LPD-29 delivered to Navy

The amphibious transport dock Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD-29) was delivered to the Navy Thursday, according to HII and Naval Sea Systems Command announcements.

The 13th San Antonio-class ship delivered to the Navy, LPD-29 is the final Flight I transition ship before Ingalls Shipbuilding begins producing LPD Flight IIs.

“This is an exciting milestone for LPD-29; culminating the tremendous efforts of Navy and industry to deliver new technologies and game-changing capability as reflected in this platform,” said Amphibious Warfare Program Manager Capt. Cedric McNeal in a statement. “It is deeply satisfying to see the team’s contribution in support of adding to the Navy’s force structure, in what ultimately will become a mission-ready, and mission-capable ship as we look to get more surface ship ‘players on the field.’”

LPD-29 is the first ship to be equipped with the SPY-6(V)2 radar, and the two combined successfully completed builder’s and acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico in February and March 2024, according to a Raytheon spokesperson.

“So that's another big milestone for the program, delivering that (V)2 capability for that platform,” Scott Spence, naval integrated solutions vice president at RTX, told Inside Defense.

The delivery highlights how shipbuilders enable the combined force of the Navy and Marine Corps, Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said in a statement.

“It is the most recent example of what U.S. industry and government partnerships can accomplish by putting another player on the field,” she added. “We will now bring the full weight of this collaborative team to bear on steady-state Flight II execution going forward.”