The award represents the seventh contract toward the construction of LHA 9 at the Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula.
Today, U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) welcomed the award of a $70.8 million U.S. Navy contract to Huntington Ingalls as its latest installment toward acquiring long-lead-time materials for a new America-class amphibious assault ship.
In April 2021, Huntington Ingalls Industries announced its Ingalls Shipbuilding division had received a contract modification from the U.S. Navy for $107 million to provide long-lead-time material and advance procurement activities for amphibious assault ship LHA 9.
Work associated with this contract is expected to be completed by April 2024.
“Huntington Ingalls and its talented shipbuilders continue to work hard on behalf of our Sailors and Marines to build the next generation of Navy ships,” Senator Wicker said. “I am glad to see Ingalls receive the funding it needs to continue building LHA 9 and ensuring our Navy remains the best in the world.”
The America-class amphibious assault ships are designed to deliver a Marine Expeditionary Unit using rotary lift and fixed wing aircraft, functioning in many ways like a smaller aircraft carrier.
“Long-lead-time contracts allow the Navy to get more bang for the buck by being able to plan in advance for new ship construction. These successive contracts mean our Mississippi shipbuilders will have the materials needed to proceed with construction of this new amphibious assault ship,” Senator Hyde-Smith said.
Ingalls is the sole builder of large-deck amphibious ships for the Navy. In 1996, the shipyard delivered its first amphibious assault ship, the Iwo Jima-class USS Tripoli (LPH 10). Ingalls has since built five Tarawa-class (LHA 1) ships, eight Wasp-class (LHD 1) ships and the first in the new America class of amphibious assault ships (LHA 6) in 2014. The second ship in the America class, USS Tripoli (LHA 7), was delivered to the Navy in early 2020. Bougainville (LHA 8) is under construction.
“We appreciate the partnership we have with the Navy and their continued commitment to this important ship,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said last month. “Not only will it provide capability to our Navy fleet, but it also sustains hundreds of jobs across the country within our vast network of suppliers in support of construction.”
