LPD 27 Portland Keel Authenticated at Ingalls

August 5, 2013

Mrs Bonnie Amos authenticates the keel: Photo credit HII

Huntington Ingalls Industries' Ingalls Shipbuilding has authenticated the keel of the company's 11th amphibious transport dock ship, Portland (LPD 27).

U.S. Marine Corps Gen. James Amos, commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps and principal speaker for the ceremony, noted the first-in-class USS San Antonio (LPD 17) was presently off the coast of Yemen alongside another Ingalls-built ship, USS Kearsarge (LHD 3).

"That lead ship of this great warship class, with its Marines, is serving the Navy and our nation very proudly today," Gen. Amos said. "It's in harm's way as we speak. Realizing that Portland is scheduled to be the last ship in this class, nothing would warm my heart more and nothing would make me work harder than to continue to build this class of ship."

LPD 27, named in honor of Oregon's most populated city, is currently about seven percent complete. The ship is scheduled to launch in early 2016 and is scheduled to deliver to the U.S. Navy in late 2017. Somerset (LPD 25) is currently preparing for builder's sea trials and John P. Murtha (LPD 26) is currently 50 percent complete and will launch next year.

"We build ships for the greatest Navy and greatest Marine Corps that has ever been," said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Irwin F. Edenzon. "We are proud of the tradition here at Ingalls shipbuilding. Mrs. Amos, we know that you share our pride in the workmanship and craftsmanship of all of the shipbuilders who are building your ship."

Bonnie Amos, wife of Gen. Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps, is the ship's sponsor. She authenticated the keel of LPD 27 saying it had been "truly and fairly laid." Her name was welded onto a steel plate by Ingalls welder Marty Peterson.

Ingalls Shipbuilding is building the entire LPD 17 San Antonio-Class of ships, the newest addition to the Navy's 21st century amphibious assault force. To date, eight ships have been delivered to the Navy. The 684-foot-long, 105-foot-wide ships are used to transport and land Marines, their equipment and supplies ashore via embarked air cushion or conventional landing craft and amphibious assault vehicles, augmented by helicopters or vertical takeoff and landing aircraft such as the Osprey. The ships will continue to support amphibious assault, special operations, or expeditionary warfare and humanitarian missions throughout the first half of the century.