Electric Auxiliary Systems News

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division delivered the newest America-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) to the U.S. Navy on Friday. Tripoli will be commissioned later this year before sailing to its homeport of San Diego.Amphibious assault ships project power and maintain presence by serving as the cornerstone of the amphibious ready group or expeditionary strike group. These ships transport elements of the Marine expeditionary unit or Marine expeditionary brigade with a combination of aircraft and landing craft.

Like the future USS America (LHA 6), LHA 7 has an increased aviation capacity to include 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. The LHA 7 will use the same gas turbine propulsion plant, zonal electrical distribution and electric auxiliary systems designed and built for the USS Makin Island, replacing the maintenance intensive steam plants of earlier ships.

A keel laying ceremony for the future USS America (LHA 6) was held July 17 at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding's Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss. The keel was authenticated by ship's sponsor Lynne Pace, the wife of retired Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace, who confirmed that the keel was truly and fairly laid. The America Class will replace the aging Tarawa Class and will increase the aviation capacity of future big deck amphibious ships in order to maximize the Navy's investment in future aircraft. LHA 6 will use the same gas turbine propulsion plant, zonal electrical distribution and electric auxiliary systems designed and built for the just-delivered USS Makin Island (LHD 8), replacing the maintenance intensive steam turbines of earlier ships.

Northrop Grumman Corporation's Sperry Marine business unit has been selected to supply the Machinery Control System (MCS) for LHA 6, the first of a new generation of large-deck amphibious assault ships for the U.S. Navy. Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding awarded Sperry Marine a contract valued at approximately $47.6 million. LHA 6 is being built at the Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding facility in Pascagoula, Miss. auxiliary systems. The network will include more than 50 data acquisition units at strategic locations around the ship, as well as 25 operating consoles, 10 electric plant and propulsion plant controllers, and multiple redundant local-area network switches.

The U.S. Navy will christen Makin Island, the newest and last ship in the Wasp-class of amphibious assault ships, on Aug. 19, 2006, during a ceremony at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in Pascagoula, Miss. Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi will deliver the principal address at the ceremony. Silke Hagee, wife of Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Michael W. Hagee, will serve as ship's sponsor. The ceremony will be highlighted by the time-honored Navy tradition of the sponsor breaking the bottle of champagne across the bow to formally christen the ship. Makin Island is named for the daring raid carried out by Marine Corps Companies Alpha and Bravo, Second Raider Battalion, on Japanese-held Makin Island, in the Gilbert Islands, on Aug. 17-18, 1942.

22 on LHD 8, a multipurpose amphibious assault ship. U.S. Marine Corps representatives lauded the Northrop Grumman team's efforts and the significant impact and support these ships offer to the defense of American freedom. Ship Systems Ingalls Operations has delivered seven LHD 1 Wasp-class ships and five LHA 1 Tarawa-class of amphibious ships. LHD 8 marks the eighth ship in the class. LHD 8 is the first amphibious ship that will be powered by gas turbine engines instead of a steam plant. Corps team with significant savings in manpower and maintenance costs, while also saving on fuel expenditures. LHD 8 represents evolutionary and transformational steps towards the future.