USS Fort Lauderdale is the first ship to be named for the city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The future Fort Lauderdale is the 12th San Antonio-class ship. The ships are designed to support embarking, transporting and bringing ashore elements of 650 Marines by landing craft or air cushion vehicles. The ship’s capabilities are further enhanced by a flight deck and hangar, which can operate CH 46 Sea Knight helicopters and the Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft (MV-22). San Antonio-class ships can support a variety of amphibious assault, special operations or expeditionary warfare missions, operating independently or as part of Amphibious Readiness Groups (ARGs), Expeditionary Strike Groups, or joint task forces.
Ingalls Shipbuilding launched the future USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) in April 2020. It is the 12th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship for the U.S. Navy. It features a number of modifications compared to earlier ships of the class. For example it is fitted with a simple mast (similar to the DDG 51 class mast) in place of the “stealth mast” design, for affordability reasons. Ingalls Shipbuilding is also in production on the future USS Richard M. McCool (LPD 29) and Harrisburg (LPD 30). LPD 28 and 29 will serve as transition ships to LPD 30, the first LPD 17 Flight II ship.
The primary mission of the ship will be to embark, transport and land U.S. Marine Corps landing forces in a variety of expeditionary and special operations missions, while providing command and control, communications connectivity and medical services. The ship will support its embarked Marines and Sailors with amphibious assault vehicles (AAVs), landing craft air cushion (LCAC) vessels, MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft and CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters.
LPD 28 Specifications
Propulsion: Four Colt-Pielstick diesel engines, two shafts, 40,000 hp (30 MW)
Length: 208.5 m (684 ft.) overall
Beam: 31.9 m (105 ft.) extreme
Displacement: 25,000 tons full
Speed: 22 knots (41 km/h)
Crew: 32 Officers, 34 CPO/SNCO, and 330 Enlisted
Embarked: Marine Expeditionary Force of 60 Officers, 38 CPO/SNCO, and 552 Enlisted
Aircraft: Four CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters and two MV-22 tilt rotor aircraft may be launched or recovered simultaneously
Boats and Landing craft: Two LCACs, one LCU and 14 AAVs
Armament: Two 30 mm Bushmaster II cannons, for surface threat defense; two Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launchers for air defense
