Photo Caption: Pictured, top row, from left: Jason McAlpin, structural engineer; Logan Brown. designer; Maurice Hudson, designer; Frank Anderson, designer; bottom row: Randy Saucier, manager, Design Engineering, Michael Smith, manager, Design Engineering; Mark Roberts, designer. Not pictured: Jeremy Champagne, project manager; Dionne Conrad, designer; Mark Culpepper, designer; Nilmo Hernandez, designer; Christian Jolicouer, designer; and Chris Miscenich, structural engineer.
Great work, team! When it came time to bring the Fallujah (LHA 9) design to life, shipbuilders from both Ingalls and Avondale locations rolled up their sleeves to tackle the task of updating and revising the baseline Bougainville (LHA 8) design. Their mission was clear: deliver accurate, new drawings to set the foundation for LHA 9’s construction.
This project began in 2022 with more than 200 drawings scheduled. By October 2024, the results spoke for themselves. Every structural assembly drawing was completed on time and within budget — a true testament to the team's exceptional performance. Their success didn’t just meet expectations; it set a new benchmark for future projects of this scale.
“Our 3D and 2D Design teams, the Design Checking team, Hull Technical team and members of other disciplines embraced the challenge of implementing the new process with determination while collaborating closely with other teams and one another to execute efficiently, turning challenges into opportunities for growth,” said Randy Saucier, manager, Design Engineering.
Ingalls was awarded the $2.4 billion fixed-price-incentive contract for the detail, design and construction of LHA 9 in 2022. Similar to Bougainville, LHA 9 will retain the aviation capability of the America-class design while adding the surface assault capability of a well deck and a larger flight deck configured for F-35B Joint Strike Fighter and MV-22 Osprey aircraft. These large-deck amphibious assault ships also include top-of-the-line medical facilities with full operating suites and triage.