Article Posted on : - Dec 02, 2010

USS San Antonio during sea trials in 2005. A US Navy photo

PASCAGOULA (BNS): Defence major Northrop Grumman has received a $43.7 million cost-plus-fixed contract for life-cycle engineering and support services on the US Navy’s USS San Antonio (LPD 17) class of amphibious transport dock ships.

The service support to be provided under the contract include post-delivery planning and engineering, systems integration and engineering support, research engineering, material support, fleet modernization programme planning, supply chain management, maintenance and training for certain LPD 17 class shipboard systems.

The contract is the first of four annual options associated with a base contract awarded to Northrop in February 2010 valued worth $249.4 million.

The San Antonio class ships are being designed to replace the Austin-class LPDs of the US Navy.

The primary task of LPD ships is to support amphibious assault, special operations or expeditionary warfare missions. They can also serve as secondary aviation platforms for amphibious ready groups.

USS San Antonio is the lead ship of the LPD 17 class and has already been built by Northrop Grumman and delivered to the US Navy in 2005.