More than 30 years after leaving Ingalls, USS Essex (LHD 2) continues to prove why what we build matters.
Pictured above during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026, a U.S. Navy landing craft is shown preparing to enter the well deck of LHD 2.
The keel for the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship was laid at Ingalls in 1989, with the ship delivered to the Navy in 1992. Ingalls Planning Yard Services continues to support LHD 2 throughout its life cycle.
As the world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC brings together 30 nations and 30,000 personnel. Essex remains a critical part of the mission.
Every exercise and every operation is a reminder that the quality and craftsmanship our shipbuilders put into every ship continues to support the fleet for decades.
That's the lasting impact of what we build.