The U.S. Navy has named a future America-class amphibious assault ship after the first and second Battles of Fallujah during the Iraq War.
The future USS Fallujah (LHA 9) is the fourth ship to belong to the America class and will support the U.S. Marine Corps concept for ship-to-objective maneuvers and operational maneuver from the sea, the Navy said Tuesday.
“This namesake deserves to be in the pantheon of iconic Marine Corps battles and the LHA’s unique capabilities will serve as a stark reminder to everyone around the world of the bravery, courage, and commitment to freedom displayed by those who fought in the battle,” said Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro.
The LHAs are the largest of all amphibious warfare ships and are capable of taking off and landing vertically.
HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division designs and develops the amphibious assault ship LHA 9 for the Navy under a potential $2.4 billion contract modification awarded in October.
Ingalls Shipbuilding has delivered the America-class ships LHA 6 and LHA 7 and has started the construction of LHA 8, the future USS Bougainville.
