Sailors aboard amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA-7) completed the ship’s first-ever Combat System Ship Qualification Trials (CSSQT) earlier this month.
CSSQT is a major milestone where teams demonstrate the ship’s weapons systems’ ability to effectively communicate and destroy incoming threats in an operational environment.
«This test is designed to go through all of the things that form the backbone and execution of combat systems», said Lieutenant Commander Paul Gillett, Tripoli’s Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Combat systems and Interoperability (C5I) officer. «This was just one of several at-sea periods where the team not only had to practice, but execute complex events. This was a huge win for the crew because they got to see all of that hard work come to fruition».
«I can’t say enough about how pleased we are with Tripoli’s performance during the Post Delivery test and trials phase, and their recent successful completion of the Combat Systems Ship Qualification Trials is just another step in the right direction towards fleet introduction for this ship», said Captain Cedric McNeal, Program Manager, Amphibious Warfare Programs, Program Executive Office, Ships. «This is just one of many milestones that USS Tripoli (LHA-7) has met on the path to becoming a command and control center of capability for Amphibious Ready Groups in the future fight».
During the qualification phases, the team conducted multiple trials to validate the ship’s self-defense systems’ performance, including ship’s radars tests, and operating the Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM), NATO Sea Sparrow, and Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) weapons systems. «I have been doing this for 26 years», said Master Chief Fire Controlman James Bush, Tripoli’s combat systems maintenance manager. «They’ve been going above and beyond anything that I can expect. I couldn’t be any happier with the fire controlmen that I have on board Tripoli».
With CSSQT trials now complete, USS Tripoli (LHA-7) will focus on additional certifications and qualifications that will ensure it is a combat ready and lethal asset to the U.S. Navy.
«The crew continues to demonstrate time and time again that Assault Carrier 7 is versatile, capable and lethal», said USS Tripoli (LHA-7) Commanding Officer Captain Joel Lang. «The precision at which we performed during CSSQT speaks volumes to the capabilities of this crew and superb warship».
USS Tripoli (LHA-7) is the U.S. Navy’s newest America-class amphibious assault ship homeported in San Diego. The ship is assigned to Amphibious Squadron 7.
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 ft/257.3 m |
| Beam | 106 ft/32.3 m |
| Displacement | Approximately 43,745 long tons full load/44,449 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 | 07-15-2020 | San Diego, California |
| USS Bougainville (LHA-8) | 03-14-2019 | |||
| LHA-9 |