HII press release
Richard M. McCool Jr. is the 13th San Antonio-class ship delivered by Ingalls and is the final Flight I transition ship before Ingalls moves into production of the LPD Flight II line.
โThe LPD 29 delivery demonstrates how our shipbuilders are enabling our combined Navy and Marine Corps team,โ said Kari Wilkinson, president of Ingalls Shipbuilding. โIt is the most recent example of what U.S. industry and government partnerships can accomplish by putting another player on the field. We will now bring the full weight of this collaborative team to bear on steady-state Flight II execution going forward.โ
Ingalls has two Flight II LPDs under construction includingย Harrisburgย (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 ofย Philadelphiaย (LPD 32), the 16th ship in theย San Antonioย class and the third LPD Flight II.
The San Antonio class is foundational to the U.S. Marine Corpโs Force Design construct and can support a variety of crisis response, special operations and expeditionary warfare missions. LPDs can operate independently or as part of amphibious readiness groups, expeditionary strike groups, or joint task forces. These capabilities allow the U.S. Navy to protect Americaโs security abroad and promote regional stability and preserve future peace.