Future USS Tripoli Completes Builder’s Trials

PASCAGOULA,
Miss. — The Navy’s newest America-class amphibious assault ship, the future USS
Tripoli (LHA 7), successfully completed builder’s trials on July 19. The ship
returned to the Huntington Ingalls Industries shipbuilding division’s shipyard
following four days underway in the Gulf of Mexico.

Builder’s trials
are the Navy’s first opportunity to assess the operational readiness of a ship.
During the trials, the multipurpose amphibious assault ship underwent dock
trials followed by more than 200 at-sea test events.

“The
Navy and industry team did a commendable job this week,” said Tom Rivers,
amphibious warfare program manager for Naval Sea System Command’s Program
Executive Office-Ships.

“America-class
ships bring tremendous capability to our Sailors and Marines, and Tripoli will
be the first large deck amphib to reach the fleet fully ready to integrate the
Marine Corps air combat element to include Joint Strike Fighters.” 

Tripoli is
the second ship of the America (LHA 6) class, built to facilitate forward
presence and power projection. LHA 7 is the last Flight 0 ship planned for
construction and features an enlarged hangar deck, realignment and expansion of
the aviation maintenance facilities, an increase in available stowage for parts
and support equipment and increased aviation fuel capacity.

LHA 8 will
be the first Flight I ship, reincorporating a well deck to enhance
expeditionary warfighting capabilities while maintaining the principal aviation
characteristics of the Flight 0 ships.

LHA 7
incorporates gas turbine propulsion plant, zonal electrical distribution and
fuel-efficient electric auxiliary propulsion systems first installed on USS
Makin Island (LHD 8). LHA 7 will be 844 feet in length, will have a
displacement of about 45,000 long tons and will be capable of operating at
speeds of more than 20 knots.

HII’s Pascagoula shipyard
is also in production on Bougainville (LHA 8), the guided missile destroyers
Delbert D. Black (DDG 119), Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123), Jack H. Lucas
(DDG 125), and amphibious transport dock ships, Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) and
Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29).