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
History
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 & 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 & landing
craft carried:
Capacity: 699 (66 officers, 633 enlisted); surge to 800 total; 14 Expeditionary Force vehicles
Complement: 32 officers, 332 enlisted[1]
Armament:
Aircraft carried: Four CH-53E Super Stallion heavy lift helicopters 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 - JUN 2015

CAPT Sean Bailey, JUN 2015–Present

References

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

External links

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