Article Posted on : - Dec 21, 2011

USS San Diego (LPD 22).

PASCAGOULA (BNS): The US Navy has received the sixth San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship from Huntington Ingalls Industries.

The ship, which will be inducted in the Navy as USS San Diego (LPD 22), was delivered on December 19 after successfully completing acceptance trials in November.

The ship had the most extensive pre-delivery test programme of the previous five LPDs delivered and has already conducted three underway trials, with scope beyond what was tested underway on previous ships, the Navy said.

The new vessel is scheduled to be commissioned in May 2012.

The San Antonio-class LPDs have been designed to provide the Navy and Marine Corps with modern, sea-based platforms that are networked, survivable and built to operate with 21st century platforms, such as the MV-22 Osprey.

The 684 feet-long and 105 feet-wide ship has a displacement of around 25,000 tons. Its prime mission is to deploy combat and support elements of Marine Expeditionary Units and Brigades.

Each ship can carry up to 800 troops and has the capability of transporting and debarking air cushion (LCAC) or conventional landing crafts, augmented by helicopters or vertical take-off and landing aircraft such as the MV-22.

The US Navy plans to induct as many as 10 such ships in its fleet.