WASHINGTON, 5 June 2006. U.S. Navy leaders are pressing ahead with construction of two more San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships (LPD 17), which are designed to support embarking, transporting, and landing elements of a U.S. Marine Corps landing force in an assault by helicopters, landing craft, and amphibious vehicles.
Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in New Orleans won a $2.5 billion contract for construction of the two ships, which will be the sixth and seventh of the LPD 17 class. The contract also calls for long-lead material for the eighth LPD 17-class ship.
Northrop Grumman will do the work in its Pascagoula, Miss., and New Orleans shipyards, and should be finished by October 2011. The contract number is N00024-06-C-2222.
The San Antonio-class ships are to replace the Navy's Anchorage-class dock landing ships (LSD 36), Austin-class amphibious transport docks (LPD 4), and Newport-class tank landing ships (LST 1179).
