) class.
     
HII Contract for LPD 29Ingalls Shipbuilding division received a $218 million contract from the U.S. Navy to provide long-lead-time material and advance construction activities for LPD 29, the 13th amphibious transport dock of the San Antonio (LPD 17) class. HII rendering
     
The funds will be used to purchase long-lead-time material and major equipment, including main engines, diesel generators, deck equipment, shafting, propellers, valves and other long-lead systems.

“This contract is important for us, and for our 400 LPD suppliers in 30 states across the country, as we continue to build these high-quality, complex amphibious warships for the U.S. Navy,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias said. “This contract enables us to align our material, processes and people to build LPD 29 efficiently and affordably and to leverage our hot production line.”

Ingalls’ 11th LPD, Portland (LPD 27), returned from builder’s sea trials today and will be delivered later this year. Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) began construction last December and will have its keel laid this fall.

The San Antonio class is a key element of the Navy’s 21st century amphibious assault force. The 684-foot-long, 105-foot-wide ships are used to embark and land Marines, their equipment and supplies ashore via air cushion or conventional landing craft and amphibious assault vehicles, augmented by helicopters or vertical takeoff and landing aircraft such as the MV-22 Osprey. The ships support a Marine Air Ground Task Force across the spectrum of operations, conducting amphibious and expeditionary missions of sea control and power projection, along with humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions throughout the first half of the 21st century.
     
Video: Interview with the LPD 28/LX(R) program manager during Sea Air Space 2016
     
Comments by Navy Recognition:

LPD 28/LX(R) will replace the Navy’s Harpers Ferry- and Whidbey Island-class dock landing ships and will use the same hull as the San Antonio (LPD 17) class. Ingalls has delivered 10 of the LPD 17 ships to the Navy, is currently building the 11th, Portland (LPD 27).

During the Sea Air Space 2016 exposition back in May, Steve Sloan (the program manager at HII) told us the main design features HII and the US Navy worked on to reduce the cost of LPD 28 compared to the San Antonio class on which it is based:
- LPD 28 bow works is simplified
- Forward: LPD 17 composite mast is replaced with a steel mast based on the DDG 51 mast design (AN/SPQ-9B radar on top)
- Structures in the boat valley are removed
- Aft: LPD 17 composite mast is replaced with a mast similar to the one found aboard LHA 6 and 7 (AN/SPS-48 radar on top)
- Stern gate is open at the top
     
HII Awarded $218 Million Advance Procurement Contract for LPD 29 Amphibious Transport Dock
LPD 28 featuring optional 16x Mk41 VLS cells in line with the distributed lethality concept
     
LPD 28 weapons fit is the same as LPD 17: 2x RIM-116 RAM launchers (21 missiles each) and 2x MK 46 (Bushmaster II) 30mm guns, fitted in the same location (at the stern and on top of the aviation hangar). The scale model at SNA also featured 2x SEWIP electronic warfare system (fitted on each side of the bridge) and 8x Nulka decoy launchers.

The scale model on display at Sea Air Space 2016 featured an important optional difference however: 16x Mk41 VLS cells. We were explained this optional feature is representative of how HII could answer possible future US Navy requirement in line with the distributed lethality concept.

More details on LPD 28 design in our SNA 2016 article from January.