Virginia-class attack submarine Minnesota (SSN-783) under construction in 2012. US Navy Photo
The Navy told Congress it would pursue a 10-ship multiyear procurement contract for its Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers in Fiscal Year 2018 as part of its newest long-range shipbuilding plan, which also announced a nine-ship attack submarine block buy and delays in several auxiliary ship programs. Read More
USS Arlington (LPD-24) under construction at Ingalls Shipbuilding. Huntington Ingalls Industries Photo
Adm. Jonathan Greenert - The Navy has increased its force structure goal by two ships, saying it would like to have 308 ships in Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 instead of the 306 it stated last year. Read More
An EA-18G Growler from the “Shadowhawks” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 141 prepares to make an arrested landing on the flight deck of the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73) in 2013 US Navy Photo
The $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill from Congress includes $1.46 billion for 15 Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft and $1 billion to start work on a 12th San Antonio-class (LPD-17) amphibious warship, according to a summary of the bill released late Tuesday. Read More
Navy divers assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 11 and Mobile Diving and Salvage Company 11‐7, attach a towing bridle to the NASA Orion crew module on Dec. 5, 2014. US Navy Photo
Friday’s successful test of NASA’s reusable Orion capsule was a first for the space agency and a renewal of a greater Navy role in the space program. Read More
An artist’s rendering of Huntington Ingalls Industries’ LPD Flight IIA variant of the San Antonio-class ship design. HII Image
NORFOLK, VA — Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has revised its plan to use the hull form of the San Antonio-class amphibious warship (LPD-17) as a candidate for the Navy’s next generation amphibious warship— LX(R), company officials outlined to USNI News on Tuesday. Read More
USS Mesa Verde (LPD-19) arrives at Naval Station Norfolk on Oct. 31, 2014 as part of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group following a deployment. US Navy Photo
NORFOLK, VA — Early design work on the Navy’s next generation amphibious warship — based on the San Antonio-class (LPD-17) hull — has begun ahead of a planned 2020 procurement, Navy officials said on Wednesday. Read More
A landing craft air cushion prepares to enter the well deck of landing transport dock ship USS Mesa Verde (LPD-19) on Oct. 27, 2014. US Navy Photo
Over the past several months the Navy’s requirement to replace the Whidbey Island/Harpers Ferry-class LSD amphibious warships has been debated. The San Antonio-class LPD-17 hull form was a favorite of many. Gen. James Amos—former Commandant of the Marine Corps—referred to the LPD-17 hull as “the most successful hull we have” at a Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus breakfast in April. Read More
Amphibious warship John P. Murtha takes to the water on Oct. 30, 2014. HII Photo
CORRECTION: A previous version of this post said the late John P. Murtha was a senator from Pennsylvania. He was in fact a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania’s 12th district from 1974 until his death in 2010. USNI News regrets the error.
Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has launched the tenth San Antonio-class (LPD-17) amphibious warship on Thursday. Read More
USS Arlington (LPD-24) under construction at Ingalls Shipbuilding. Huntington Ingalls Industries Photo
Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus has signed an internal memo recommending the service base its next generation amphibious warship (LX(R)) on the existing San Antonio-class (LPD-17) warship design, first reported by the Inside the Navy newsletter on Monday. Read More
USS Anchorage (LPD-23) recovers an Orion capsule on Sept. 15, 2014. US Navy Photo
The amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD-23) completed a third set of underway recovery tests for the NASA Orion spacecraft according to the U.S. Navy. The test was the second such effort for the ship, which returned to Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on Saturday. Read More
