Northrop gets USN amphibious assault ship

The U.S. Navy has awarded a $2.4 billion contract to Northrop Grumman Ship Systems to design and build the first replacement amphibious assault ship.

The work will be conducted at Northrop?s shipyards in Pascagoula and New Orleans.

The contract, announced Friday, will fund construction of the first next-generation “bid-deck” amphibious ship, dubbed LHA 6. The Navy said Northrop is expected to deliver the ship by 2012.

The ship touts enhanced capabilities including an enlarged hangar deck, realignment and expansion of maintenance facilities, aviation fuel capacity, and can operate and support more than 20 Joint Strike Fighters. Company spokesman Bill Glenn said the new contract represents more work for Northrop, which is constructing several different classes of ships at its Pascagoula, Gulfport and New Orleans yards. The company is also building Aegis destroyers, Coast Guard cutters and now three different classes of amphibious ships.