Huntington Ingalls wins $2.38 bln ship deal
Huntington Ingalls Industries has been awarded a contract valued at $2.38 billion to start design and construction work on the U.S. Navy's next large-deck amphibious assault ship Tripoli, the Pentagon said on Thursday, Reuters reports.
The contract is a modification of a previously awarded fixed-price, incentive fee contract, and runs through June 2018, the U.S. Defense Department said in a daily digest of big weapons contracts.
Huntington Ingalls welcomed the contract that will allow it to start work on LHA-7, the second of the Navy's new America class of multi-purpose amphibious assault ships.
"Large-deck amphibious ship construction is an important component of our business plan, and we are pleased to have reached agreement with the Navy on this contract," said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Irwin Edenzon.
Tripoli will be 844 feet long and 106 feet wide and will displace 44,971 long tons. The fuel-efficient gas turbine propulsion system will drive the ships in excess of 20 knots. The ship will accommodate 1,059 crew and 1,687 troops.
It will be capable of carrying a Marine Corp expeditionary unit, including helicopters, MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft built by Boeing Co and Bell Helicopter, a unit of Textron Inc and the short takeoff version of the F35 built by Lockheed Martin Corp.
