• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

LPD 28 Fort Lauderdale

As of December 2015, LPD 26 and LPD 27 were 94% and 69% complete, respectively. LPD 28, will serve as a bridge to LX(R), the next generation of Amphibious Transport Dock ships. The Secretary of the Navy, the Chief of Naval Operations, and the Commandant of the Marine Corps agreed to support the LX(R) as a derivative of the LPD 17 San Antonio-class hull form. The House Armed Service Committee noted that the fiscal year 2016 budget submission from the Department of the Navy continued investment in the amphibious warship fleet with the completion costs anticipated for LPD 28.

The FY 2017 PB request includes cost to complete funding to cover cost growth associated with rate and Estimate at Completion increases on LPD 27. The FY 2015 Consolidated Appropriations Act provided $1B for the twelfth LPD 17 class ship (LPD 28); and the balance of full funding was appropriated in FY 2016. An Undefinitized Contract Action for Long Lead Time Material on LPD 28 was awarded in December 2015; and the Request for Proposal for Detail Design and Construction of the ship was released, on a sole-source basis, to Huntington Ingalls Industries on January 6, 2016. On Dec. 4, 2015, the Navy awarded Huntington Ingalls a contract action for LPD 28 long lead time material to support detail design and construction. As the 12th LPD-17 Class ship, LPD 28 will be used to support amphibious assault, special operations or expeditionary warfare missions and can serve as secondary aviation platforms for amphibious ready groups."

The Shipboard Wide Area Network (SWAN) was installed on the first 11 ships of the LPD 17 Class, mos recently on LPD 27. However, with the recent decision by Congress to authorize funding for LPD 28, the Navy had the opportunity to implement the LPD 17 SWAN Sustainment study recommendation to federate the SWAN network and install the Consolidated Afloat Network Enterprise System (CANES), as opposed to SWAN during New Ship Construction on LPD 28.

Ship delivery, which is a shipbuilding term synonymous with commissioning, for LPD 28 was initially planned for May 2022. Since it typically takes about seven years from contract award to commissioning for a ship of the LPD 17 Class, the Request for Proposal (RFP) package, which must include detailed design information, which the shipbuilder would review and bid on in support of contract award, was expected to be released to industry no later than (NLT) October 2015.

Since an LPD 17 Class CANES design was not mature as of 2015, providing firm GFI to the shipbuilder in support of the RFP package release created a dilemma for the Department of the Navy. The dilemma is whether to provide the older, mature design information associated with the SWAN, for which the shipbuilder has experience with installing vs. allowing flexibility for the CANES design to evolve so that LPD 28 will deliver to the Navy a current C4I network in 2022.

The Office of the United States Secretary of the Navy confirmed 09 March 2016 that the USS FORT LAUDERDALE will be designated as an amphibious transport dock ship (LPD-28). As the 12th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship of the United States Navy, the USS FORT LAUDERDALE will feature a high-tech, sea-based platform that is networked, survivable, and built to operate with and accommodate a variety of military landing craft and assault vehicles.

According to the Navy, the USS FORT LAUDERDALE will have the capacity to deliver a fully equipped battalion of more than 700 Marines, along with gear and supplies, by embarked Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) or conventional landing craft and Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV) augmented by helicopters or vertical take-off and landing aircraft, including the MV-22 Osprey. The ship will support amphibious assault, special operations and expeditionary warfare missions and can serve as a secondary aviation platform for amphibious ready groups.

“It is an honor and a privilege to have an amphibious transport dock ship named in our City’s honor,” said Fort Lauderdale Mayor John P. “Jack” Seiler. “The important role this vessel will play in amphibious operations and expeditionary warfare missions reflects the Navy’s transformative and highly advanced strategy to protect our shores and safeguard our interests around the globe. We look forward to welcoming the brave men and women who will serve our country aboard the USS FORT LAUDERDALE.”