The Navy accepted delivery of the second in the LPD 17 class of amphibious transport dock ship on Dec. 22. The acceptance of the future USS New Orleans, marks the culmination of millions of hours in conceptual planning, design, construction, and testing of this advanced amphibious warship.
New Orleans recently completed Builder's and Acceptance Trials during which the shipbuilder, Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, successfully demonstrated this new warship's tremendous range of capability. Main propulsion, engineering and ship control systems, mission and combat systems, damage control, food service and crew support systems were exercised. The ship earned satisfactory scores for the major demonstrations characterizing the ship's performance which led to the Board of Inspection and Survey’s recommendation to accept the ship.
Accepting delivery of New Orleans for the Navy, Capt. Dexter, Supervisor of Shipbuilding Gulf Coast, noted, “There is still work to be done before New Orleans joins the fleet, however today starts the Navy’s ownership of this exceptionally versatile amphibious warship. I know that the Sailors and Marines who sail her will appreciate the state-of-the-art features designed into her.”
New Orleans will support the Navy-Marine Corps “mobility triad” of air-cushioned landing craft (LCAC), Expeditionary Fighting Vehicles, and MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft in future Expeditionary Strike Groups. Integrating dozens of unique systems with state-of-the art technology, the ship will be technically adaptable for deployments in the next few years or for future requirements 40 years from now. USS New Orleans will be the first West Coast homeported ship of the San Antonio class.
With her unusual profile, characterized by the distinctive Advanced Enclosed Mast/Sensor System masts, USS New Orleans will look like no other warship when she arrives in San Diego this spring. Internally, the ship’s Shipboard Wide Area Network, variety of firefighting systems, sit-up berths and advanced command and control capabilities will also make her a distinctive amphibious ship. Most significant will be New Orleans ability to embark, transport, and land 800 troops and nearly 25,000 cubic feet of combat vehicles and weapons.
The next milestones for the ship will be transfer of custody to the Prospective Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Brad Skillman, and his crew’s who will move aboard in January 2007. The Navy will then commission New Orleans in March 2007 in her namesake city. In 2007 the Navy is also scheduled to commission sister ship Mesa Verde (LPD 19), and Northrop Grumman will launch New York (LPD 21) and lay the keel for the future San Diego (LPD 22). Currently, five ships of the class are in construction or in pre-fabrication at the Gulf Coast shipyards.
Source: Navsea Newswire
By Program Executive Office for Ships Communications