The start of fabrication of the future USS Pittsburgh (LPD 31) began at Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), Ingalls Shipbuilding division, Sept. 7.
This milestone signifies the first 100 tons of steel for the ship having been cut.
LPD 31 will be the 15th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship and the second ship built in the LPD Flight II configuration. Continuity of LPD Flight II production configuration is intended to fulfill Navy and Marine Corps requirements to lift troops, aircraft, landing craft, vehicles, and cargo.
“We are proud to have the future USS Pittsburgh under construction, the fifth ship to bear the name,” said Capt. Cedric McNeal, program manager, Amphibious Warfare Program Office, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. “With this ship, we will continue to honor the legacy of the great city of Pittsburgh and the state of Pennsylvania.”
The first USS Pittsburgh was an ironclad gunboat that served during the American Civil War, and the second USS Pittsburgh (CA 4) was an armored cruiser that served during WWI. The third USS Pittsburgh (CA 72) was a Baltimore-class cruiser that served during WWII, supporting the landing at Iwo Jima. The fourth USS Pittsburgh (SSN 720) was a Los Angeles-class submarine that served the Navy from December 1984 to August 2019.
At a 2021 reception celebrating LPD 31, Pittsburgh city officials also designated November 15 as Navy Day. Rear Admiral Thomas J. Anderson, Program Executive Office Ships was in attendance and recognized Pittsburgh as, “A tough, hard-working and patriotic town with a legacy of resilience and selfless sacrifice.”
As one of the Defense Department’s largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, sealift ships, support ships, boats and craft.