General Dynamics NASSCO recently delivered USNS Montford Point (MLP-1), the lead ship of the Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) class, to the U.S. Navy. The ship is named in honor of Camp Montford Point, the Jacksonville, N.C., site where the first African-American Marines were trained.
Construction of the USNS Montford Point began in May 2011, incorporating a “design-build” approach to improve the ship’s readiness for production. The 785-foot-long auxiliary ship will serve as a floating base for amphibious operations, and operate as a transfer point between large ships and small landing craft.
“ Congratulations to the NASSCO-Navy-MSC team and to the entire group who built this ship, ” said Fred Harris, president of General Dynamics NASSCO . “ The approach we have taken in building this first-of-class ship, with the requirements and planning complete and the material available at the start of construction, has resulted in the delivery of MLP-1 under budget and on schedule. This reflects NASSCO’s tradition of delivering high-quality, mission-ready ships. ”
NASSCO is currently building the second ship of the class, MLP-2, scheduled for undocking in September and delivery in the first quarter of 2014. Construction of MLP-3, the third ship in the class, began in February.
[mappress] NASSCO, May 21, 2013