Tag Archives: Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII)

Navy

Acceptance Trials

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Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced on March 17, 2020 that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division completed the third and final round of sea trials for Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119).

The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119) maneuvers in the Gulf of Mexico during the ship’s acceptance trials in February (Photo by Lance Davis/HII)

«DDG-119 just completed a very successful sea trial demonstrating shipboard systems to ensure the future delivery of another quality, state-of-the-art surface combatant», Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias said. «From the start of fabrication to final sea trials, our shipbuilders have continuously demonstrated remarkable proficiency and craftsmanship in building Delbert D. Black and in preparing the ship for service in the world’s greatest Navy».

USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119) is the first ship named in honor of U.S. Navy veteran Delbert D. Black, who served as a gunner’s mate and was aboard the battleship USS Maryland (BB-46) during the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Ingalls has delivered 31 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to the U.S. Navy. The shipyard currently has four DDGs under construction, including USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119), USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121), USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123) and USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125), the U.S. Navy’s first Flight III destroyer.

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are highly capable, multi-mission ships and can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection, all in support of the United States military strategy. Guided missile destroyers are capable of simultaneously fighting air, surface and subsurface battles. The ship contains myriad offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime defense needs well into the 21st century.

 

CHARACTERISTICS

Length Overall 510 feet/156 m
Beam – Waterline 59 feet/18 m
Draft 30.5 feet/9.3 m
Displacement – Full Load 9,217 tons/9,363 metric tons
Power Plant 4 General electric LM 2500-30 gas turbines; 2 shafts; 2 CRP (Contra-Rotating) propellers; 100,000 shaft horsepower/75,000 kW
Speed in excess of 30 knots/34.5 mph/55.5 km/h
Range 4,400 NM/8,149 km at 20 knots/23 mph/37 km/h
Crew 380 total: 32 Officers, 27 CPO (Chief Petty Officer), 321 OEM
Surveillance SPY-1D Phased Array Radar (Lockheed Martin)/AN/SPY-6 Air and Missile Defense Radar (Raytheon Company) and Aegis Combat System (Lockheed Martin); SPS-73(V) Navigation; SPS-67(V)3 Surface Search; 3 SPG-62 Illuminator; SQQ-89(V)6 sonar incorporating SQS-53C hull mounted and SQR-19 towed array sonars used with Mark-116 Mod 7 ASW fire control system
Electronics/Countermeasures SLQ-32(V)3; Mark-53 Mod 0 Decoy System; Mark-234 Decoy System; SLQ-25A Torpedo Decoy; SLQ-39 Surface Decoy; URN-25 TACAN; UPX-29 IFF System; Kollmorgen Mark-46 Mod 1 Electro-Optical Director
Aircraft 2 embarked SH-60 helicopters ASW operations; RAST (Recovery Assist, Secure and Traverse)
Armament 2 Mark-41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) with 96 Standard, Vertical Launch ASROC (Anti-Submarine Rocket) & Tomahawk ASM (Air-to-Surface Missile)/LAM (Loitering Attack Missile); 5-in (127-mm)/54 (62) Mark-45 gun; 2 (1) CIWS (Close-In Weapon System); 2 Mark-32 triple 324-mm torpedo tubes for Mark-46 or Mark-50 ASW torpedos

 

GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYERS LINEUP

 

Flight IIA: Technology Insertion

Ship Yard Launched Commissioned Homeport
DDG-116 Thomas Hudner GDBIW 04-23-17 12-01-18 Mayport, Florida
DDG-117 Paul Ignatius HIIIS 11-12-16 07-27-19 Mayport, Florida
DDG-118 Daniel Inouye GDBIW 10-27-19 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
DDG-119 Delbert D. Black HIIIS 09-08-17
DDG-120 Carl M. Levin GDBIW
DDG-121 Frank E. Peterson Jr. HIIIS 07-13-18
DDG-122 John Basilone GDBIW
DDG-123 Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee HIIIS
DDG-124 Harvey C. Barnum Jr. GDBIW
DDG-127 Patrick Gallagher GDBIW

 

Navy

Amphibious Ship

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Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division delivered amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA-7) to the U.S. Navy on February 28, 2020. The USS Tripoli (LHA-7) will be commissioned later this year before sailing to its homeport of San Diego, California.

Huntington Ingalls Industries delivers amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA-7)

«Thousands of shipbuilders worked tirelessly to ensure the successful delivery of this highly-capable warship», Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias said. «We are pleased to continue working closely with the Navy to deliver exceptional ships using the highest safety and quality standards».

Ingalls is currently the sole builder of large-deck amphibious ships for the Navy. America-class ships are designed to enhance Marine Corps aviation, capable of supporting the tilt-rotor MV-22 Osprey and F-35B Joint Strike Fighter. When USS Tripoli (LHA-7) enters the fleet, it will be the flagship of an Amphibious Ready Group, strategically positioning Marine Expeditionary Units ashore across a full spectrum of missions, including humanitarian, disaster relief, maritime security, antipiracy and other operations while providing air support for ground forces.

«The LHA team is proud to witness the delivery of the 15th large-deck amphibious ship built at Ingalls», said Bryan Williams, USS Tripoli (LHA-7) program manager. «The completion of the Tripoli is a great complement to our longstanding legacy of building state-of-the-art warships».

Tripoli is the third ship to bear the name that commemorates the capture of Derna in 1805 by a small force of Marines and nearly 370 soldiers from 11 other nations. The battle, memorialized in the Marines’ Hymn with the line, «to the shores of Tripoli», brought about a successful conclusion to the combined operations of the First Barbary War.

 

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)

 

Navy

Christening of Stone

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Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division christened National Security Cutter (NSC) USCGC Stone (WMSL-758) on February 29, 2020. The USCGC Stone (WMSL-758) is the ninth Legend-class NSC to be built at Ingalls.

Ship Sponsor Laura Cavallo (center) christens Stone (NSC-9), the Legend-class cutter named for Cavallo’s great uncle, Elmer «Archie» Fowler Stone, who was a pioneer in Coast Guard aviation. Also pictured (left to right) are Representative Steven Palazzo (R-MS); Alexandra Stone Bongiorno, matron of honor; Ingalls Shipbuilding President, Brian Cuccias; Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Karl Shultz (Photo by Lance Davis/HII)

The ship honors Coast Guard officer Commander Elmer «Archie» Fowler Stone, who made history in 1919 for being one of the two Coast Guard pilots to successfully make the first transatlantic flight in a Navy seaplane. Stone’s great niece, Laura Cavallo, officially christened the ship.

«Today we celebrate the time and talents our shipbuilders have invested in this incredible ship», Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias said. «The success of the National Security Cutter program is a direct reflection of our strong partnership with the Coast Guard and the dedication and capability of a team of Ingalls shipbuilders that continues to successfully deliver some of the most challenging manufacturing projects in the world».

Event speakers on behalf of the Coast Guard include Commandant Admiral Karl Schultz and Vice Commandant Admiral Charles Ray.

«Over the last four years, we as a Coast Guard have interdicted 2 million pounds of illicit drugs», Schultz said. «These modern cutters allow our nation to advance all of our national interests, and the success wouldn’t be possible without the partnership that we find right here in Pascagoula with HII».

«I visited Stone before she was in the water last year, and I talked to some of the shipbuilders», Ray said. «You could tell that they weren’t just building a ship, they were building a Coast Guard cutter. They were building a ship that was going to do the deeds our nation needed them to do».

Senator Roger Wicker and Representative Steven Palazzo joined Ingalls to celebrate the ship christening.

«We are here with a company, Ingalls Shipbuilding, that believes in its more than 11,000 workers, invests in state-of-the-art safety methods and has a corporate philosophy that relies on its own workers to develop better productivity techniques», Wicker said. «When we see the capabilities of our Coast Guard today, we are amazed and truly impressed that we stand on the shoulders of Elmer Stone. We are gleaming and beaming today and we are glad to honor the memory of this great American».

«National Security Cutters like Stone behind me have been game changers in the Coast Guard in their fight against criminal organizations responsible for the smuggling of hard narcotics into America. Personally, I think Senator Wicker would agree with me that we need more National Security Cutters, not less», Palazzo said.

The Legend-class NSC is the largest, most technologically advanced ship in the Coast Guard’s fleet which enables it to meet the high demands required for maritime and homeland security, law enforcement, marine safety, environmental protection and national defense missions. NSCs are 418 feet/127 m long with a top speed of 28 knots/32 mph/52 km/h, a range of 12,000 NM/13,809 miles/22,224 km, an endurance of 60 days and a crew of 120.

 

Facts

Displacement 4,500 long tons
Length 418 feet/127 m
Beam 54 feet/16 m
Speed 28 knots/32 mph/52 km/h
Range 12,000 NM/13,809 miles/22,224 km
Endurance 60 days
Crew 120
Equipped with Mk-110 57-mm turret mounted gun
6 × 12.7-mm/.50 caliber machine guns
3D air search radar
2 level 1, class 1 aircraft hangers
A stern launch ramp for mission boats
Aviation carried (2) MCH, or (4) Vertical-Launch Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (VUAV) or (1) MCH and (2) VUAV
Stern launch Two cutter boats (Long Range Interceptor and/or Short Range Prosecutor)
Electronic Warfare and Decoys AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare System, Two Super Rapid Bloom Offboard Countermeasures (SRBOC)/2 NULKA countermeasures chaff rapid decoy launcher
Communications HF, VHF & UHF
Sensors and Processing Systems X and S band radar, 3D air search radar, AN/SPQ-9 radar, Identification, Friend or Foe (IFF)

 

Ship list

Ship Hull Number Laid down Launched Commissioned
Bertholf WMSL-750 03-29-2005 09-29-2006 08-04-2008
Waesche WMSL-751 09-11-2006 07-12-2008 05-07-2010
Stratton WMSL-752 07-20-2009 07-23-2010 03-31-2012
Hamilton WMSL-753 09-05-2012 08-10-2013 12-06-2014
James WMSL-754 05-17-2013 05-03-2014 08-08-2015
Munro WMSL-755 10-07-2013 09-12-2015 04-01-2017
Kimball WMSL-756 03-04-2016 12-17-2016 08-24-2019
Midgett WMSL-757 01-27-2017 11-22-2017 08-24-2019
Stone WMSL-758 09-14-2018 10-04-2019
Calhoun WMSL-759
WMSL-760

 

Navy

Builders Trials

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The future USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119) successfully completed Builder’s trials February 22 after spending three days underway in the Gulf of Mexico. The trials were conducted by the shipbuilder, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), Ingalls Shipbuilding Division.

Future USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119) completes Builders Trials

The ship was previously underway for Alpha trials in December, and will be underway again in March for Acceptance trials, which will be conducted by the U.S. Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey.

«The Navy and our dedicated shipbuilders have continued to make strides towards delivering this exceptional capability to the fleet, and performed well during builder’s trials», said Captain Seth Miller, DDG-51 class program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. «This ship continues the proud Aegis shipbuilding legacy and will provide the Navy with a 21st century fighting edge».

The USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119) is configured as a Flight IIA destroyer, which enables power projection, forward presence and escort operations at sea in support of Low Intensity Conflict/Coastal and Littoral Offshore Warfare as well as open ocean conflict. The USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119) will be equipped with the U.S. Navy’s Aegis Combat System, the world’s foremost integrated naval weapon.

HII’s Pascagoula shipyard is also currently in production on the future destroyers USS Frank E. Petersen Jr (DDG-121), USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123) and USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125), the first ship to be built in the Flight III configuration.

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, and special warfare craft.

 

CHARACTERISTICS

Length Overall 510 feet/156 m
Beam – Waterline 59 feet/18 m
Draft 30.5 feet/9.3 m
Displacement – Full Load 9,217 tons/9,363 metric tons
Power Plant 4 General electric LM 2500-30 gas turbines; 2 shafts; 2 CRP (Contra-Rotating) propellers; 100,000 shaft horsepower/75,000 kW
Speed in excess of 30 knots/34.5 mph/55.5 km/h
Range 4,400 NM/8,149 km at 20 knots/23 mph/37 km/h
Crew 380 total: 32 Officers, 27 CPO (Chief Petty Officer), 321 OEM
Surveillance SPY-1D Phased Array Radar (Lockheed Martin)/AN/SPY-6 Air and Missile Defense Radar (Raytheon Company) and Aegis Combat System (Lockheed Martin); SPS-73(V) Navigation; SPS-67(V)3 Surface Search; 3 SPG-62 Illuminator; SQQ-89(V)6 sonar incorporating SQS-53C hull mounted and SQR-19 towed array sonars used with Mark-116 Mod 7 ASW fire control system
Electronics/Countermeasures SLQ-32(V)3; Mark-53 Mod 0 Decoy System; Mark-234 Decoy System; SLQ-25A Torpedo Decoy; SLQ-39 Surface Decoy; URN-25 TACAN; UPX-29 IFF System; Kollmorgen Mark-46 Mod 1 Electro-Optical Director
Aircraft 2 embarked SH-60 helicopters ASW operations; RAST (Recovery Assist, Secure and Traverse)
Armament 2 Mark-41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) with 96 Standard, Vertical Launch ASROC (Anti-Submarine Rocket) & Tomahawk ASM (Air-to-Surface Missile)/LAM (Loitering Attack Missile); 5-in (127-mm)/54 (62) Mark-45 gun; 2 (1) CIWS (Close-In Weapon System); 2 Mark-32 triple 324-mm torpedo tubes for Mark-46 or Mark-50 ASW torpedos

 

GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYERS LINEUP

 

Flight IIA: Technology Insertion

Ship Yard Launched Commissioned Homeport
DDG-116 Thomas Hudner GDBIW 04-23-17 12-01-18 Mayport, Florida
DDG-117 Paul Ignatius HIIIS 11-12-16 07-27-19 Mayport, Florida
DDG-118 Daniel Inouye GDBIW 10-27-19 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
DDG-119 Delbert D. Black HIIIS 09-08-17
DDG-120 Carl M. Levin GDBIW
DDG-121 Frank E. Peterson Jr. HIIIS 07-13-18
DDG-122 John Basilone GDBIW
DDG-123 Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee HIIIS
DDG-124 Harvey C. Barnum Jr. GDBIW
DDG-127 Patrick Gallagher GDBIW

 

Navy

Into the James River

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Nine days after christening the U.S. Navy’s newest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding division launched USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) into the James River for the first time, on Monday, December 17, 2019.

Newport News Shipbuilding division successfully launched the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) into the James River on Monday, December 17, 2019, four weeks ahead of the original schedule (Photo by Ashley Cowan/HII)

With the aid of six tugboats, the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) was guided down the river about a mile from Newport News Shipbuilding’s Dry Dock 12, where it has been under construction, to the shipyard’s Pier 3. There, the ship will undergo additional outfitting and begin its testing program three months ahead of its original schedule.

«This move is significant in that it represents a shift in focus from erecting the ship in dock to final completion and outfitting at the pier», said Mike Butler, program director for the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79). «It is also a testament to the amazing teamwork I see every day between Newport News Shipbuilding and the Navy as we work together to build Kennedy with valuable first-of-class lessons from the Ford».

During this phase of construction, which is expected to take about two and a half years, habitability spaces, such as berthing and mess areas, will be completed, and distributive, mechanical and combat systems, such as catapults and radar arrays, will be tested.

The USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) is scheduled for delivery to the U.S. Navy in 2022.

Tugboats move the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) from Newport News Shipbuilding’s Dock Dry 12 to Pier 3 on December 16, where the ship will undergo final completion and outfitting (Photo by Matt Hildreth/HII)

 

General Characteristics

Builder Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia
Propulsion 2 A1B* nuclear reactors, 4 shafts
Length 1,092 feet/333 m
Beam 134 feet/41 m
Flight Deck Width 256 feet/78 m
Flight Deck Square 217,796 feet2/20,234 m2
Displacement approximately 100,000 long tons full load
Speed 30+ knots/34.5+ mph/55.5+ km/h
Crew 4,539 (ship, air wing and staff)
Armament ESSM (Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile), RAM (Rolling Airframe Missile), Mk-15 Phalanx CIWS (Close-In Weapon System)
Aircraft 75+

* – Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. serves the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program

 

Ships

Ship Laid down Launched Commissioned Homeport
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) 11-13-2009 11-09-2013 07-22-2017 Norfolk, Virginia
USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) 08-22-2015 10-29-2019
USS Enterprise (CVN-80)

NNS Launches USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79)

Navy

The 10th NSC

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Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division officially started fabrication of the U.S. Coast Guard’s newest Legend-class National Security Cutter (NSC) USCGC Calhoun (WMSL-759) on November 12, 2019. The start of fabrication signifies that the first 100 tons of steel have been cut.

Paul Bosarge, a burner work leaderman at Ingalls Shipbuilding, starts fabrication of steel for the newest Legend-class national security cutter (NSC) USCGC Calhoun (WMSL-759). Also pictured, from left, are Cmdr. Jason Dunn, U.S. Coast Guard program manager representative; Braxton Collins, Ingalls’ NSC hull superintendent and Amanda Whitaker, Ingalls’ NSC ship integration manager (Photo by Derek Fountain/HII)

«Each new ship in this class has been an exciting opportunity to build on our legacy», said Jay Boyd, Ingalls’ NSC program manager. «This is the 10th cutter in the class and a steady production line has allowed our shipbuilders to continually improve on how we build and deliver these technologically advanced cutters to the nation».

NSC 10 is named for Master Chief Petty Officer Charles L. Calhoun, who was the first Master Chief Petty Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard (MCPOCG). He served in the U.S. Navy for three years during World War II and was honorably discharged on February 21, 1946, as a Torpedoman Second Class. He enlisted in the Coast Guard on September 20, 1946, and over the course of 14 years held varying positions of leadership. He served as the MCPOCG from August 27, 1969 until August 1, 1973.

Ingalls has delivered eight Legend-class NSCs, two more are under construction and one additional is under contract. USCGC Stone (WMSL-758), the ninth NSC, is scheduled for delivery in 2020.

NSCs are capable of meeting all maritime security mission needs required of the high-endurance cutter. They include an aft launch and recovery area for two rigid hull inflatable boats and a flight deck to accommodate a range of manned and unmanned rotary wing aircraft. The Legend class is the largest and most technologically advanced class of cutter in the Coast Guard, with robust capabilities for maritime homeland security, law enforcement, marine safety, environmental protection and national defense missions. NSCs play an important role enhancing the Coast Guard’s operational readiness, capacity and effectiveness at a time when the demand for their services has never been greater.

 

Facts

Displacement 4,500 long tons
Length 418 feet/127 m
Beam 54 feet/16 m
Speed 28 knots/32 mph/52 km/h
Range 12,000 NM/13,809 miles/22,224 km
Endurance 60 days
Crew 120
Equipped with Mk-110 57-mm turret mounted gun
6 × 12.7-mm/.50 caliber machine guns
3D air search radar
2 level 1, class 1 aircraft hangers
A stern launch ramp for mission boats
Aviation carried (2) MCH, or (4) Vertical-Launch Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (VUAV) or (1) MCH and (2) VUAV
Stern launch Two cutter boats (Long Range Interceptor and/or Short Range Prosecutor)
Electronic Warfare and Decoys AN/SLQ-32 Electronic Warfare System, Two Super Rapid Bloom Offboard Countermeasures (SRBOC)/2 NULKA countermeasures chaff rapid decoy launcher
Communications HF, VHF & UHF
Sensors and Processing Systems X and S band radar, 3D air search radar, AN/SPQ-9 radar, Identification, Friend or Foe (IFF)

 

Ship list

Ship Hull Number Laid down Launched Commissioned
Bertholf WMSL-750 03-29-2005 09-29-2006 08-04-2008
Waesche WMSL-751 09-11-2006 07-12-2008 05-07-2010
Stratton WMSL-752 07-20-2009 07-23-2010 03-31-2012
Hamilton WMSL-753 09-05-2012 08-10-2013 12-06-2014
James WMSL-754 05-17-2013 05-03-2014 08-08-2015
Munro WMSL-755 10-07-2013 09-12-2015 04-01-2017
Kimball WMSL-756 03-04-2016 12-17-2016 08-24-2019
Midgett WMSL-757 01-27-2017 11-22-2017 08-24-2019
Stone WMSL-758 09-14-2018 10-04-2019
Calhoun WMSL-759
WMSL-760

 

Navy

Flight III Destroyer

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In an historic milestone for the DDG 51 program, the keel of the first Flight III destroyer, the future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125), was ceremoniously laid and authenticated at Huntington Ingalls Shipyard, November 7.

Ingalls Shipbuilding welder James Ellis welds Ship Sponsors Ruby Lucas and Catherine B. Reynolds’ initials into a steel plate during a keel authentication ceremony for the future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125) at Huntington Ingalls Industries Pascagoula shipyard November 7, 2019. DDG-125 is the first ship to be named for Jack H. Lucas. During World War II, Lucas, then a private first class in the Marine Corps, received the Medal of Honor at age 17 for heroism above and beyond the call of duty during the Battle of Iwo Jima (Photo by Samantha Crane)

Ruby Lucas and Catherine B. Reynolds, ship sponsors, authenticated the keel by etching their initials into the keel plate. Although the official start of fabrication began in May 2018, authenticating the ship’s keel symbolically recognizes the joining of modular components and represents the ceremonial beginning of the ship.

«This destroyer was named after an American hero, Medal of Honor recipient Jack Lucas, and I am humbled and honored to be here today as we authenticate the keel on his namesake ship», said Capt. Seth Miller, DDG 51 class program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. «The Flight III ships will bring increased lethality and warfighting capacity to our warfighters, and today’s milestone is the first of many to come as we work to deliver this highly capable ship to the Fleet», he added.

USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125) will be the first Arleigh Burke class destroyer built in the Flight III configuration with improved capability and capacity to perform Anti-Air Warfare and Ballistic Missile Defense in support of the Integrated Air and Missile Defense mission.

The Flight III design contains modifications from the earlier DDG-51 class, to enable the SPY-6 radar, in association with Aegis Baseline 10, which includes larger electronically scanned arrays and the power generation and cooling equipment required to operate the powerful new radar.

These multi-mission surface combatants serve as integral assets in global maritime security, engaging in air, undersea, surface, strike and ballistic missile defense, as well as providing increased capabilities in anti-submarine warfare, command and control, and anti-surface warfare.

HII’s Pascagoula shipyard is also currently in production on the guided missile destroyers USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119), USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121), and USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123), amphibious assault ships USS Tripoli (LHA-7) and USS Bougainville (LHA-8), 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.

 

Guided Missile Destroyers Lineup

 

Flight III

Ship Yard Launched Commissioned Homeport
DDG-125 Jack H. Lucas HIIIS
DDG-126 Louis H. Wilson, Jr. GDBIW
DDG-128 Ted Stevens HIIIS
DDG-129 Jeremiah Denton HIIIS
DDG-130 William Charette GDBIW
DDG-131 George M. Neal HIIIS
DDG-132 Quentin Walsh GDBIW
DDG-133 Sam Nunn HIIIS
DDG-134 John E. Kilmer GDBIW
DDG-135
DDG-136
DDG-137
DDG-138

 

Navy

Floods Dry Dock

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Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) on October 29, 2019 began flooding the dry dock at its Newport News Shipbuilding division where the keel of aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) was laid in 2015.

JThe flooding of Dry Dock 12, which began on Tuesday at Newport News Shipbuilding, was the first time the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) touched water. The ship will be christened in December (Photo by Ashley Cowan/HII)

The controlled process of slowly filling the dry dock with more than 100 million gallons/379 million liters of water takes place over several days, and marks the first time the ship has been in water.

«The flooding of the dry dock is truly a historic event in the construction of the ship and a special moment for the men and women who have worked to get the ship to the point», said Mike Butler, program director for Kennedy. «We have made remarkable progress with Kennedy’s construction, and are pleased to get to this phase of construction three months ahead of the original schedule and fewer man hours. We look forward to the upcoming christening and launch as we prepare to start our testing program».

The flooding of the dry dock takes place in phases during which various tests are conducted. The dock initially was flooded about 10 feet high to its keel blocks, wood-capped concrete pads on which the ship has been supported during construction. Once the dock is fully flooded and initial testing is complete, the ship will be floated to the west end of the dry dock. Next month, additional tests will take place prior to Kennedy’s christening on December 7.

More than 3,200 shipbuilders and 2,000 suppliers from across the country are supporting the construction of Kennedy. Following the christening, the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) will undock into the James River where outfitting and testing of the ship’s systems will continue until the ship is delivered to the U.S. Navy in 2022.

More than 100 million gallons/379 million liters of water began flowing into Newport News Shipbuilding’s Dry Dock 12, where the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) is being constructed (Photo by Matt Hildreth/HII)

 

General Characteristics

Builder Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia
Propulsion 2 A1B* nuclear reactors, 4 shafts
Length 1,092 feet/333 m
Beam 134 feet/41 m
Flight Deck Width 256 feet/78 m
Flight Deck Square 217,796 feet2/20,234 m2
Displacement approximately 100,000 long tons full load
Speed 30+ knots/34.5+ mph/55.5+ km/h
Crew 4,539 (ship, air wing and staff)
Armament ESSM (Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile), RAM (Rolling Airframe Missile), Mk-15 Phalanx CIWS (Close-In Weapon System)
Aircraft 75+

* – Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. serves the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program

 

Ships

Ship Laid down Launched Commissioned Homeport
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) 11-13-2009 11-09-2013 07-22-2017 Norfolk, Virginia
USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) 08-22-2015 10-29-2019
USS Enterprise (CVN-80)

 

Newport News Shipbuilding Floods Dry Dock for the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79)

Navy

Acceptance Trials

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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.

Ingalls Shipbuilding announces the successful completion of acceptance trials aboard the U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA-7)

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.

Pascagoula, Mississippi. (October 23, 2019) The future USS Tripoli (LHA-7) transits through the Gulf of Mexico in the early morning hours of October 23, 2019 at the beginning of Acceptance Trials. 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 (Photo by Samantha Crane)

 

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)

 

Navy

Mission-ready sub

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Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding division on Friday, October 28, 2019, delivered the newest fast-attack submarine to the U.S. Navy.

The Virginia-class submarine USS Delaware (SSN-791) sails the open waters after departing Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding division during sea trials in August (Photo by Ashley Cowan/HII)

USS Delaware (SSN-791), which successfully completed sea trials earlier this month, is the ninth Virginia-class submarine to be delivered by Newport News and the 18th built as part of the teaming agreement with General Dynamics Electric Boat.

«Like the last two submarines we delivered to the Navy, Delaware has received some of the highest quality scores since the Virginia-class program began», said Dave Bolcar, Newport News’ vice president of submarine construction. «Our team of shipbuilders continues to perform at a high level, and nothing makes us prouder than delivering one of the most mission-ready submarines to the fleet».

The submarine is the second ship to be named for the country’s first state, the first being the dreadnought battleship USS Delaware (BB-28), which was delivered by Newport News in 1910.

More than 10,000 shipbuilders from Newport News and Electric Boat have participated in Delaware’s construction since the work began in September 2013. The submarine was christened by Jill Biden, the former Second Lady of the United States and the ship’s sponsor, during a ceremony in October 2018.

The future USS Delaware (SSN-791) will be commissioned next year.

Newport News Shipbuilding has delivered USS Delaware (SSN-791) to the U.S. Navy

 

General Characteristics

Builder General Dynamics Electric Boat Division and Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. – Newport News Shipbuilding
Date Deployed October 3, 2004
Propulsion One GE PWR S9G* nuclear reactor, two turbines, one shaft; 40,000 hp/30 MW
Length 377 feet/114.8 m
Beam 33 feet/10.0584 m
Hull Diameter 34 feet/10.3632 m
Displacement Approximately 7,800 tons/7,925 metric tons submerged
Speed 25+ knots/28+ mph/46.3+ km/h
Diving Depth 800+ feet/244+ m
Crew 132: 15 officers; 117 enlisted
Armament: Tomahawk missiles Two 87-in/2.2 m Virginia Payload Tubes (VPTs), each capable of launching 6 Tomahawk cruise missiles
Armament: MK-48 ADCAP (Advanced Capability) Mod 7 heavyweight torpedoes 4 torpedo tubes
Weapons MK-60 CAPTOR (Encapsulated Torpedo) mines, advanced mobile mines and UUVs (Unmanned Underwater Vehicles)

* – Knolls Atomic Power Laboratories

 

Nuclear Submarine Lineup

 

Block III

Ship Yard Christening Commissioned Homeport
SSN-784 North Dakota EB 11-2-13 10-25-14 Groton, Connecticut
SSN-785 John Warner NNS 09-06-14 08-01-15 Norfolk, Virginia
SSN-786 Illinois EB 10-10-15 10-29-16 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
SSN-787 Washington NNS 03-05-16 10-07-17 Norfolk, Virginia
SSN-788 Colorado EB 12-03-16 03-17-18 Groton, Connecticut
SSN-789 Indiana NNS 04-29-17 09-29-18 Groton, Connecticut
SSN-790 South Dakota EB 10-14-17 02-02-19 Groton, Connecticut
SSN-791 Delaware NNS 10-20-18

 

Dave Bolcar, vice president of Virginia-Class Submarine Construction at NNS, thanks shipbuilders for their hard work and congratulates them on delivering one of the most mission-ready submarines to the fleet