As the 12th ship in the San Antonio-class, the USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) is a major part of the Navy’s 21st century amphibious assault force and is being commissioned by the U.S. Navy Saturday, July 30th. At 684 feet long, the LPD 28 can reach speeds of up to 22 knots and carry a crew of up to 650 service members.
The namesake of every ship holds a significant meaning and is an essential part of the ship’s story. The LPD 28 is named in recognition of the city of Fort Lauderdale’s military history, including the Seminole Wars and the Naval Air Station based there, which has trained thousands of pilots since World War II, including the 41st U.S. President, George H.W. Bush.
The primary mission of the USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) – whose motto is “Together We Fight” – is designed to embark, transport and land U.S. Marine Corps landing forces in a variety of expeditionary and special operations missions while providing command and control, communications connectivity and medical services. The ship will support its Marines and Sailors with amphibious assault vehicles (AAVs), landing craft air cushion (LCAC) vessels, MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft and CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters.
To date, Ingalls Shipbuilding has delivered 11 San Antonio-class LPDs to the U.S. Navy and is considered the cornerstone of global maritime deterrence, crisis response and active campaigning capability. With the USS Fort Lauderdale set to be commissioned on July 30, 2022, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Ingalls has two additional San Antonio-class ships under construction, including the Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29) and Harrisburg (LPD 30). In addition, the 15th San Antonio-class ship, Pittsburg (LPD 31), is scheduled to begin fabrication later this year.
Follow along with the commissioning festivities of USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) online at this link: https://www.facebook.com/USSFortLauderdaleCommissioningCommittee