LHA 7 completes builder’s trials

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced July 22 that the amphibious assault ship Tripoli (LHA 7) has successfully completed builder’s trials. The second ship in the America class spent four days in the Gulf of Mexico testing the ship’s main propulsion, combat and other systems before returning to HII-Pascagoula. “We have an excellent leadership team,” said HII-Pascagoula President Brian Cuccias. “They will now be focusing on getting the ship ready for acceptance trials and delivery to the Navy. The flight deck modifications to support the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft provide an increased aviation capacity and demonstrate how an experienced team can evolve the platform to meet the current threats across the globe,” he stated. Ingalls is currently the sole builder of large-deck amphibious warships for the Navy. (Source: HII-Pascagoula 07/22/19)