USS Richard M. McCool Jr.

USS Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD-29)

USS Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD-29) arrives at Naval Air Station Pensacola
History
United States
Name	Richard M. McCool Jr. [1]
Namesake	Richard Miles McCool
Awarded	23 February 2018 [1]
Builder	Ingalls Shipbuilding
Cost	US$1.4B (FY2017) [2]
Laid down	12 April 2019 [3]
Launched	5 January 2022 [4]
Sponsored by	Shana McCool, Kate Oja
Christened	11 June 2022 [5]
Acquired	11 April 2024 [6]
Commissioned	7 September 2024 [7]
Homeport	Norfolk
Identification	Pennant number: LPD-29
Motto	Certa ut unitas non ut singuli, "Fight as a unit, not as individuals" [8]
Status	in active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class & type	San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock
Displacement	25,000 tons full
Length	208.5 m (684 ft) overall, 201.4 m (661 ft) waterline
Beam	31.9 m (105 ft) extreme,   29.5 m (97 ft) waterline
Draft	7 m (23 ft)
Propulsion	Four Colt-Pielstick diesel engines, two shafts, 40,000 hp (30 MW)
Speed	22 knots (41 km/h)
Boats & landing craft carried	Two LCACs (air cushion) or one LCU (conventional)
Capacity	699 (66 officers, 633 enlisted); surge to 800 total.
Complement	28 officers, 333 enlisted
Sensors & processing systems	AN/SPS-73(V)18 - Next Generation Surface Search Radar; AN/SPY-6(V)2 EASR Rotating Radar
Armament	Two 30 mm Bushmaster II cannons, for surface threat defense; two Rolling Airframe Missile launchers for air defense
Aircraft carried	Four CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters or two MV-22 tilt rotor aircraft may be launched or recovered simultaneously.

USS Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD-29) is the 13th and final Flight I San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock of the United States Navy. ^{[1] [9]} She is named after US Navy officer and Medal of Honor recipient Richard M. McCool, Jr. Richard M. McCool Jr. was built by Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi. ^[10] She was christened on 11 June 2022, ^{[5] [11]} formally delivered to the US Navy on 11 April 2024, ^[12] and commissioned on 7 September 2024.

Design

Like her immediate predecessor, USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28), Richard M. McCool Jr. was designed be a "transitional ship" between the current San Antonio-class Flight I design and future Flight II vessels, starting with USS Harrisburg (LPD-30), and as such will feature design improvements developed in connection with the Navy's development of the LX(R)-class amphibious warfare ship, (which is intended to replace the current Whidbey Island-class and Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ships). ^{[13] [14] : (Summary)}Richard M. McCool Jr. incorporates the changes that were introduced in Fort Lauderdale intended to reduce the cost compared to the San Antonio-class, including: simplified bow works, replacement of the forward and aft composite masts with steel masts, removal of structures from the boat valley, and a stern gate which is open at the top. In addition, unlike Fort Lauderdale, Richard M. McCool Jr. uses the Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (EASR) volume air search radar. ^[15]

References

1. "Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29)". Naval Vessel Register . Retrieved 2 May 2018.
2. Eckstein, Megan (16 February 2018). "Navy Signs $1.4B Contract with Ingalls Shipbuilding for 13th San Antonio". USNI News. U.S. Naval Institute . Retrieved 2 May 2018.
3. "Keel of Richard M. McCool (LPD 29) Authenticated at Ingalls Shipbuilding" (Press release). Huntington Ingalls Industries. 12 April 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
4. "HII Launches Amphibious Transport Dock Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29)" (Press release). Huntington Ingalls Industries. 7 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
5. "HII Christens Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29)" (Press release). Huntington Ingalls Industries. 11 June 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
6. "HII DELIVERS AMPHIBIOUS TRANSPORT DOCK RICHARD M. MCCOOL JR. (LPD 29) TO U.S. NAVY" (Press release). Huntington Ingalls Industries. 11 April 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
7. Barnhart, Kaylyn (8 September 2024). "Navy commissions amphibious transport dock USS Richard M. McCool Jr". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
8. "USS Richard McCool Jr. (LPD 29)". The Institute of Heraldry. U.S. Army. 6 June 2023. Archived from the original on 24 March 2025. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
9. "Navy's Newest LPD to be Named in Honor of WWII Medal of Honor Recipient" (Press release). U.S. Navy. 2 May 2018. NNS180502-12. Archived from the original on 3 May 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
10. "Fabrication Begins on Amphibious Assault Ship Richard M. McCool, Jr" (Press release). U.S. Navy. 30 July 2018. NNS180730-29. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
11. "Christening of Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29)". Huntington Ingalls. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
12. "HII DELIVERS AMPHIBIOUS TRANSPORT DOCK RICHARD M. MCCOOL JR. (LPD 29) TO U.S. NAVY". Huntington Ingalls. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
13. Eckstein, Megan (11 April 2018). "Navy Designates Upcoming LX(R) Amphibs as San Antonio-Class LPD Flight II". USNI News. U.S. Naval Institute . Retrieved 2 May 2018.
14. O'Rourke, Ronald (13 April 2018). "Navy LPD-17 Flight II (LX[R]) Amphibious Ship Program: Background and Issues for Congress" (PDF). Congressional Research Service . Retrieved 2 May 2018.
15. Eckstein, Megan (12 January 2018). "Navy Wants FY 2018 Amphib to be First-in-Class LX(R), Not a 14th LPD". USNI News. U.S. Naval Institute . Retrieved 2 May 2018.

 This article incorporates public domain material from Richard M Mccool Jr (LPD-29) at the Naval Vessel Register .