First Flight II LPD Heads Out on Builder's Trials

Ingalls Shipbuilding has completed builder's trials for the future USS Harrisburg (LPD 30), the first of the Flight II San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships. It is far from the last: the HII division and its subcontractors are in various phases of work for LPD 31 through 35, all already on contract.

The Navy decided to build a second flight of 13 San Antonio-class amphibs in 2018, and the award for LPD 30 went out the next year. LPD 30 was laid down in January 2022 and launched in October 2024. As of a September 2024 review by GAO, it was about 15 months behind schedule, consistent with other Navy shipbuilding programs. Commissioning is expected in the summer of 2027.

From keel-laying to drydock flooding, China's state-owned shipbuilder CSSC can launch a comparably-sized Type 071 LPD in four months. China's navy is the world's largest, and is the pacing threat for U.S. Navy planning purposes.

To accelerate progress on the LPD series, HII has adopted the idea of distributed shipbuilding - outsourcing production of subassemblies to smaller shipyards, then putting together the partially-completed hull sections at its own facility. The practice requires precision and discipline, but has worked successfully for other programs, like the Royal Navy's Queen Elizabeth-class carriers and the U.S. Navy's next generation of submarines.

This story was originally published by The Maritime Executive. Read the full story at The Maritime Executive →