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New LPD for U.S. Navy christened

A christening ceremony has been held for a new landing transport dock ship for the U.S. Navy.

By Richard Tomkins
Portland is the 11th San Antonio-class landing platform dock. Photo by Andrew Young/Huntington Ingalls Industries
Portland is the 11th San Antonio-class landing platform dock. Photo by Andrew Young/Huntington Ingalls Industries

PASCAGOULA, Miss., May 23 (UPI) -- A new amphibious transport dock being built for the U.S. Navy has been christened the Portland by Huntington Ingalls Shipbuilding.

The Portland (LPD 27) is the 11th San Antonio-class vessel for the Navy, which are used to embark and land U.S. Marines and their equipment and supplies.

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The vessels are 684 feet long and 105 feet wide.

"Marines love these ships," said U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Christopher Owens, director of the U.S. Navy's expeditionary warfare division, at the ceremony Saturday. "They are perhaps the most versatile ships in the fleet.

"And in this current era when the United States faces a variety of threats and potential crises across the globe, LPDs uniquely enable the Navy and Marine Corps team to adapt and respond to a full range of scenarios we might face."

Ingalls delivered to the Navy the tenth LPD, John P. Murtha, on May 13 and has received more than $300 million in advance procurement funding for the 12th ship in the class, the Fort Lauderdale.

"Portland is the 11th ship in the San Antonio class, and she is the best LPD to date," Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias said. "Working closely with our Navy partner, we continue to improve on each ship we build."

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