Future USS Portland completes trials ahead of spring 2018 commissioning

Aug. 22 (UPI) -- A new Amphibious Transport Dock ship for the U.S. Navy has successfully completed Acceptance Trials in the Gulf of Mexico, demonstrating its operational readiness.

The future USS Portland, built by Huntington Ingalls Industries in Pascagoula, Miss., will be the Navy's 11th San Antonio-class vessel when it is commissioned into service next spring.

"The USS Portland is a well-designed ship that is going to increase our Navy and Marine Corps warfighting capability for years to come," Vice Adm. Thomas Moore said in a U.S. Navy news release Tuesday. "The material condition of the ship is fantastic, and the success she had during acceptance trials is a true testament to the men and women that built her."

The ship's trials by the Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey, completed Friday, included dockside checks and demonstrations of major systems while at sea. Included in the testing was the ship's main propulsion engineering and ship control systems, combat and communications systems, damage control, food service and crew support.

Crews also demonstrated a full power run, steering, boat handling and anchoring on the ship/

"The success of these trials reflects a continuing trend of delivering highly capable ships to the fleet," Capt. Brian Metcalf said. "Completing this milestone is another significant step in Portland's progression toward joining her ten sister ships -- LPDs that have conducted operational missions, air strikes, and humanitarian relief missions along with their Marine Corps partners for 20 deployments worldwide. "