HII Ingalls Shipbuilding has delivered the US Navy’s 13th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, the USS Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29).
The company signed the contract to develop the ship in 2018. The design and construction cost $1.43 billion.
The handover followed LPD 29’s builder’s trials in February, during which the vessel undertook an overall system assessment prior to deployment.
A year earlier, the ship received its enterprise air surveillance radar antenna, a solution integrating software and hardware sensing capabilities for amphibious assault and aircraft carrier fleets.
“The LPD 29 delivery demonstrates how our shipbuilders are enabling our combined Navy and Marine Corps team,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson stated.
“It is the most recent example of what US industry and government partnerships can accomplish by putting another player on the field.”
USS Richard M. McCool Jr.
The US Navy wrote that the LPD 29 will sail for equipment, troops, and supply transport on various military operations.
In addition to combat deployments, the vessel will be used to support disaster relief, humanitarian assistance, and other peacekeeping efforts.
“This is an exciting milestone for LPD 29; culminating the tremendous efforts of Navy and industry to deliver new technologies and game changing capability as reflected in this platform,” US Navy Amphibious Warfare Program Manager Capt. Cedric McNeal said.
“It is deeply satisfying to see the team’s contribution in support of adding to the Navy’s force structure, in what ultimately will become a mission-ready, and mission-capable ship as we look to get more surface ship players on the field.”
The San Antonio Fleet
The San Antonio replaces the US Department of Defense’s Austin, Anchorage, Newport, and Charleston-class vessels in service since the 1960s, combining each of their unique functions into a single system.
Each ship under the new LPD class is designed to operate independently or as part of the Amphibious Readiness and Expeditionary Strike Groups, as well as other joint task forces.
A San Antonio transport dock measures 208 meters (684 feet) and has a beam of 32 meters (105 feet).
It is equipped with four diesel 41,600 horsepower engines to reach speeds of more than 22 knots (41 kilometers/25 miles per hour).
The ship has the capacity for 300 to 600 passengers, landing craft utility and air cushions, up to 14 amphibious assault vehicles, and four MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft depending on its mission requirements.
The San Antonio fleet is armed with close-in guns, machine guns turrets, rolling airframe warheads, and Evolved SeaSparrow missiles.
