USS Tripoli arrives in San Diego

The U.S. Navy’s newest amphibious assault ship, USS Tripoli (LHA 7), arrived at its new homeport in San Diego on 18th September, the U.S. Navy announced.

Tripoli, the only America-class amphibious assault ship in San Diego, joins the Wasp-class large-deck amphibious assault vessels USS Essex (LHD 2), USS Boxer (LHD 4), USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), and USS Makin Island (LHD 8). As the largest amphibious ship on the waterfront, Tripoli serves as an LHD variant designed to accommodate the Marine Corps’ future Air Combat Element (ACE) including the F-35B Lightning II and MV-22 Osprey.

Tripoli’s arrival brings approximately 1,100 Sailors and their family members to the San Diego area.

Tripoli is the second LHA to be delivered to the U.S. Navy, and the third in naval history to bear the name which harkens back to the first U.S. battle fought on foreign soil. The name Tripoli was previously assigned to a Casablanca-class escort carrier which saw service in the Second World War. Later, the first amphibious assault ship with the name USS Tripoli (LPH 10) served in Vietnam and during the Gulf War.

Tripoli was built in Pascagoula, Mississippi, by Huntington Ingalls Industries. Prior to departing for San Diego, Tripoli’s crew conducted a 14-day restriction of movement (ROM) in accordance with U.S. Navy pre-deployment guidelines. In addition, the U.S. Navy cancelled the ship’s traditional commissioning ceremony as a COVID mitigation measure. The U.S. Navy commissioned Tripoli via naval message on 15 July and transitioned the ship into service as scheduled.

The post USS Tripoli arrives in San Diego appeared first on Naval News.