HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division – based on the east bank of the Pascagoula River in Mississippi – has won a combined procurement deal worth $9.6bn for amphibious ships.
It entails the construction of three San Antonio-class Flight II (LPD 17) amphibious ships and a contract modification for the next America-class (LHA 6) large-deck amphibious ship.
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This combined procurement — the first of its kind for amphibious ships — begins the journey for the construction of LPDs 33, 34, 35 and LHA 10 for the US Navy.
Where does this fit into Navy plans?
Currently, the Navy is pursuing a force level of at least 31 amphibious vessels.
Of these, ten units must be in the LHA “large-deck” amphibious assault ship type, while the remaining ships are the LPD-type or older LSD-type amphibious ships.
Notably, the last of the LSD type to be commissioned was in 1998. However, mid-life upgrades will allow them to remain in service until 2038.
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By GlobalDataSo far, Ingalls has produced 13 Flight I LPDs between 1996 and 2017. A slightly cheaper Flight II variant was announced in April 2018. Achieving a force of 21 LPD-type amphibious ships would require procuring a total of eight ships built to the LPD-17 Flight II design.
According to the Congressional Research Service, San Antonio Flight II class ships have a current estimated unit procurement cost of about $2bn.
Ingalls delivery to date
To date, Ingalls has delivered 13 San Antonio-class ships and 15 large-deck amphibious ships to the Navy.
At the moment, the LHA production line includes the construction of Bougainville (LHA 8) and Fallujah (LHA 9). In addition, Ingalls has two Flight II LPDs under construction including Harrisburg (LPD 30) and Pittsburgh (LPD 31).
In March 2023, Ingalls was awarded a modification to the contract for the procurement of the detail design and construction of Philadelphia (LPD 32), the 16th ship in the San Antonio-class.
Need for amphibious capabilities
Designed and built for survivability and flexibility, US Navy amphibious vessels are unique combat warships that make possible complex joint military operations to respond swiftly to crises anywhere in the world, from deterrence and major combat operations to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
With an intense rivalry between the US and China playing out in the Indo-Pacific, the ability to execute amphibious operations will prove invaluable in the coming years.
While this latest combined procurement for warships will ensure the Navy has the required fleet capacity for such missions, this is not the be all an end all. Recently, the Marine Corps welcomed a new fleet of Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACV) as part of the military’s revitalisation of assets in Okinawa, Japan.
The ACV, characterised by its eight-wheeled armoured design, is capable of transitioning from water to land operations.
“Upgrading our fleet with amphibious combat vehicles capable of supporting sea denial and maritime operations will further bolster our ability to support deterrence efforts and respond to contingencies in the Indo-Pacific,” commented Lieutenant General Roger B. Turner, commander of III Marine Expeditionary Force.
