USS San Antonio (LPD-17), the lead ship of her class of amphibious transport dock or landing platform dock, is the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the city of San Antonio, Texas.
Construction
Design improvements
San Antonio is the first U.S. Navy vessel to incorporate new crew comfort features, including bunks with increased headroom, in-rack fans, and pull-out laptop computer shelves.
She is also the largest U.S. Navy vessel to incorporate stealth features, with close attention paid to exterior shaping. Shaping features include: Major antennas are mounted on platforms inside two Advanced Enclosed Mast/Sensor systems rather than on traditional mast yardarms that expose antennas to the environment. Deck edges are bounded by shaped bulwarks rather than lifeline stanchions. These bulwarks are hollow and double as storage lockers, eliminating locker clutter on decks. Exterior equipment is recessed or flush-mounted where possible, giving the ship a clean exterior appearance. Any equipment that cannot be flush-mounted (such as ladders) incorporate shaping features of their own. The boat-handling crane at the center of the ship folds into a clean shape when not in use. The anchor and anchor pocket are shaped to minimize radar backscatter.
Contract award and build
On 17 December 1996, the U.S. Navy awarded a contract to an industrial alliance led by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems (formerly Litton Avondale), with General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Raytheon Electronic Systems and Intergraph Corporation, to design and construct the first of an anticipated 12 ships under the Navy's LPD-17 program.
The keel was laid down on 9 December 2000. The ship was launched on 12 July 2003 and christened on 19 July by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas. She was originally scheduled to be commissioned 17 July 2002, but was delayed by problems at the Avondale shipyard, which resulted in her being towed from New Orleans to the Northrop Grumman shipyard at Pascagoula, Mississippi, in December 2004 for completion.
The Navy took delivery three days before Hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005. Work was delayed further when the ship became a base for regional relief efforts, including accommodations for some shipyard workers, the National Guard, Navy diving and salvage personnel and government officials. The ship's final cost was $840 million over budget.
Commissioning
She was finally commissioned 14 January 2006, at NS Ingleside, Texas. Guest speakers included former U.S. President George H. W. Bush. Senator Hutchison, the ship's sponsor, gave the crew the customary first command, "Man our ship, and bring her to life!" After commissioning she was sent to her home port of Norfolk, Virginia.
Ship history
2003
USS San Antonio was built by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in New Orleans, the 684-foot, 25,000-ton vessel was launched on 12 July 2003, and christened one week later. It had been scheduled to be commissioned on 17 July 2002, but was delayed by poor performance at the Avondale shipyard, which resulted in it being towed from New Orleans to the Northrop Grumman shipyard at Pascagoula, Miss., in December 2004 for completion. The ship was unable to move under its own power at that time, despite having been christened more than a year earlier.
2009
In 2009, San Antonio served as a flagship for Combined Task Force 151, the multi-national anti-piracy naval force off Somalia. During the ship's time off Africa, the crew boarded 20 foreign vessels. The crew discovered hidden explosives on one of the vessels. The ship returned to Norfolk on 27 March 2009.
2013
In August 2013, the Navy confirmed that San Antonio had entered into the eastern Mediterranean Sea. They stressed it was a long-planned action and not related to the arrival of destroyers which had been stationed there due to the conflict in Syria. Officials thought it prudent to keep the ship near the destroyers, given the situation. In October 2013, Al Qaeda operative Abu Anas al-Libi was seized in Libya and then transferred to San Antonio to await transport to the United States for a trial and questioning.
2016
On 12 October 2016, San Antonio and destroyer were transiting through the southern end of the Red Sea when missiles were fired at them from Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen. Neither ship was harmed. In response to the attack on Mason and San Antonio, the destroyer launched five cruise missiles against three radar sites in Yemen that U.S. officials believe targeted the U.S. ships.