Navy accepts delivery of LHA 7

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - The Navy accepted delivery of the future USS Tripoli (LHA 7), the Navy's newest America-class amphibious assault ship, from Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding here Feb. 28. Optimized for aviation capability, Tripoli will enhance Marine Corps aviation with an enlarged hangar deck, greater maintenance capability, and JP-5 fuel capacity. LHA 7 represents the “culmination of significant work effort by shipbuilders here at Ingalls … suppliers … government stakeholders … as well as Naval Sea Systems Command and the Program Executive Office for Ships," said Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair Gulf Coast, Capt. Nathan Schneider. With Tripoli delivered, the ship will focus on moving crew aboard and preparing for commissioning and sail-away later in 2020. HII-Pascagoula is also currently in production of Bougainville (LHA 8), the guided missile destroyers Delbert D. Black (DDG 119), Frank E. Peterson (DDG 121) Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123), Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), and amphibious transport dock ships, Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) and Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29). (Source: Team Ships 02/28/20) https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=112234