Ingalls Shipbuilding hosts keel-laying for America-class LHA 8

The keel of the America-class amphibious warship Bougainville (LHA 8) was authenticated during a ceremony at Ingalls Shipbuilding on Thursday, March 14. Ship's sponsor Ellyn Dunford declared the keel "truly and fairly laid" after her initials were welded onto a plate, the shipbuilding company said in a media release.

Bougainville and the America class

Bougainville will retain the aviation capability of the America-class design while adding the surface assault capability of a well deck. The well deck will give the U.S. Marine Corps the ability to house and launch two landing craft air cushion (LCAC) hovercraft or one landing craft utility (LCU) as needed during their maritime missions. Other additions to Bougainville include a larger flight deck configured for Joint Strike Fighter and Osprey V-22 aircraft, which can be used for surface and aviation assaults. The additional area on the flight deck comes in part from a smaller deck house and an additional sponson.

Namesake background

LHA 8 will be the second Navy vessel to bear the name Bougainville. The name commemorates the Bougainville Campaign that took place during World War II. During the campaign, which lasted from 1943 to 1944, Allied forces secured a strategic airfield from Japan in the northern Solomon Islands, helping the allies break the Japanese stronghold in the South Pacific.

Ingalls amphibious shipbuilding background

Ingalls is currently the sole builder of large-deck amphibious ships for the U.S. Navy. The shipyard delivered its first amphibious assault ship, the Iwo Jima-class USS Tripoli (LPH 10), in 1966. Ingalls has since built five Tarawa-class (LHA 1) ships, eight Wasp-class (LHD 1) ships and the first in a new class of ships, America (LHA 6). The second ship in the class, Tripoli (LHA 7) is currently under construction and Bougainville (LHA 8) is the third ship in the class.

Sponsor

Ellyn Dunford, spouse of Gen. Joe Dunford, 19th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is the sponsor of Bougainville. A graduate of Simmons College, Mrs. Dunford worked as a physical therapist for close to 30 years. General and Mrs. Dunford have three children.

LHA Facts and Stats

With a typical air combat element embarked, an LHA amphibious assault ship can be equipped with:

5 F-35B Joint Strike Fighters
4 AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters
2 UH-1Y Venom attack helicopters
4 CH-53E Super Sea Stallion helicopters
12 MV-22 Osprey
2 MH-60S Search and Rescue helicopters
Defensive weapons systems include .50 caliber machine guns, The Phalanx, Sea Sparrow and Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) anti-ship cruise missile weapon systems and decoy launchers.
LHA 8 Milestones

Started Construction: Oct. 6, 2018
Keel Authenticated: March 14, 2019
About Huntington Ingalls Industries

Huntington Ingalls Industries is America’s largest military shipbuilding company and a provider of professional services to partners in government and industry. For more than a century, HII’s Newport News and Ingalls shipbuilding divisions in Virginia and Mississippi have built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. HII’s Technical Solutions division provides a wide range of professional services through its Fleet Support, Mission Driven Innovative Solutions, Nuclear & Environmental, and Oil & Gas groups. Headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, HII employs more than 40,000 people operating both domestically and internationally.