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Keel Laid for Fourth LPD 17 Class Ship

Navy Newsstand

Story Number: NNS030829-08

Release Date: 8/29/2003 11:50:00 AM

From Naval Sea Systems Command Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- With the ceremonial keel laying of the future USS Green Bay (LPD 20) Aug. 26, four of 12 ships of the LPD 17 class have passed their traditional start of construction milestone.

Like its sister ships, Green Bay will support amphibious assault, special operations or expeditionary warfare missions throughout the first half of the 21st entury.

In 2000, then-Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig named Green Bay to honor the nation's Midwest "city by the bay."

"Green Bay is well known for its commitment to team efforts. LPD 20 will be home to another team -- the Navy Marine Corps team -- no stranger to hard work and sacrifice to be the best in the world."

This will be the second ship named Green Bay, following a patrol gunboat that saw service during the 1970s.

Green Bay and the other ships of the class will have a distinctive appearance characterized by the Advanced Enclosed Mast Sensor System.

Additionally, the ships' well deck and flight deck will support the Marine Corps 'mobility triad' - the LCAC [Landing Craft Air Cushion vehicle], 'Triple A-V' [AAAV - Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle], and MV-22 [Osprey tilt -rotor aircraft]. This class will be a key element of 21st century amphibious ready and expeditionary strike groups.

Among the LPD 17 class innovations has been a focus on survivability.

The San Antonio-class will be the first ships to use Water Mist to protect machinery spaces, the first with an installed Smoke Ejection System, and the first to install large quantities of Aqueous Film Forming Foam portable extinguishers. The LPD 17 class will also use heptafluoropropane for fire protection in flammable storerooms, making it an environmentally friendly, CFC-free ship.

Green Bay is the third ship in production at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in Avondale, La., following the San Antonio (LPD 17), launched in July 2003 and New Orleans (LPD 18). The future USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19) is under construction at the shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss. Green Bay will be launched in 2005.