Tag Archives: Huntington Ingalls Industries

Navy

Keel Laid on Bougainville

Leave a comment

The keel of the America-class amphibious warship USS Bougainville (LHA-8) was authenticated during a ceremony at Ingalls Shipbuilding on Thursday, March 14. Ship’s sponsor Ellyn Dunford declared the keel «truly and fairly laid» after her initials were welded onto a plate.

Official Keel Plate for Bougainville (LHA-8)
Official Keel Plate for Bougainville (LHA-8)

 

Bougainville and the America class

Bougainville will retain the aviation capability of the America-class design while adding the surface assault capability of a well deck. The well deck will give the U.S. Marine Corps the ability to house and launch two Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) hovercraft or one Landing Craft Utility (LCU) as needed during their maritime missions. Other additions to Bougainville include a larger flight deck configured for Joint Strike Fighter and Osprey V-22 aircraft, which can be used for surface and aviation assaults. The additional area on the flight deck comes in part from a smaller deck house and an additional sponson.

 

Namesake background

USS Bougainville (LHA-8) will be the second U.S. Navy vessel to bear the name Bougainville. The name commemorates the Bougainville Campaign that took place during World War II. During the campaign, which lasted from 1943 to 1944, Allied forces secured a strategic airfield from Japan in the northern Solomon Islands, helping the allies break the Japanese stronghold in the South Pacific.

 

Ingalls amphibious shipbuilding background

Ingalls is currently the sole builder of large-deck amphibious ships for the U.S. Navy. The shipyard delivered its first amphibious assault ship, the Iwo Jima-class USS Tripoli (LPH-10), in 1966. Ingalls has since built five Tarawa-class (LHA-1) ships, eight Wasp-class (LHD-1) ships and the first in a new class of ships, USS America (LHA-6). The second ship in the class, USS Tripoli (LHA-7) is currently under construction and USS Bougainville (LHA-8) is the third ship in the class.

 

Sponsor

Ellyn Dunford, spouse of General Joe Dunford, 19th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is the sponsor of Bougainville. A graduate of Simmons College, Mrs. Dunford worked as a physical therapist for close to 30 years. General and Mrs. Dunford have three children.

 

LHA Facts and Stats

With a typical air combat element embarked, an LHA amphibious assault ship can be equipped with:

  • 5 F-35B Joint Strike Fighters;
  • 4 AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters;
  • 2 UH-1Y Venom attack helicopters;
  • 4 CH-53E Super Sea Stallion helicopters;
  • 12 MV-22 Osprey;
  • 2 MH-60S Search and Rescue helicopters;
  • Defensive weapons systems include .50 caliber/12.7-mm machine guns, The Phalanx, Sea Sparrow and Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) anti-ship cruise missile weapon systems and decoy launchers.

 

LHA-8 Milestones

Started Construction: October 6, 2018

Keel Authenticated: March 14, 2019

 

Ships

Ship Laid down Launched Commissioned Homeport
USS America (LHA-6) 07-17-2009 06-04-2012 10-11-2014 San Diego, California
USS Tripoli (LHA-7) 06-22-2014 05-01-2017
USS Bougainville (LHA-8) 03-14-2019

 

Navy

Mission-capable ship

Leave a comment

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division delivered the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117) to the U.S. Navy with shipbuilders, ship’s force and representatives of Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Gulf Coast in attendance.

Huntington Ingalls Industries Delivers Guided Missile Destroyer USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117) to U.S. Navy
Huntington Ingalls Industries Delivers Guided Missile Destroyer USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117) to U.S. Navy

The signing of the DD 250 document officially transfers custody of the ship from HII to the U.S. Navy. USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117) is scheduled to sail away from the shipyard in June.

«This event is the culmination of hard work and dedication by thousands of shipbuilders, industry partners from nearly every state, as well as our Navy SUPSHIP Gulf Coast shipmates who worked with us each and every day to ensure DDG-117 became a mission-capable ship», said George Nungesser, Ingalls’ DDG program manager. «Today, we deliver DDG-117 to the U.S. Navy – our 31st time to do this with an Aegis destroyer and well over our 80th time to deliver a Navy surface combatant on the banks of the Pascagoula River. It’s an honor to be a part of this great tradition».

DDG-117 is named in honor of Paul Ignatius, who served as the 59th Secretary of the U.S. Navy, from 1967 to 1969. He made significant contributions during the administrations of presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Ignatius is a living namesake and currently resides in Washington, D.C.

Ingalls has now delivered 31 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to the U.S. Navy. The shipyard currently has four DDGs under construction, including USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125), the first Flight III ship, which started fabrication in May 2018.

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are 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. The 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.

(Left to right) Commander Robby Trotter, Commander Scott Williams and Donny Dorsey sign the delivery document officially handing ownership of the destroyer USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117) from Ingalls Shipbuilding to the U.S. Navy. Trotter is the ship’s prospective commanding officer; Williams is the DDG-51 program management representative for Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Gulf Coast; and Dorsey is Ingalls’ DDG-117 ship program manager (Photo by Derek Fountain/HII)
(Left to right) Commander Robby Trotter, Commander Scott Williams and Donny Dorsey sign the delivery document officially handing ownership of the destroyer USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117) from Ingalls Shipbuilding to the U.S. Navy. Trotter is the ship’s prospective commanding officer; Williams is the DDG-51 program management representative for Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Gulf Coast; and Dorsey is Ingalls’ DDG-117 ship program manager (Photo by Derek Fountain/HII)

 

Ship 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 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
DDG-118 Daniel Inouye GDBIW
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

 

Navy

Weapons Elevator

Leave a comment

The U.S. Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), closed out 2018 on a high note with the acceptance of the ship’s first Advanced Weapons Elevator (AWE), setting the tone for more positive developments in the year ahead.

Chief Machinist's Mate Franklin Pollydore, second from left, from Georgetown, Guyana, goes over safety procedures for the Upper Stage 1 advanced weapons elevator with Sailors from USS Gerald R. Ford's (CVN-78) weapons department. The elevator is the first to be delivered to the ship and marks a major milestone for Ford and the entire Ford-class of aircraft carriers. Ford is currently undergoing its post-shakedown availability at Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jeff Troutman/Released)
Chief Machinist’s Mate Franklin Pollydore, second from left, from Georgetown, Guyana, goes over safety procedures for the Upper Stage 1 advanced weapons elevator with Sailors from USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN-78) weapons department. The elevator is the first to be delivered to the ship and marks a major milestone for Ford and the entire Ford-class of aircraft carriers. Ford is currently undergoing its post-shakedown availability at Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jeff Troutman/Released)

AWE Upper Stage #1 was turned over to the ship on December 21, following testing and certification by engineers at Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding, where the ship is currently working through its Post-Shakedown Availability (PSA). The acceptance marks a major milestone for the ship and the Ford-class of aircraft carriers to follow.

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is the first Ford-class aircraft carrier and is the first new carrier design in over 40 years. Unlike Nimitz-class carrier elevators that utilize cables for movement, the Ford class elevators are commanded via electromagnetic, linear synchronous motors allowing for greater capacities and a faster movement of weapons.

The new design will allow the ship to be able to move up to 24,000 pounds/10,886 kg of ordnance at 150 feet-per-minute/45.7-meter-per-minute. This is in contrast to the 10,500 pounds/4,763 kg at up to 100 feet-per-minute/30.5-meter-per-minute on a Nimitz-class carrier.

«This will allow us to load more aircraft faster, and in the long run, increase our overall sortie generation rates», said Lieutenant Commander Chabonnie Alexander, Ford’s ordnance handling officer.

But aside from the advantages of the new AWE, the new ship design also offered a chance to streamline the overall movement and assembly of weapons to allow for even greater efficiencies. Ford features three upper stage elevators that move ordnance between the main deck and flight deck, and seven lower stage elevators that move ordnance between the main deck and the lower levels of the ship. Ford also features a dedicated weapons handling area between the hangar bay and the flight deck, on the 02 level, that eliminates several horizontal and vertical movements to various staging and build-up locations. This ultimately offers a 75% reduction in distance traveled from magazine to aircraft.

An additional benefit of the ship’s design is a separate utility elevator that can serve as a dedicated elevator to move both ordnance and supplies, and also serve as a means to MEDically EVACuate (MEDEVAC) injured personnel from the flight deck to the hangar bay. This allows the 10 main AWEs and Ford’s three aircraft elevators to be dedicated to their primary missions of ordnance and aircraft movement during real-world operations.

To keep up with the new technologies and radical changes that the AWEs offer, Ford Sailors recently completed newly developed familiarization, operations and maintenance training in Newport News to become better educated on how to work with and maintain the elevators. The crew is now conducting hands-on training where they will validate technical manuals and maintenance requirements cards against the elevator’s actual operation. Their feedback and observations will ultimately inform future Sailors how to properly and safely operate the elevators.

Alexander said Sailors are now training with the elevator which will complement the classroom instruction they have received to this point.

«Getting this elevator turned over to the ship and allowing our Sailors to get hands-on training on the elevator will help in two ways», said Alexander. «One, it will help in the training and understanding of the system itself, and two, to work out any bugs that remain with the system during our PSA».

Though the first elevator has been accepted, work still remains on the remaining 10. Currently, all shipboard installation and testing activities of the AWEs are due to be completed prior to the end of Ford’s PSA, scheduled for July. However, some remaining certification documentation will be performed for five of the 11 elevators after PSA completion.

According to Alexander, while there was sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in having the first elevator turned over, the team working on the elevators can’t rest on this single event.

«We’re all 100 percent invested in this, but there’s still work left to do», Alexander explained. «We’re all one big team with the same goal in mind: to get these systems operational and turned over to the ship».

«I think it was a greater sense of accomplishment to my Sailors that have been working on these systems for the last 4-to-5 years», he said. «To be able to finally push the buttons and watch it operate like it’s designed to do was a great feeling. Once these systems are proven, they are going to pay huge dividends for naval strike capability».

Navy

Vietnam War POW

Leave a comment

Secretary of the U.S. Navy Richard V. Spencer named a future Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer in honor of U.S. Navy Vietnam veteran, Navy Cross recipient, and former U.S. Senator from Alabama, Admiral Jeremiah Denton.

An artist rendering of the future Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Jeremiah Denton (DDG-129) (U.S. Navy photo illustration/Released)
An artist rendering of the future Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Jeremiah Denton (DDG-129) (U.S. Navy photo illustration/Released)

«Admiral Denton’s legacy is an inspiration to all who wear our nation’s uniform», said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. «His heroic actions during a defining period in our history have left an indelible mark on our Navy and Marine Corps team and our nation. His service is a shining example for our Sailors and Marines and this ship will continue his legacy for decades to come».

In 1947, Denton graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served as a test pilot, flight instructor, and squadron leader, and developed operational tactics still in use, such as the Haystack Concept, which calls for the dispersing of carrier fleets to make it more difficult for the enemy to find the fleets on RADAR.

On July 18, 1965, Denton was shot down over North Vietnam and spent nearly eight years as a POW (Prisoner Of War), almost half in isolation. During an interview with a Japanese media outlet, Denton used Morse code to blink «torture», confirming that American POWs were being tortured. He suffered severe harassment, intimidation and ruthless treatment, yet he refused to provide military information or be used by the enemy for propaganda purposes.

In recognition of his extraordinary heroism while a prisoner-of-war, he was awarded the Navy Cross. Denton was released from captivity in 1973, retired from the U.S. Navy in 1977 and in 1980 was elected to the U.S. Senate where he represented Alabama.

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers conduct a variety of operations from peacetime presence and crisis response to sea control and power projection. The future USS Jeremiah Denton (DDG-129) will be capable of fighting air, surface and subsurface battles simultaneously, and will contain a combination of offensive and defensive weapon systems designed to support maritime warfare, including integrated air and missile defense and vertical launch capabilities.

The ship will be constructed at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls shipbuilding division in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The ship will be 509 feet/155 m long, have a beam length of 59 feet/18 m and be capable of operating at speeds in excess of 30 knots/34.5 mph/55.5 km/h.

 

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
DDG-131
DDG-132
DDG-133
DDG-134
DDG-135
DDG-136
DDG-137
DDG-138

 

Navy

Senator from Alaska

Leave a comment

Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer named a future Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer in honor of U.S. Senator Ted Stevens, who represented Alaska from 1968 to 2009.

An artist rendering of the future Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ted Stevens (DDG-128) (U.S. Navy photo illustration/Released)
An artist rendering of the future Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ted Stevens (DDG-128) (U.S. Navy photo illustration/Released)

«Senator Stevens was a staunch supporter of a strong Navy and Marine Corps team who served our nation with distinction as a pilot during World War II, and later as a Senator of Alaska», said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. «I am pleased that his legacy of service and dedication to national security will live on in the future USS Ted Stevens (DDG-128)».

Stevens served as a pilot in the Army Air Corps from 1943 to 1946 and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross before being discharged in 1946. Stevens was elected as a state representative in Alaska in 1964, re-elected in 1966, and in 1968 he was appointed to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate. In 1970, Stevens was elected to the seat in a special election and was subsequently re-elected five times. He left office in 2009 as the then-longest serving Republican U.S. Senator in history.

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers conduct a variety of operations from peacetime presence and crisis response to sea control and power projection. The future USS Ted Stevens (DDG-128) will be capable of fighting air, surface and subsurface battles simultaneously, and will contain a combination of offensive and defensive weapon systems designed to support maritime warfare, including integrated air and missile defense and vertical launch capabilities.

The ship will be constructed at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls shipbuilding division in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The ship will be 509 feet/155 m long, have a beam length of 59 feet/18 m and be capable of operating at speeds in excess of 30 knots/34.5 mph/55.5 km/h.

 

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
DDG-130
DDG-131
DDG-132
DDG-133
DDG-134
DDG-135
DDG-136
DDG-137
DDG-138

 

Navy

NSC 11

Leave a comment

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division has received two fixed-price incentive contracts from the U.S. Coast Guard to build two additional National Security Cutters (NSCs) for the U.S. Coast Guard. The contract values for the a 10th and 11th ships in the program are $468.75 million for NSC-10 and $462.13 million for NSC-11.

Ingalls Shipbuilding's seventh U.S. Coast Guard National Security Cutter, USCGC Kimball (WMSL-756), during sea trials in the Gulf of Mexico (HII photo)
Ingalls Shipbuilding’s seventh U.S. Coast Guard National Security Cutter, USCGC Kimball (WMSL-756), during sea trials in the Gulf of Mexico (HII photo)

«This additional funding for two NSCs is a great accomplishment on which to end the year», said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias. «The outstanding work being done by skilled men and women of Ingalls, as well as the recognition by Congress and the U.S. Coast Guard as to the important contributions these ships make to our nation’s defense, are the reason for this success. These ships provide capable assets that our Coast Guard customer uses to perform essential homeland security missions, and we look forward to delivering two more quality NSCs to help with this important work».

Ingalls has delivered seven NSCs, the flagships of the Coast Guard’s cutter fleet, designed to replace the 12 Hamilton-class high-endurance cutters that entered service in the 1960s. The seventh ship, USCGC Kimball (WMSL-756), will be commissioned in Hawaii on January 19.

Both the eighth ship, USCGC Midgett (WMSL-757), and the ninth, USCGC Stone (WMSL-758), are currently under construction at Ingalls. USCGC Midgett (WMSL-757) is scheduled for its first set of sea trials in the first quarter of 2019. USCGC Stone (WMSL-758) is scheduled to launch in 2019. NSCs are 418 feet/127 m long with a 54-foot/16-meter beam and displace 4,500 tons with a full load. They have 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.

The Legend-class NSC is capable of meeting all maritime security mission needs required of the high-endurance cutter. The cutter includes 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. It is the largest and most technologically advanced class of cutter in the U.S. Coast Guard, with robust capabilities for maritime homeland security, law enforcement, marine safety, environmental protection and national defense missions. This class of cutters plays an important role in 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
Midgett WMSL-757 01-27-2017 11-22-2017
Stone WMSL-758 09-14-2018
WMSL-759
WMSL-760

 

Navy

Christening of Delaware

Leave a comment

The U.S. Navy christened the attack submarine, the future USS Delaware (SSN-791), during a 10 a.m. EDT ceremony Saturday, October 20, 2018, at Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, in Newport News, Virginia.

Newport News Shipbuilding christened Virginia-class submarine Delaware
Newport News Shipbuilding christened Virginia-class submarine Delaware

The principal speaker was United States Senator Tom Carper from Delaware. Doctor Jill Biden, former second lady of the United States, will serve as the ship’s sponsor. In a time-honored Navy tradition, she christened the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow and state, «In the name of the United States, I christen thee».

«Today’s christening marks an important milestone in the life of the future USS Delaware (SSN-791), moving the submarine from a mere hull number to a boat with a name and spirit», said Secretary of the U.S. Navy Richard V. Spencer. «This submarine honors the contributions and support the state of Delaware has given to our military and will stand as a testament to the increased capabilities made possible through a true partnership between the Department of the Navy and our industry teammates».

The future USS Delaware, designated SSN-791, is the seventh ship to bear the name of «The First State». The first Delaware served in the American Revolution, the second in the Quasi War with France. The third was burned to prevent her from falling into the hands of the Confederate Navy. The fourth served blockading duties through the end of the Civil War. Little is known about the fifth, other than she was a screw steamer that began life with another name before being renamed Delaware on May 15, 1869. The sixth Delaware was a battleship commissioned April 4, 1910, that served in the Atlantic and Caribbean. During World War I, she provided convoy escort and participated in allied naval exercises. She was decommissioned November 10, 1923.

The future USS Delaware (SSN-791) is the 18th Virginia-class attack submarine and the eighth and final Virginia-class Block III submarine. The ship’s construction began in September 2013 and will deliver in 2019. Delaware will provide the U.S. Navy with the capabilities required to maintain the nation’s undersea superiority well into the 21st century.

Virginia-class submarines are built to operate in the world’s littoral and deep waters while conducting anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface ship warfare; strike warfare; special operation forces support; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; irregular warfare; and mine warfare missions. Their inherent stealth, endurance, mobility and firepower directly enable them to support five of the six maritime strategy core capabilities – sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security and deterrence.

 

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
SSN-791 Delaware NNS 10-20-18

 

Navy

Bougainville

Leave a comment

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division officially started fabrication of the America-class amphibious assault ship USS Bougainville (LHA-8) on Monday, October 16, 2018. The start of fabrication signifies that the shipyard is ready for sustained production and ready to move forward with the construction of the ship.

Paul Bosarge, a burner workleaderman at Ingalls Shipbuilding, starts fabrication of steel for the amphibious assault ship USS Bougainville (LHA-8). Also pictured (left to right) are Frank Jermyn, Ingalls’ LHA 8 ship program manager; Lance Carnahan, Ingalls’ steel fabrication director; U.S. Marine Corps Captain J.D. Owens, representing Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Gulf Coast; and Ricky Hathorn, Ingalls’ hull general superintendent (Photo by Derek Fountain/HII)
Paul Bosarge, a burner workleaderman at Ingalls Shipbuilding, starts fabrication of steel for the amphibious assault ship USS Bougainville (LHA-8). Also pictured (left to right) are Frank Jermyn, Ingalls’ LHA 8 ship program manager; Lance Carnahan, Ingalls’ steel fabrication director; U.S. Marine Corps Captain J.D. Owens, representing Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Gulf Coast; and Ricky Hathorn, Ingalls’ hull general superintendent (Photo by Derek Fountain/HII)

«Our shipbuilders are proud to continue Ingalls’ legacy in amphibious shipbuilding», said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias. «The start of Bougainville, our 16th large-deck amphib, allows us to continue the serial production of these great ships. Working with the Navy and Marine Corps, we will take advantage of our hot production line and a healthy nationwide supplier base to continue providing these much-needed ships for the defense of our nation and the world’s sea lanes».

USS Bougainville (LHA-8) will retain the aviation capability of the America-class design while adding the surface assault capability of a well deck. The well deck will give the U.S. Marine Corps the ability to house and launch two Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) hovercraft or one Landing Craft Utility (LCU) as needed during their maritime missions. Other additions to Bougainville include a larger flight deck configured for Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) and Osprey V-22 aircraft, which can be used for surface and aviation assaults. The additional area on the flight deck comes in part from a smaller deck house and an additional sponsor.

USS Bougainville (LHA-8) will be the second U.S. Navy vessel to bear the name Bougainville. The name commemorates the Bougainville Campaign that took place during World War II. During the campaign, which lasted from 1943 to 1944, Allied forces secured a strategic airfield from Japan in the northern Solomon Islands, helping the allies break the Japanese stronghold in the South Pacific.

 

Ships

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

 

Navy

Christening of Frank

Leave a comment

The U.S. Navy christened the newest guided-missile destroyer, the future USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121) Saturday, October 6, during a 10:00 a.m. CDT ceremony at Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

Christening of Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121)
Christening of Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121)

The future USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121) is the first ship named in honor of Marine Corps Lieutenant General Frank E. Petersen Jr., the first African-American Marine Corps aviator and the first African-American Marine Corps officer promoted to brigadier general. When he retired in 1988 after 38 years of service, he was, by date of designation, the senior-ranking aviator in the Marine Corps and the United States Navy.

At the ceremony, the principal speaker was General Alfred Gray, 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps. D’Arcy Neller, wife of General Robert Neller, Commandant of the Marine Corps, and Dr. Alicia J. Petersen, widow of Frank E. Petersen Jr., served as ship’s sponsors. In a time-honored Navy tradition, the two sponsors christened the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow.

«The future USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. will serve for decades as a reminder of Lt. Gen. Petersen’s service to our nation and Navy and Marine Corps team», said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. «This ceremony honors not only Petersen’s service but also the service of our nation’s industrial partners, who, for centuries, have helped make our Navy the greatest in the world».

The future USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121) will be the 71st Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, and is the 5th of 21 ships currently under contract for the DDG-51 program. The ship will be 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 future USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121) will be equipped with the U.S. Navy’s Aegis Combat System, the world’s foremost integrated naval weapon. The ship will also incorporate Cooperative Engagement Capability that when combined with the Aegis Combat System, will permit groups of ships and aircraft to link radars to provide a composite picture of the battle space – effectively increasing the theater space. The capability is designed to provide the U.S. Navy with a 21st century fighting edge.

The nearly 9,500-ton Frank E. Petersen Jr. is 510 feet/156 m in length, has a waterline beam of 59 feet/18 m, and a navigational draft of 31 feet/9.5 m. Four gas turbine engines will power the ship to speeds in excess of 30 knots/34.5 mph/55.5 km/h.

The future USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121) will be equipped with the U.S. Navy's Aegis Combat System, the world's foremost integrated naval weapon
The future USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121) will be equipped with the U.S. Navy’s Aegis Combat System, the world’s foremost integrated naval weapon

 

Ship Characteristics

Length Overall 510 feet/156 m
Beam – Waterline 59 feet/18 m
Draft 31 feet/9.5 m
Displacement – Full Load 9,500 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 90 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 04-01-17
DDG-117 Paul Ignatius HIIIS 11-12-16
DDG-118 Daniel Inouye GDBIW
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 Gallagher GDBIW

 

Navy

Digital Technology

Leave a comment

An improved build strategy, which includes the use of digital technologies to improve efficiencies, has allowed Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding division to reach another milestone in the construction of the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79).

USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) Lower Bow Lift
USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) Lower Bow Lift

The company on Friday lowered the final piece of the ship’s underwater hull into place. The joining of the 726-ton lower bow, which includes the distinctive bulbous feature, completes the section of the ship below the waterline and extends the nuclear-powered warship an additional 122 feet/37 m.

At 1,096 feet/334 m, Kennedy’s hull is longer than three football fields.

The lower bow is more than 64 feet/19.5 m tall and 54 feet/16.5 m wide and is one of the heaviest planned steel structures, known as superlifts, to be placed on the ship. The unit consists of 84,000 square feet/7,804 square meter of tanks and chain lockers.

«This superlift completes the underwater hull of the ship and completes the erection of all of the ship’s structures from main deck down», said Lucas Hicks, Newport News’ vice president, CVN-79 carrier construction. «The lower bow superlift is another good example of how the use of technology is driving how we are building the next generation aircraft carrier. This brings us one step closer to launching the ship next year», Hicks said.

More than 3,000 shipbuilders and 2,000 suppliers from across the country are supporting the construction of Kennedy.

Kennedy’s keel was laid in 2015. The christening is planned for late 2019.