Ingalls Shipbuilding christened the amphibious assault ship Tripoli Saturday during a ceremony that had over 2,000 guests in attendance.
Lynne Mabus, the wife of former Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, is the ship’s sponsor and officially christened Tripoli after successfully breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across its bow.
Thomas Dee, who is currently serving as Under Secretary of the Navy, gave the ceremony’s keynote address.
“When USS Tripoli, the newest America-class amphibious assault ship, joins the fleet, we’ll be a stronger, more flexible and better Navy and Marine Corps team,” said Dee. “The ship will be a force-multiplier, and her crew will proudly serve our country for decades to come. I am grateful to the men and women of Ingalls Shipbuilding for their dedication and to the citizens of Pascagoula for their unwavering support as we continue to make our Navy stronger.”
Ingalls is currently the only builder of large-deck amphibious ships for the U.S. Navy and to date have built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder.
“All Ingalls ships are built with one goal in mind: to protect the brave men and women who protect our freedom,” said Brian Cuccias President of Ingalls Shipbuilding. “Working closely with our Navy partner, we continue to improve on each ship we build, and Tripoli will be no exception.”
The Tripoli is 844 feet long and will be able to support a crew of more than 1,000 Sailors and almost 2,000 Marines.
“The shipbuilders at Mississippi’s Ingalls Shipbuilding provide the expertise and skills necessary to build big-deck amphibious ships like Tripoli,” said Senator Roger Wicker. “Ingalls launched the Tripoli 13 weeks ahead of schedule, a testament to the work of Mississippi’s shipbuilders & the U.S. Navy.”
