USS San Antonio Good To Go

It only took 12 years, too many problems to review, and a bunch of hard work by a number of folks in both the industry and the Navy, but the USS San Antonio (LPD 17) is finally ready to go.

The Navy declared the San Antonio, or LPD 17 class, had reached "initial operating capability" 12 years after its funding began.

"We've had some challenges to overcome with LPD 17," Rear Adm. Charles Goddard, program executive officer for ships, said in a statement. "But reaching this milestone is a testament to the collaborative efforts between the Navy and shipbuilding industry."

Every ship is unique, and most come with quarks. Given the amount of change work required just to get the USS San Antonio (LPD 17) to this point, that ship is going to have some unique issues for its entire lifetime.

LPD 17 is the story of modern shipbuilding, first in class disaster, but by the third ship things start to get under control. As I have mentioned before, I have been on the USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19), was with SGT at the time and got the detailed view, and it shaped my opinion.

The LPD 17 class is fantastic, and it can be a lot more than just a LPD. It is a big ship that feels like a big ship from the inside. It costs the same as a DDG-51, but it is two and half times larger, and the configuration is optimal for taking everything you would want with you to the front lines of any battlefield and operating.

In the time we are in, given the choice to build more DDG-51s or more LPD-17s, the Navy should pick more LPD-17s every time. Until the Navy provides better designs that meet the needs of the war we are in, we believe the LPD-17 should be built every year, starting in FY09.

The USS San Antonio (LPD 17) is expected to deploy with the Iwo Jima ESG later this year. Interesting the ship had IOC this week, because while the ship was undergoing this process, other ships in the Iwo Jima Strike Group were enjoying fleet week down in Florida.