The future USS Tripoli (LHA-7) completed acceptance trials when she returned to the Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) – Ingalls Shipbuilding Division’s shipyard following three days underway in the Gulf of Mexico.

During the underway, the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey performed a rigorous evaluation on all of the ship’s major systems including propulsion, communications, navigation, combat systems, and aviation capabilities.

«The capability that our large deck amphibs bring to the fight is tremendous», said Tom Rivers, amphibious warfare program manager for Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. «Their ability to embark Joint Strike Fighters and MV-22 Osprey enable this versatile platform to increase the lethality of our expeditionary warfighters».

USS Tripoli (LHA-7) is the second ship of the USS America (LHA-6) class, built to facilitate forward presence and power projection. USS Tripoli (LHA-7) is the last Flight 0 ship planned for construction and features an enlarged hangar deck, realignment and expansion of the aviation maintenance facilities, an increase in available stowage for parts and support equipment, and increased aviation fuel capacity. USS Bougainville (LHA-8) will be the first Flight I ship, reincorporating a well deck to enhance expeditionary warfighting capabilities while maintaining the principal aviation characteristics of the Flight 0 ships.

«There’s been a lot of hard work accomplished to get LHA-7 to this point», said Captain Nathan Schneider, Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair Gulf Coast. «The team’s focus is now on delivering the LHA-7 to the fleet in the best possible condition, fully capable and ready to deploy if called upon».

USS Tripoli (LHA-7) incorporates gas turbine propulsion plant, zonal electrical distribution, and fuel-efficient electric auxiliary propulsion systems first installed on USS Makin Island (LHD-8). USS Tripoli (LHA-7) is 844 feet/257.3 m in length, has a displacement of approximately 45,000 long tons/45,722 metric tons and is capable of operating at speeds of over 20 knots/23 mph/37 km/h.

HII’s Pascagoula shipyard is also currently in production on USS Bougainville (LHA-8), the guided missile destroyers USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119), USS Frank E. Peterson (DDG-121) USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123), USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125), and amphibious transport dock ships, USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28) and USS Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD-29).

As one of the Defense Department’s largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships, boats and craft.

 

General Characteristics

Builder	Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc., Ingalls Operations, Pascagoula, Mississippi
Date Deployed	Delivered to the fleet in on April 10, 2014
Propulsion	Two marine gas turbines, two shafts, 70,000 total brake horsepower/52,199 kW, two 5,000 horsepower/3,728 kW auxiliary propulsion motors
Length	844 feet/257.3 m
Beam	106 feet/32.3 m
Displacement	Approximately 45,000 long tons full load /45,722 metric tons
Speed	20+ knots/23+ mph/37+ km/h
Crew	1,059 (65 officers)
Load	1,687 troops (plus 184 surge)
Armament	2 RAM (Rolling Airframe Missile) launchers
	2 NATO Sea Sparrow launchers with ESSM (Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile)
	2 20-mm Phalanx CIWS (Close-In Weapon System) mounts
	7 twin 12,7-mm/.50 cal. machine guns
Aircraft	9 F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) STOVL (Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing) aircraft
	4 AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters
	4 CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters
	12 MV-22B Osprey VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) tiltrotors
	2 MH-60S Sea Hawk Search and Rescue (SAR) helicopters
	UH-1Y Huey helicopters

 

Ships

Ship	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Homeport
USS America (LHA-6)	07-17-2009	06-04-2012	10-11-2014	Sasebo, Japan
USS Tripoli (LHA-7)	06-22-2014	05-01-2017
USS Bougainville (LHA-8)