Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division has floated out the 13th vessel to be built under the US Navy's San Antonio-class of landing platform docks (LPDs).
The future USS Richard M. McCool Jr. was launched into the water for the first time at Ingalls Shipbuilding's Pascagoula, Mississippi shipyard on Wednesday, January 5. Delivery to the navy is scheduled for 2023.
Upon completion, the 684- by 105-foot (208- by 32-metre) amphibious ship will be used to embark and land US Marines, their equipment and supplies ashore via air cushion or conventional landing craft and amphibious assault vehicles, augmented by helicopters or vertical takeoff and landing aircraft such as the MV-22 Osprey.
