Posted on April 2, 2020
Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE: HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division launched amphibious transport dock, Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28), on March 28.
“I am thrilled to get Fort Lauderdale in the water, so we can begin final outfitting and eventually take the ship out to sea for trials,” said Capt. Scot Searles, LPD 17 class program manager for Program Executive Office (PEO), Ships. “The San Antonio class has proven essential to expeditionary warfighters, and we are eager to deliver another ship to the fleet.”
“The successful launch of Fort Lauderdale, our 12th LPD, is a major milestone achievement for our shipbuilders,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias said. “Thank you to our shipbuilders for all the hard work they do every day.”
Fort Lauderdale was translated via Ingalls’ rail car system to the yard’s floating dry dock prior to launch. The dock was moved away from the pier and then flooded to float the ship. With the assistance of tugs, Fort Lauderdale came off the dock Saturday morning.
The 684-foot-long, 105-foot-wide San Antonio class ships are used to embark and land Marines, their equipment and supplies ashore via air cushion or conventional landing craft and amphibious assault vehicles, augmented by helicopters or vertical takeoff and landing aircraft such as the MV-22 Osprey. The ships support a Marine Air Ground Task Force across the spectrum of operations.
Source: marinelog
