Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has received a $1.3-billion contract to begin the detailed design and construction of the US Navy’s amphibious transport dock, LPD 32.
The vessel will be the 16th in the San Antonio-class and the third in the Flight II configuration.
According to company official Kari Wilkinson, the multibillion-dollar deal would enable the navy and the shipbuilding firm to establish a “formidable capability” based on a mature design.
She further stated that its shipbuilders “are dedicated to delivering these ships to our Navy and Marine Corps partners, having done so for over two decades.”
Work for the LPD 32 program began in 2022 when HII was awarded a $240-million advance procurement contract for long-lead materials and other major equipment needed for the construction.
All amphibious ships in the Flight II configuration will replace the service’s Whidbey Island and Harpers Ferry classes of dock landing vessels.
‘Modern Expeditionary Force’
The US Navy’s amphibious transport docks play a major part in the service’s 21st-century expeditionary force, according to HII.
They are used for deterrence, joint-force enablement, expeditionary crisis response, and humanitarian assistance.
At present, the company is building three LPDs: Richard McCool (LPD 29), Harrisburg (LPD 30), and Pittsburgh (LPD 31).
Budget Constraint
HII was awarded a huge contract amid uncertainties about the US government’s plan to acquire future Flight II amphibious ships.
Several service officials and lawmakers are particularly wary about the increasing cost of the program, which went from $1.47 billion for the first vessel to $1.5 billion for the second one.
The 2024 defense budget request does not reportedly include funds to purchase amphibious ships.
“I’m still a little mystified by the reticence of the president’s budget with respect to meeting our 31 [amphibious] requirement,” Senate Armed Services Seapower subcommittee chairman Tim Kaine said last month.
He added that the budget request does not suggest that the government is willing to invest in the original plan of 31 amphibious ships.
