LHA 7 keel authenticated

PASCAGOULA, Miss. -- The keel laying and authentication ceremony for the amphibious assault ship, the future USS Tripoli (LHA 7) was held at the Huntington Ingalls Industries Pascagoula shipyard Friday. The ceremony traditionally marked the first step in ship construction. With today's advanced modular shipbuilding, the keel laying ceremony now recognizes the joining together of a ship's components and is a major milestone in the ship's construction. Fabrication of Tripoli started in July 2013. The design of the future Tripoli is more aviation-oriented. It features an enlarged hangar deck, realignment and expansion of the aviation maintenance facilities, a significant increase in available stowage for parts and support equipment, and increased aviation fuel capacity. The ship will be the first LHA replacement ship to deliver fully ready to integrate the entire future air combat element of the Marine Corps, including the F-35B. LHA 7 will be 844 feet long and will be capable of operating at speeds of over 20 knots. (Source: NNS, 06/21/14)