PASCAGOULA, Miss. - The Navy's future amphibious
transport dock, John P. Murtha (LPD 26) successfully completed Builder's Trials
March 4.
The ship returned to the Huntington Ingalls Industries
(HII) shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss. following four days underway.
"LPD 26 continues the trend of improving performance
as the shipbuilder incorporates lessons learned from the previous nine
commissioned LPDs," said Capt. Darren Plath, LPD 17 Class Program Manager,
Program Executive Office, Ships. "The ship has met another critical
milestone as it progresses toward Acceptance Trials, Delivery, and eventual
service with the Fleet."
During Builder's Trials the ship is taken underway for a
series of testing and at-sea demonstrations, which ready the ship for full
testing demonstrations with the U.S. Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey
(INSURV). Among the highlights of the at-sea trials, LPD 26 completed a full
power run, self-defense detect-to-engage exercise, evaluation of key combat and
communications systems, rapid ballast/de-ballast operations, steering checks,
and anchor handling demonstration.
"With the launching of LPD 27 last month and the
completion of LPD 26 Builder's Trials this week, our government/industry team
has met every challenge in a busy schedule," said Supervisor of
Shipbuilding, Capt. Joe Tuite. "To achieve a successful trial, our team
completed over 750 tests leading up this week and assessed the operability of
the ship through over 240 separate events during the six-day trial. They
assessed everything from lowering the stern gate to operating the anchor
ensuring the future USS John P. Murtha will be combat ready."
John P. Murtha will be the tenth ship of the LPD 17 San
Antonio class to join the Fleet. The
ship is scheduled to be commissioned in the fall and will be home-ported in San
Diego, Calif.
The principal mission of LPD 17 San Antonio class ships
is to deploy combat and support elements of Marine Expeditionary Units and
Brigades. With the capability of
transporting and debarking air cushion or conventional landing craft and
augmented by helicopters or MV-22 vertical take-off and landing aircraft, these
ships support amphibious assault, special operations, and expeditionary warfare
missions.
As one of the Defense Department's largest acquisition
organizations, PEO Ships is responsible for executing the development and
procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, special mission and support
ships, and special warfare craft.
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