Northrop launches new Navy ship

PASCAGOULA, Miss., Nov. 29 (UPI) -- The newest amphibious transport dock ship for the U.S. Navy has been launched in Mississippi by Northrop Grumman.

The Arlington (LPD-24), is the eighth ship of the USS San Antonio class of ships, or LPD-17s, being built at the company's Gulf Coast facilities and is tentatively scheduled for christening next spring.

"This is a top-quality warship and our shipbuilding team has done an outstanding job of meeting their commitments to one of the most important milestones in the life of any ship," said Doug Lounsberry, LPD 17 program manager, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding.

"This ship was the most complete LPD to date at time of launch and the schedule was also the shortest time from keel laying to launch."

Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding said the Arlington is 77 percent complete and includes upgrades from previous LPDs, including a new water purification system and a new operating system for the ship's computing environment.

The ship was named the Arlington, the Virginia county where the Pentagon is located, in honor of the victims there of the Sept. 11, 2001, attack by al-Qaida terrorists.