Northrop Grumman Gets Advance Money Fo LPD 21, LPD 22

Northrop Grumman Corporation announced that the Avondale Alliance, led by Northrop Grumman Avondale, has been awarded $113.2 million for advance procurement of long lead materials for ships five and six in the SAN ANTONIO Class LPD 17 Program. "This advance procurement award demonstrates the importance of the LPD 17 Program and the Navy's commitment to it," said Tom Kitchen, president of Northrop Grumman Avondale. "We look forward to working on these follow-on ships." Long lead materials consist of items such as the main engines, generators, controllable pitch propellers, and reduction gears. Advance procurement is necessary for these critical long lead items in order to exercise vendor option rates. As prime contractor for the LPD 17 Program, Northrop Grumman Avondale leads the Avondale Alliance -- a team comprised of General Dynamics' Bath Iron Works, Raytheon Electronic Systems and Intergraph Corporation. Design work is complete and the first ship in the program is in production. To date, contracts for four ships have been awarded in the 12-ship program with the eight additional ships planned in the next four to five years. Value of the four ships awarded to date is in excess of $2 billion. Eight of the ships will be built at Avondale in New Orleans, while four are currently planned for production at Bath Iron Works in Maine, including the fifth ship which was part of today's award. Start of fabrication on LPD 18, NEW ORLEANS, will begin at Avondale in February 2002, with the start of LPD 19, MESA VERDE, to begin at Bath Iron Works in July 2001. The LPD 17 Amphibious Transport Dock Ships are designed to be 208.4 meters (684 feet) long and 31.9 meters (105 feet) wide and will replace the functions of the LPD 4, LSD 36, LKA 113, and LDT 1179 Classes of Amphibious ships. The ship's mission is to embark, transport, and land elements of a landing force in an assault by helicopters, landing craft, and amphibious vehicles to conduct an amphibious warfare mission.