The Navy accepted delivery of its newest amphibious transport dock ship, the future USS Anchorage (LPD 23), from Huntington Ingalls Industries in Avondale, La., Sept. 17.
Anchorage is the seventh ship in the LPD 17 San Antonio class.
Accepting delivery of Anchorage represents the official transfer of the ship from the shipbuilder to the Navy and is a major milestone in the ship's transition to operational status. After completion of acceptance trials in July, the shipbuilder performed corrections of deficiencies noted during trials. Anchorage went to sea Sept. 12-13, to confirm satisfactory completion of corrections. The commissioning ceremony is planned for next spring in its namesake city of Anchorage, Alaska. LPD 23 is the second ship in U.S. Navy history to be named for the largest city in Alaska.
"I am proud to take delivery of LPD 23," said Capt. Darren Plath, LPD 17 class program manager for the Navy's Program Executive Office for Ships. "The Navy and the shipbuilder have worked very diligently to bring this vital warfighting asset to the fleet."
The ships of the LPD 17 class are a key element of the Navy's seabase transformation. Their principal mission is to deploy the combat and support elements of Marine Expeditionary Units and Brigades. These ships functionally replace more than 41 ships (LPD 4, LSD 36, LKA 113, and LST 1179 classes of amphibious ships), providing the Navy and Marine Corps with modern, seabased platforms that are networked, survivable, and built to operate with 21st century transformational platforms, such as the Landing Craft, Air Cushion and the MV-22 Osprey.
The LPD 17 class combines various unique systems with special emphasis on projecting combat power ashore, quality of life improvements for sailors and Marines and mission flexibility. Among the ships' innovations are state-of-the-art combat control and electronics systems; the Ship Self Defense System, which provides the key integration and control portion of the ship's total combat system, including sensors, weapons, data links and the Cooperative Engagement Capability; and the Shipboard Wide Area Network, which is a fiber-optic, ship-wide area computer network including both classified and unclassified components.
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. Delivering high-quality war fighting assets - while balancing affordability and capability - is key to supporting the Navy's Maritime Strategy.
Article by Team Ships Public Affairs