American shipbuilding firm Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has launched the US Navy’s third America-class amphibious assault ship named “Bougainville.”
The vessel was launched into the Pascagoula River in southeastern Mississippi last week, following a series of preparation and dry dock trials.
According to HII, the Bougainville is the first ship in the America class to be built with a well deck, supporting surface assault capability.
The boat will have the same aviation capabilities as other ships within the class while adding a larger flight deck configured for the F-35B and MV-22 Osprey.
The amphibious assault ship is expected to be delivered to the US Navy in 2024.
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In October 2022, the US Navy awarded HII a $2.4-billion contract to construct the USS Bougainville.
It stated that the new ship should be able to operate in a high density, multi-threat environment and serve as an integral member of an expeditionary strike group, an amphibious task force, or an amphibious ready group.
It must also be able to accommodate over 1,000 personnel and travel at speeds more than 20 knots (37 kilometers/23 miles per hour).
The vessel must also feature top-of-the-line medical facilities with full operating suites and triage capabilities.
The US Navy already has two operational amphibious assault ships under America class: the USS American delivered in 2014 and the USS Tripoli handed over to the service in early 2020.