HII Shipbuilding Division Secures $145M Modification for LHA 9 Contract

The Navy has awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division a $145M contract modification to provide continued services in support of the landing helicopter assault 9 type of amphibious assault ships.

The award, which marks HII’s third modification for the contract, calls for long-lead-time material and advanced procurement activities for LHA 9.

According to Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias, the contract will help protect the health of the nation’s shipbuilding supplier base and strengthen efforts to modernize the nation’s amphibious fleet, The Defense Post reported.

With the modification, the advance funding for LHA 9 rises to $350M. The shipbuilding division previously secured a $187M modification for the LHA 9 in early May. Work for the previous modification involved contributions from HII’s partners from the Navy and the Marine Corps.

With the amphibious assault ship LHA 9, the shipyard effectively expands its partnership with the Navy, which dates back to 1996 when it delivered the first amphibious assault ship known as the Iwo Jima-class USS Tripoli. Ingalls holds the distinction of being the Navy’s sole builder of large-deck amphibious ships, having delivered five Tawara-class LHA 1 ships, eight Wasp-class LHD 1 ships, the inaugural America LHA 6 and the Tripoli LHA 7 ship. In addition to the LHA 9 ship, Ingalls Shipbuilding is also working on the Bougainville LHA 8 ship.

Headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, HII has been providing military shipbuilding services for over a century. HII is one of the country’s leading shipbuilding companies as proven by its record of building the most ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder.

The company delivers unmanned systems, defense and federal solutions, nuclear and environmental services and fleet sustainment in support of national security missions worldwide.