The division of American shipbuilding company Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), Ingalls Shipbuilding, has christened US Navy’s newest amphibious transport dock (LPD) Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29).
The christening ceremony took place on 11 June at the company’s shipyard.
LPD 29 is named to honor US Navy’s Capt. Richard M. McCool Jr., who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in rescuing survivors from a sinking destroyer and for saving his own landing support ship during a World War II kamikaze attack.
His rescue efforts took place exactly 77 years prior to the day Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29) was christened.
“For nearly two decades, we have had the opportunity to build these amphibious ships, and we look forward to continuing this journey with such a valued partner,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said.
Richard M. McCool Jr. was launched in January this year. The 13th LPD in the San Antonio class of amphibious assault force ships, LPD 29 is built to support US amphibious assault, special operations and expeditionary warfare missions.
The 208-meter-long, 32-meter-wide ships that displace 25,000 tons are 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.