San Antonio class LPD

[Ayoshi]

From: fas.org

The San Antonio (LPD 17) Class of amphibious transport dock ships represents the Navy and Marine Corps' future in amphibious warfare, and is one of the cornerstones in the strategic plan known as "Forward...from the sea". The San Antonio class will be the first designed, from the keel up, to execute Operational Maneuver From The Sea [OMFTS] and Ship to Objective Maneuver. It is designed to support embarking, transporting, and landing elements of a Marine landing force in an assault by helicopters, landing craft, amphibious vehicles, and by a combination of these methods to conduct primary amphibious warfare missions.

The LPD 17 will integrate with the existing amphibious ship force structure and the Navy's declining shore infrastructure. The LPD 17 class program will be the replacement for three classes of amphibious ships that have reached the end of their service life -- the LPD 4, LSD 36, and LST 1179 classes - and one class that has already been retired, the LKA 113. Naval amphibious ship forces with embarked Marine Corps units provide an essential component of the forward presence mission capability required to implement United States foreign policy. The LPD 17 ship class primary mission is Amphibious Warfare. Thus, LPD 17 must be able to embark, transport, and land elements of the landing force in an assault by helicopters (all USMC helos including MV22), landing craft (LCAC), amphibious vehicles (AAAV), and by a combination of these methods. The combat power of this ship is it's embarked Marines and their equipment.

Ensuring that the ship maintains a robust self defense capability as threat systems evolve is key to survivability in the littoral environment where the ship will fight. As a class, these ships will overcome amphibious lift shortfalls caused by the decommissioning of aging LPDs, LSTs, LKAs, and LSDs. Maintaining projected delivery schedules and attaining operational readiness of this ship class is key to eradicating existing shortfalls in amphibious lift. Of particular concern is the high average age of amphibious ships which have high maintenance costs, higher manning levels, and lower reliability compared to ships being built today. The introduction of the LPD 17 into the fleet is intended to mitigate this problem.

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LPD-17 - Initial Design. Images taken from fas.org
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LPD-17 New Design. Image taken from fas.org

[Ayoshi]

From: naval-technology.com

San Antonio Class design

The ship is constructed from steel and designed to minimise radar cross-section. Enhanced survivability features include improved fragmentation and nuclear blast protection and shock-hardened structure. Automation and integration of systems has enabled a significant reduction in crew, projected to be 361.

The ship provides three vehicle decks of 25,402ft² and two cargo holds, with 25,548ft³ for bulk cargo and ammunition magazines in addition to the 1,234m³ for cargo fuel.

Accommodation is provided for two LCAC, 700 troops and 14 new AAAVs. Each LCAC is capable of carrying 60t of cargo and vehicles, including the M1A2 Abrams tank, at speeds of up to 40kt.

The ship’s advanced enclosed mast / sensor (AEM/S) system consists of two large eight-sided structures, which house the radar and communications antennae with a hybrid frequency-selective surface. As well as reducing the ship’s radar cross-section, the AEM/S system also protects the equipment from exposure to the elements.

Image taken  from usni.org
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Photo taken from naval-technology.com

[Ayoshi]

Navy Designates Upcoming LX(R) Amphibs as San Antonio-Class LPD Flight II | usni.org - April 11, 2018 6:30 PM

In a nod to the high degree of commonality between the Navy’s original LPD design and the variant filling the LX(R) requirement, which replaces the Whidbey Island-class LSD, Navy acquisition chief James Geurts this week signed a memo announcing the LPD Flight II designation.

“The term LX(R) is going to start to go away,” LPD and LX(R) program manager Capt. Brian Metcalf said today at a program briefing at the Navy League’s Sea Air Space 2018 symposium.
“As of yesterday, Secretary Geurts signed a memo that said the LX(R), the requirement for an LX(R), an LSD replacement ship, will be met by LPD Flight II. The first LPD Flight II will be LPD-30,” a hull that lawmakers chose to fund in their Fiscal Year 2018 budget ahead of the Navy’s original plans.

Ultimately, this will create a class of 26 San Antonio hulls – 13 Flight I and 13 Flight II.

Additionally, the Navy is already discussing the possibility of buying the Flight II ships, starting with LPD-31, in a block buy contract. Due to early problems with the San Antonio program – including starting construction before the design was completed, manufacturing quality issues, damage to the shipyard from Hurricane Katrina and instability in the design and the program quantity – the Flight I ships were bought one at a time.

The Navy had planned to stop at LPD-27, but then lawmakers added an LPD-28. And then, once it was determined that the LX(R) design would be based on the LPD design, an LPD-29 was added to help bridge the gap in production between the end of the San Antonio program and the beginning of LX(R). With production ahead of schedule at the Ingalls Shipbuilding yard in Mississippi, lawmakers were considering adding LPD-30 as another bridge ship, but the Navy has instead decided that that hull will be the first of the Flight II ships.

Huntington Ingalls Industries image.
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The amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay (LPD 20) transits past amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) as the ships depart Okinawa. Green Bay is part of the Wasp Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG), which is operating in the Indo-Pacific region. US Navy photo.

[Ayoshi]

Huntington Ingalls awarded contract to build Flight II LPD for US Navy | Navy Recognition - 27 March 2019 10:09

LPD 30 is the evolution of the dock landing platform that strengthens the Navy and Marine Corps’ needs in future warfare. Utilizing the LPD 17 class’ proven hull, this LPD derivative is highly adaptable and, like the first 13 ships in the class, will be used to accomplish a full range of military operations—from major combat to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The ship’s versatility—from its well deck, flight deck and hospital facilities to its self-defense and survivability features—provides a viable platform for America’s global defense needs.

Ingalls has delivered 11 San Antonio-class ships to the Navy and has two more under construction. Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) will launch in 2020 and deliver in 2021; the keel for Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29) will be laid later this year. Start of fabrication on LPD 30 is scheduled for 2020.

The San Antonio class is a major part of the Navy’s 21st century amphibious assault force. The 684-foot-long, 105-foot-wide 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, conducting amphibious and expeditionary missions of sea control and power projection to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions throughout the first half of the 21st century.

Artist rendering of the LPD 30 (Picture Source : Huntington Ingalls Industries)

[Ayoshi]

https://navaltoday.com/2019/10/11/us-navy-names-first-flight-ii-lpd-amphibious-transport-dock/

US Navy names first Flight II LPD amphibious transport dock
October 11, 2019

While being the first in this configuration, future USS Harrisburg (LPD 30) will be the 14th ship in its class.

LPD 30 will also be the second US Navy vessel named after the city of Harrisburg. The first was a troopship acquired by the Navy during World War I that served in commission from May 29, 1918 to September 25, 1919. That ship also served with the Navy in the Spanish-American War under another name.

San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships support amphibious assault, special operations or expeditionary warfare missions and can serve as secondary aviation platforms for amphibious ready groups. LPD 30 will serve as the functional replacement for the aging LSD 41/49 Whidbey Island class ships.

It will feature a fully capable flight deck and hangar, a well deck, and the vehicle and cargo capacities to support and sustain more than 500 combat-equipped marines for up to 30 days.

[Ayoshi]

https://navaltoday.com/2020/04/01/hii-launches-us-navys-new-lpd-fort-lauderdale/

HII launches US Navy’s new LPD Fort Lauderdale
April 1, 2020

Lauderdale is the navy’s 12th San Antonio class amphibious transport dock ship.

On March 7, 2020, the ship was transferred from the land level facility to the dry dock in preparation of floating off. During the launch, the dry dock was slowly flooded until the ship floated off the blocks.

Photo: HII

[Ayoshi]

https://navaltoday.com/2020/04/17/hii-starts-fabrication-of-us-navys-1st-flight-ii-lpd-ship/

HII starts fabrication of US Navy’s 1st Flight II LPD ship

The start of fabrication signifies that the first 100 tons of steel have been cut.

The ship will be the 14th in the San Antonio class and the first Flight II LPD.

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LPD 30 will be the second US Navy vessel named after the city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The first was a troopship acquired by the Navy during World War I that served in commission from May 29, 1918, to September 25, 1919. That ship also served with the navy in the Spanish-American War under another name. In addition to being the capital of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg is home to a number of Department of Defense facilities including the Naval Support Activity, Mechanicsburg.

Ingalls has delivered 11 San Antonio-class ships to the US Navy and has three more under construction including LPD 30.

The 684-foot-long and 105-foot-wide San Antonio-class 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.

This rendering depicts Harrisburg (LPD 30), which will be the 14th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship of the US Navy. Photo: HII