USS Arlington (LPD-24)

For other ships of the same name, see USS Arlington.
USS Arlington (LPD-24)
USS Arlington (LPD-24) in August 2014
Career
Namesake: Arlington County, Virginia
Awarded: 6 November 2006[1]
Builder: Ingalls Shipbuilding
Laid down: 26 May 2008[1]
Launched: 23 November 2010[2]
Sponsored by: Mrs. Joyce Rumsfeld
Christened: 26 March 2011[3]
Commissioned: 8 February 2013 (official)
6 April 2013 (ceremonial)
Homeport: Naval Station Norfolk
Status: In active service, as of 2015
General characteristics
Class and type:San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock
Displacement:24,900 short tons (22,600 t) full
Length:684 ft (208 m) overall,
661 ft (201 m) waterline[1]
Beam:105 ft (32 m) extreme,
97 ft (30 m) waterline[1]
Draft:23 ft (7.0 m)[1]
Propulsion:Four sequentially turbocharged Colt-Pielstick diesel engines, two shafts, 40,000 hp (30 MW)
Speed:22 knots (41 km/h)
Boats and landing
craft carried:		Two LCACs
or one LCU
Capacity:699 (66 officers, 633 enlisted); surge to 800 total; 14 Expeditionary Force vehicles
Complement:32 officers, 332 enlisted[1]
Armament:Two 30 mm Mk44 Bushmaster II close-in guns, for surface threat defense;
two RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile launchers for air defense
Aircraft carried:Four CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters or two MV-22 tiltrotor aircraft may be launched or recovered simultaneously.

USS Arlington (LPD-24), a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, is the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Arlington, Virginia, the location of the Pentagon. Like her sister ships, USS New York and Somerset, she is named in commemoration of the September 11, 2001 attacks.[2] Steel taken from the Pentagon after the September 11 attacks is displayed aboard in the ship's museum.[4]

Construction

Arlington‍ '​s keel was laid down on 26 May 2008, at Northrop Grumman's Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Builder's Trials of the ship started on 21 August 2012.[5] These were completed on 30 August 2012. [6]

She completed Navy acceptance sea trials on 2 November 2012. [7] The US Navy formally accepted the ship on 7 December 2012. [8] Arlington arrived at her homeport of Naval Station Norfolk, VA on 22 March 2013 in preparation for commissioning.[9] Officially, she was commissioned on 8 February 2013, but her ceremonial commissioning occurred on 6 April 2013 at Naval Station Norfolk, CDR Darren Nelson in command.[10] [11] Originally scheduled as the third ship of the San Antonio class; she was the 8th to be commissioned.

The San Antonio class ships have been plagued by construction problems. [12][13]

Mrs. Joyce Rumsfeld, wife of former United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, is the ship's sponsor.[14]

Operational History

In August 2013, Arlington conducted trials with the NASA's Orion spacecraft.

The Orion spacecraft in Arlington´s well deck.


Commanding Officers

CDR Darren Nelson, OCT 2010 - FEB 2014

CDR Greg Baker, FEB 2014 - Current

References

This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Arlington". Naval Vessel Register. Naval Sea Systems Command Shipbuilding Support Office (NAVSHIPSO). 19 October 2010. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Future USS Arlington Launched". Navy News Service. United States Navy. 24 November 2010. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
  3. ↑ McCaffrey, Scott (12 December 2010). "Christening of Future USS Arlington Set for Late March". Sun Gazette (Suburban Washington Newspapers Inc.). Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  4. ↑ "Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) The Honorable Dr. Donald C. Winter speaks with Arlington County Board Chairman Walter Tejada during a ceremonial presentation of Pentagon steel.". Navy News Service. United States Navy. 11 September 2008. Retrieved 26 November 2010.
  5. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/USSARLINGTON/timeline
  6. ↑ http://www.navsea.navy.mil/NewsView.aspx?nw=NewsWires&id=125
  7. ↑ Future USS Arlington Completes Acceptance Trials
  8. ↑ USS Arlington (LPD 24) history
  9. ↑
    U.S. Navy photo 130322-N-WA189-070
  10. ↑ USN Media Release: ARLINGTON Commissioned
  11. ↑ USS Arlington Lpd 24
  12. ↑ LPD-17 SAN ANONIO CLASS ALL YOU WANTED TO KNOW - AR15.Com Archive
  13. ↑ SNAFU!: Arlington (LPD 24), to be christened on 26 March
  14. ↑ "LPD 24 Arlington". Naval Sea Systems Command. United States Navy. 28 October 2009. Retrieved 12 November 2009.

External links

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