PASCAGOULA, Miss., March 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HII’s (NYSE: HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division announced today the successful completion of acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico for amphibious transport dock Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29), the final Flight I transition ship before Ingalls moves into serial production of the LPD Flight II line.
“We have had a successful trial and it is only through the efforts of our shipbuilders and our dedicated Navy and industry partners that we now move solely into the Flight II ships,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said. “Our team remains fully committed to delivering these important assets to the Navy-Marine Corps team.”
The Ingalls’ Test and Trials team spent several days with the U.S. Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey running the ship at full power and through steering maneuvers. The team will now complete final finish work on the San Antonio-class ship in preparation for delivery to the U.S. Navy in weeks ahead.
Photos and video accompanying this release are available at: https://hii.com/news/hii-completes-acceptance-trials-on-richard-m-mccool-jr-lpd-29/.
“Congratulations to our shipbuilders on accomplishing this milestone and getting the ship ready for delivery,” Ingalls Shipbuilding Ship Program Manager Davianne Stokes said. “The LPD 29 team has worked very hard to make these sea trials a success, and I couldn’t be more proud of how they have prevailed.”
Ingalls Shipbuilding has delivered 12 San Antonio-class ships and currently has three LPDs under construction, including Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29), the final transition ship; Harrisburg (LPD 30), the first Flight II LPD; and Pittsburgh (LPD 31). Ingalls was also awarded in March 2023 a modification contract for the procurement of the detail design and construction of Philadelphia (LPD 32), the 16th ship in the San Antonio class and the third LPD Flight II.
San Antonio-class ships can support a variety of amphibious assault, special operations, or expeditionary warfare missions, operating independently or as part of Amphibious Readiness Groups (ARGs), Expeditionary Strike Groups, or joint task forces. These capabilities allow the U.S. Navy to protect America’s security abroad and promote regional stability and preserve future peace.
About HII
HII is a global, all-domain defense provider. HII’s mission is to deliver the world’s most powerful ships and all-domain solutions in service of the nation, creating the advantage for our customers to protect peace and freedom around the world.
As the nation’s largest military shipbuilder, and with a more than 135-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities extending from ships to unmanned systems, cyber, ISR, AI/ML and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s workforce is 44,000 strong. For more information, visit:
Contact:
Kimberly K. Aguillard
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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a0528b8b-9cca-44d5-8c2c-11e7a25f5d76
