The Naval Sea Systems Command awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries’ [HII] Ingalls Shipbuilding a $3 billion fixed-price-incentive contract modification to build the amphibious assault ship Bougainville (LHA-8), the company and Defense Department said Friday.
This is a modification to a previously awarded competitive contract to exercise options for the procurement of the detail, design, and construction of the Landing Helicopter Assault (LHA) Replacement (LHA(R)) Flight 1 amphibious assault ship LHA-8.
HII was picked to build LHA-8 in June 2016. At the time, Jay Stefany, executive director for Amphibious, Auxiliary and Sealift Programs in Program Executive Office Ships, highlighted the contract would shore up the industrial base.
“The acquisition strategy for the limited competition of LHA 8 DD&C, T-AO 205 Class (Ships 1-6) DD&C and LX(R) CD was developed in order to maintain a stable Amphibious and Auxiliary Shipbuilding industrial mobilization base while also ensuring competition for current and future classes of these ships,” he said in a statement last year.
Construction of LHA-8 is scheduled to start in the fourth quarter of 2018, with delivery set for January 2024. Seventy percent of construction activities will occur at HII’s facility in Pascagoula, Miss., with the remaining occurring throughout the U.S.
The Bougaineville will retain the class’ aviation capability but add a well deck’s surface assault capability. This will give the Marine Corps the ability to house and launch two landing craft air cushion (LCAC) hovercraft or one landing craft utility (LCU), the company said.
The ship will also include a larger flight deck configured for F-35 and Osprey V-22 aircraft. HII said the additional area on the flight deck comes from a smaller deck house and additional sponson.
“We look forward to incorporating 50 years of amphibious shipbuilding knowledge into the Navy’s newest assault ship and providing the sailors and Marines a complex and highly capable product to perform their missions of freedom,” Brian Cuccias. Ingalls Shipbuilding president, said in a statement.
2016 and 2017 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funding of $1.2 billion was obligated at award time and will not expire at the end of this fiscal year.
The USS Tripoli (LHA-7), the second America-class amphibious assault ship, is under construction at HII now and was launched on May 1. It will be christened on Sept. 16.
HII is the sole builder of large-deck amphibious ships for the Navy. The America-class will replace the decommissioned Tarawa-class amphibious assault ships (LHA-1 to 5).