WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., today praised the award of a $113,649,258 Navy contract to Huntington Ingalls to purchase long-lead-time materials in advance of construction of LHA 9, an America-class amphibious assault ship.

The contract is the sixth increment of long-lead-time material for the ship, which will be built in Pascagoula.

“The skilled shipbuilders of Ingalls continue to provide our sailors the best platforms available,” Wicker said. “LHA 9 will be an important tool for our Sailors and Marines to project power and defend American interests, and this contract will help Ingalls ensure this ship is delivered without delay.”

“The letting of this contract represents more progress on providing the Navy with a modern amphibious assault ship,” said Hyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee. “Mississippi shipbuilders will continue working to build the ships the Navy needs to meet emerging threats. This is a mission that will require more investments to ensure our Navy remains the best force in the world.”

The contract derives from $500 million in FY2021 appropriations approved by Congress to fund the advanced procurement of the LHA 9 amphibious assault ship. Work associated with this contract is expected to be completed by April 2024.

The America-class amphibious assault ships are designed to deliver a Marine Expeditionary Unit using rotary lift and fixed wing aircraft, functioning in many ways like a smaller aircraft carrier.