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Assault Ship News

04 Dec 2023

HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding Christens Amphibious Assault Ship Bougainville (LHA 8)

Pictured from left: Under Secretary of the Navy Erik Raven; Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson; Prospective Commanding Officer, Bougainville (LHA 8) Capt. Harry Marsh, USN; and Ship’s Sponsor Ellyn S. Dunford. (Photo: HII)

HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division on Saturday christened the U.S. Navy’s third America-class amphibious assault ship Bougainville (LHA 8).“Today is not only a day to celebrate our namesake, representatives of the successful outcome of a World War II campaign, but also the team work and collaboration of our United States Navy and Marine Corps that enabled it,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said. “To fulfil our mission here in the shipyard, our sailors and Marines…

21 Sep 2023

USS Fallujah Keel 'Truly and Fairly Laid'"

Ingalls welder Seveta Gray welds the initials of Donna Berger onto the keel plaque that will be permanently part of Fallajuh (LHA 9). Left to right, HII President & Chief Executive Officer Chris Kastner, U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. David Bligh, Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson, Under Secretary of the Navy Erik Raven, and Ship Sponsor Donna Berger  - Credit: HII

HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division authenticated the keel on Wednesday for the America-class amphibious ship Fallujah (LHA 9).The ship’s sponsor, Donna Berger, former first lady of the Marine Corps and spouse of Gen. David H. Berger, 38th commandant of the Marine Corps, was in attendance to declare the keel “truly and fairly laid.”During the authentication ceremony, Ingalls welder Seveta Gray welded the initials of the sponsor onto a ceremonial keel plate that will remain with…

04 Aug 2023

Two US Navy Sailors Arrested for Sharing Military Secrets with China

File photo: U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship USS Essex (Photo: Mark Alvarez / U.S. Navy)

Two U.S. Navy sailors have been arrested on charges of handing over sensitive national security material to China, U.S. officials said Thursday.Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, 26, was charged with conspiracy and bribetaking in connection with taking nearly $15,000 in exchange for photographs and videos of sensitive U.S. military information, the officials said. U.S. Navy sailor, Jinchao Wei, whose age was not disclosed, was charged with conspiring to send national defense information…

24 Jul 2023

The Need for [U.S. Navy Shipbuilding] Speed

The world's largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) steams in the Adriatic Sea, June 23, 2023.
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Adkins)

The Navy wants, and needs, more ships; but it can’t build them fast enough.While the U.S. Navy aims to achieve a 355-ship fleet, it is decommissioning older (and some not so old) ships at about the same rate it's adding new ones.A Congressional Research Service report stated that, as of April 17, 2023, the Navy included 296 battle force ships. "The Navy projects that under its FY2024 budget submission, the Navy would include 293 battle force ships at the end of FY2024 and 291 battle force ships at the end of FY2028."But there is progress…

15 May 2023

NASSCO Awarded USS Makin Island (LHD 8) Repair Job

File photo: Amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8). (Photo: Dennis Grube)

San Diego shipyard General Dynamics NASSCO has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Navy for maintenance, modernization and repair of the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) fiscal 2023 selected restricted availability.The $66,854,586 firm-fixed-price contract action includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $74,981,830.The scope of this acquisition includes all labor, supervision, equipment, production, testing and…

04 May 2023

Spanish Warship Set for Propulsion Refit

Spanish Navy amphibious assault ship Juan Carlos I (Photo: ABB)

ABB said it has secured a contract with the Spanish state-owned Navantia shipbuilding company to retrofit the Spanish Navy flagship Juan Carlos I with an electrical propulsion system based on dual ABB Azipod units. Due completion in 2025, the project is the first of its kind on a naval ship.The contract follows a study undertaken by ABB in 2020 to determine the feasibility of installing new propulsors on the ship. The study identified ABB Azipod as a solution to meet the vessel’s requirements for reliability…

10 Apr 2023

Turkey Launches Its First Amphibious Assault Ship

(Photo: Turkish Naval Forces)

Turkey launched its first amphibious assault ship on Monday, aiming to extend its drone capabilities from land-based to naval operations amid increased regional tensions as war rages in Ukraine on the other side of the Black Sea.The TCG Anadolu can handle only light aircraft, chiefly helicopters and jets that can take off from shorter runways. It is 232 meters long and 32 meters wide, and can carry some 1,400 personnel - one battalion of soldiers - combat vehicles and support…

24 Mar 2023

North Korea Tests New Nuclear-capable Underwater Drone

© railwayfx / Adobe Stock

North Korea has tested a new nuclear-capable underwater attack drone, state media reported on Friday, as leader Kim Jong Un warned joint military drills by South Korea and the U.S. should stop.During the test, the new North Korean drone cruised underwater at a depth of 80 to 150 metres (260-500 feet) for over 59 hours and detonated a non-nuclear payload in waters off its east coast on Thursday, North Korean state news agency KCNA said.Analysts say North Korea is showing off its increasingly diverse nuclear threats to Washington and Seoul…

17 Mar 2023

Lessons Learned from the USS Bonhomme Richard Fire

Fire rages on board USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) at Naval Base San Diego, July 12, 2020. (Photo: Austin Haist / U.S. Navy)

Shipboard fire a constant threat: Bonhomme Richard tragedy an enduring lesson in fire prevention, responseJuly 12, 2020 was a lazy Sunday morning at Naval Base San Diego. USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), which had been commissioned only two years earlier, had recently made the base its new homeport and was docked as it underwent a maintenance availability.But, the silence of that morning was rocked by an explosion a few minutes before 9 a.m., changing everything for the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship.Below the decks…

26 Jan 2023

3D Printing: Navy Builds Up Additive Manufacturing on Ships

Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) onloads a 3D printer during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022, July 8, 2022.  
U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Ace Rheaume

The U.S. Navy has long valued the potential of additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D Printing.AM refers to the depositing of material layer by layer to create an object. For the Navy, it’s not practical to carry every replacement part for every system on a ship, and it can be difficult to forecast if or when parts will fail. AM provides a flexible source of supply in being able to make parts instead of ordering them and waiting for them to arrive, especially for warships at the far end of the supply chain.

20 Dec 2022

HII Begins Fabrication of Amphibious Assault Ship Fallujah (LHA 9)

(Photo: HII)

HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division in Pascagoula, Miss. started fabrication of the U.S. Navy’s newest amphibious assault ship Fallujah (LHA 9) on Monday. The start of fabrication signifies that the first 100 tons of steel have been cut for the ship and that the shipyard is ready to move forward with the construction of the ship.“Our shipbuilders are proud of the work they do for the security of our nation and for our Navy and Marine Corps customers,” said Eugene Miller, Ingalls Shipbuilding LHA program manager.

13 Dec 2022

US Navy Awards BAE Systems $295 Million Contract for USS Kearsarge Refit

USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) (Photo: Sarah E. Ard / U.S. Navy)

BAE Systems said it has received a $294.7 million contract from the U.S. Navy to drydock and perform more than 20 months of maintenance and modernization work on the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3). The contract includes options that, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value to $340.3 million.Under the awarded contract, the maintenance availability of USS Kearsarge will begin in April. Starting in June, the 843-foot-long ship will be drydocked for nearly a year at BAE Systems’ Norfolk, Va. shipyard.

28 Oct 2022

Ingalls Awarded $2.4 Billion Deal to Build US Warship LHA 9

(Photo: HII)

HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding has been awarded a $2.4 billion U.S. Navy fixed-price-incentive contract for the detail design and construction of amphibious assault ship LHA 9. The award includes options, that if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of the contract to $3.2 billion. Ingalls was awarded the original long-lead-time material contract for the fourth ship in the America (LHA 6) class on April 30, 2020.Construction on LHA 9 is scheduled to begin in December 2022.The America-class is a multi-functional and versatile ship that is capable of operating in a high density…

02 Oct 2022

US Sailor Acquitted of Setting Fire to USS Bonhomme Richard

The USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) burns while moored at Naval Base San Diego on July 12, 2020. Photo: John J. Mike / (U.S. Navy)

A U.S. Navy sailor was found not guilty on Friday of starting a fire that destroyed the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard in San Diego in 2020.Seaman Recruit Ryan Mays was acquitted of charges of arson and the willful hazarding of a ship, Commander Sean Robertson, a spokesman for the U.S. 3rd Fleet, said in a statement.The decision followed a two-week court-martial in which Navy prosecutors argued that Mays, who was 19 at the time of the blaze, started the fire due to disgruntlement with his work.

12 Sep 2022

US Navy Withholding Court Records in High-profile Ship Fire Case

Responders battle a fire on board the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) at Naval Base San Diego in July 2020. (Photo: Garrett LaBarge / US. Navy)

The U.S. Navy accused a sailor of setting the 2020 fire on the USS Bonhomme Richard, but it refuses to release records in the case as the law requires.Despite a 2016 law requiring more transparency of court-martials, the U.S. Navy is refusing to release nearly all court documents in a high-profile case in which a sailor faces life in prison.Seaman Recruit Ryan Mays, 21, has been charged with aggravated arson and hazarding a vessel in the 2020 fire that destroyed the USS Bonhomme Richard.

24 May 2022

US Navy Climate Plan Aims to Cut Emissions, Move to Low Carbon Fuels

USS Makin Island, an amphibious assault ship deployed in 2009, uses GE hybrid systems with electric and natural gas or diesel fired turbines to increase efficiency. (Photo: U.S. Navy)

The U.S. Navy released on Tuesday a climate strategy that aims to make the force more resilient to changes like sea level rise and coastal erosion while moving faster to low-carbon fuels and hybrid engines for ships and planes.The Climate Action 2030 plan, is part of the Biden administration's wider goal of decarbonizing the economy by 2050."By building a climate ready force, our sailors and Marines will be able to fight and win anywhere in the world in any condition," Meredith Berger…

22 Nov 2021

Ingalls Wins $113.6 Million Procurement Contract for LHA 9

File photo: America-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) (Photo: Samantha Oblander / U.S. Navy)

America’s largest military shipbuilding company Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) said its Ingalls Shipbuilding division has received a contract modification from the U.S. Navy for $113.6 million to enable long-lead-time material and advance procurement activities for amphibious assault ship LHA 9. This modification brings the total advance funding for LHA 9 to $651 million.Ingalls is the sole builder of large-deck amphibious ships for the Navy. The Pascagoula, Miss. shipyard delivered its first amphibious assault ship, the Iwo Jima-class USS Tripoli (LPH 10), in 1966.

20 Oct 2021

Series of Failures After Fire Led to Destruction of USS Bonhomme Richard

A fire broke out on board USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) at Naval Base San Diego, in July 2020. (Photo: Austin Haist / U.S. Navy)

A U.S. Navy investigation released on Wednesday found that a fire aboard a warship last year, which was caused by arson, was preventable and that a series of failures after it started led to the destruction of the ship.More than 60 people, including about 40 sailors, were treated for minor injuries during several days of fighting flames on the 844-foot-long (257-meter) amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard, which was docked for maintenance at its home port at U.S. Naval Base San Diego.A U.S.

10 Aug 2021

Video: USS Gerald R. Ford Completes Shock Trials

Shock trials are designed to demonstrate ships’ ability to withstand the effects of nearby underwater explosion and retain required capability. (Photo: Jackson Adkins / U.S. Navy)

The U.S. Navy's new aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) on Monday underwent its third explosive event off the coast of Jacksonville, Fla., rounding out the ship’s Full Ship Shock Trials (FSST) and validating its shock hardness and ability to sustain operations in a simulated combat environment using live ordnance. During the four-month testing evolution, the first-in-class aircraft carrier withstood the impact of three 40,000-pound underwater blasts, released at distances…

02 Aug 2021

US Navy Sailor Charged in Fire Aboard USS Bonhomme Richard

On the morning of July 12, a fire was called away aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) while it was moored pierside at Naval Base San Diego while the warship was going through a maintenance availability, which began in 2018. (Photo: Christina Ross / U.S. Navy)

A U.S. Navy sailor was charged on Thursday with starting a fire last year that burned for four days on the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard, injuring more than 60 people and destroying the vessel.The sailor, who was not identified by name, was charged under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and could face court martial, Navy Commander Sean Robertson, a spokesman for the U.S. 3rd Fleet, said in a statement."The Sailor was a member of Bonhomme Richard's crew at the time and is accused of starting the fire…

07 Jun 2021

Viega Fittings Earn US Navy Approval

(Image: Viega)

Viega announced on Monday that its MegaPress CuNi and ProPress copper fittings are the first press fittings approved for use in U.S. Navy combat ships.After years of rigorous testing, the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) has approved the use of MegaPress CuNi mechanically attached fittings in sizes ½" to 2" in surface combatants for a variety of systems, including chilled water, potable water, electronic freshwater cooling, seawater cooling, washdown countermeasures, drainage and many others.

27 May 2021

Ingalls Shipbuilding Names Blanchette VP of Quality and Engineering

Brian Blanchette has been promoted to vice president of quality and engineering at Ingalls Shipbuilding.  Prior to the promotion, Blanchette served as Ingalls’ director of technical and design engineering. (Photo: Derek Fountain/HII)

America's largest military shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries announced Thursday that Brian Blanchette has been promoted to vice president of quality and engineering of its Ingalls Shipbuilding division.Blanchette will be responsible for the management and oversight of the division’s quality program as well as all ship design, engineering, integrated logistics support and planning yard engineering efforts at the Pascagoula, Miss. shipyard. He will relieve Dave Belanger upon his retirement in July.Blanchette served most recently as Ingalls’ director of technical and design engineering…

19 Apr 2021

Ingalls Wins Advance Procurement Contract for LHA 9

Amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) departed from Ingalls Shipbuilding division in July 2020, sailing to its homeport in San Diego. (Photo by Lance Davis / HII)

America's largest military shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced on Monday that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division has received a fourth contract modification from the U.S. Navy for $107 million to provide long-lead-time material and advance procurement activities for amphibious assault ship LHA 9. This modification brings the total advance funding for LHA 9 to $457 million.“The amphibious warship production line is a critical component of our nation’s defense industrial base,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said.

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