TSAMTO, February 2. The Command of Shipbuilding and Armament of the US Navy announced the acceptance tests of the new amphibious helicopter dock ship Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28) of the San Antonio class, which ended on January 31.
It is assumed that the preparation of the ship for delivery will begin in the near future, which should take place within the next few weeks.
LPD-28 is the 12th San Antonio-class ship to be built by Ingalls Shipbuilding. The initial contract for its construction was signed in 2015. The keel laying ceremony took place at the company in Pascagoula on October 13, 2017, launching on March 28, 2020.
As reported by TSAMTO, the implementation of the program for the construction of the San Antonio-class DVKD began in 1993 and initially provided for the supply of 11 ships to the US Navy, which should replace the outdated LPD-4, LSD-36, LKA-113 and LST-1179 class transports. Later, it was decided to place orders for the construction of two more San Antonio-class DVKDs - LPD-28 Fort Lauderdale and LPD-29 Richard M McCool Jr.
In March 2019, Ingalls Shipbuilding signed a contract with the US Navy for the development of a working design and construction of the first vessel of the LPD-17 Flight II version – LPD-30 Harrisburg. On April 3, 2020, a contract worth $1.508 billion was signed with the company for the development of a working project and the construction of LPD-31.
The lead ship of the series was transferred to the US Navy in 2005. To date, 11 DVKDs have been adopted by the US Navy: "San Antonio" (LPD-17), "New Orleans" (LPD-18), "Mesa Verde" (LPD-19), "Green Bay" (LPD-20), "New York" (LPD-21), "San Diego" (LPD-22), "Anchorage" (LPD-23), "Arlington" (LPD-24), "Somerset" (LPD-25), "John P. Murtagh" (LPD-26) and "Portland" (LPD-27).
Under construction at Ingalls Shipbuilding are the LPD-29 Richard M McCool Jr. and the Harrisburg LPD-30.
The San Antonio-class DVKDs are an element of the "triad" of the means of delivery of the USMC expeditionary units to the place of combat operations, which also includes MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor planes and floating armored personnel carriers of the new generation EFV. The DVKD can take on board up to 800 Marines (the standard number is 699) and ensure their disembarkation on the coast using amphibious hovercraft (LCAC), conventional landing boats, helicopters or aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing. DVKDs can also be used to support humanitarian operations and provide assistance to victims of natural disasters.
