It's an all-US Navy roundup this week as we cover a destroyer's acceptance trials, another's ongoing construction, and orders for a new frigate and a class of ocean surveillance ships.
Future US Navy destroyer Jack H. Lucas completes acceptance trials
The US Navy and Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division has completed acceptance trials of the future USS Jack H. Lucas, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer.
During the acceptance trials, the ship and its crew performed a series of demonstrations for review by the navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV). INSURV uses these demonstrations to validate navy specifications and requirements prior to delivery of the ship.
The future Jack H. Lucas is the first Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to be built in the Flight III configuration. The Flight III upgrade is centered on the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar and incorporates upgrades to the electrical power and cooling capacity.
The destroyer honours the late US Army Captain Jacklyn "Jack" Lucas. For his actions at the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, then US Marine Corps Private First Class Lucas became the youngest World War II recipient of the Medal of Honor at age 17.
Keel authenticated for US Navy destroyer Louis H. Wilson Jr.
General Dynamics Bath Iron Works has laid and authenticated the keel of the future US Navy destroyer USS Louis H. Wilson Jr.
The ship honours the late US Marine Corps General Louis Hugh Wilson, Jr., who was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in the Battle of Guam in 1944. General Wilson later became commandant of the US Marine Corps.
The future Louis H. Wilson Jr. will be the first Arleigh Burke-class destroyer built in the Flight III configuration at Bath Iron Works. The Flight III destroyers will have improved capability and capacity to perform anti-air warfare and ballistic missile defense in support of the integrated air and missile defence mission.
Alabama yard selected for detail design of future ocean surveillance ships
Austal USA of Mobile, Alabama has been awarded a US$113.9 million fixed-price incentive (firm target) and firm-fixed-price contract for the detail design of the Auxiliary General Ocean Surveillance Ship (T-AGOS 25) class for the US Navy.
The contract also includes options for detail design and construction of up to seven T-AGOS 25 class ships. If exercised, this would bring the cumulative value of the contract to over US$3.195 million.
Operated by US Military Sealift Command (MSC), the T-AGOS ships will support the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) mission of the commanders of the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets by providing a platform capable of passive and active anti-submarine acoustic surveillance. The small waterplane area twin hull (SWATH) vessels will also support the navy's Integrated Undersea Surveillance System (IUSS) by gathering underwater acoustical data using Surveillance Towed-Array Sensor System (SURTASS) equipment.
Contract awarded for fourth Constellation-class frigate
The US Department of Defense has awarded Fincantieri's US subsidiary Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) a U$526 million contract to build a fourth Constellation-class frigate for the US Navy.
The contract for the lead frigate and nine option ships, signed in 2020, has a cumulative value of US$5.5 billion. The contract also includes post-delivery availability support and crew training.
The navy plans to take delivery of 20 Constellation-class frigates.