USS New York (LPD-21)

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USS New York (LPD-21) is a Template:Sclass, and the fifth ship of the United States Navy named after the state of New York.<ref name="LPD21 brief hist">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="LPD21 name announcement"/>

Naming

Shortly after September 11, 2001, Governor of New York George E. Pataki wrote a letter to Secretary of the Navy Gordon R. England requesting that the Navy bestow the name New York on a surface warship involved in the Global War on Terrorism in honor of the victims of the September 11 attacks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Pataki wrote that he understood state names were reserved for submarines, but he asked for special consideration so the name could be given to a surface ship.<ref name="US Navy LPD">Template:Cite web</ref> The request was approved on 28 August 2002.

Sister ships names announced

On 9 September 2004 Gordon R. England, then the Deputy Secretary of Defense, announced that two of New YorkTemplate:'s sister ships would be named Template:USS and Template:USS in commemoration of the places where two of the other planes used in the attacks came down: Arlington County, Virginia, and Somerset County, Pennsylvania.<ref name="WTC Steel NYC">Template:Cite web</ref>

Construction

A symbolic amount of steel salvaged from the World Trade Center after it was destroyed in the September 11 attacks was used in her construction.<ref name="LPD21 brief hist" />

The ship is the first to be designed fully from the CAD-screen up to support both of the Marines' primary mobility capabilities, LCAC landing craft and MV-22B Osprey aircraft.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The contract to build New York was awarded to Northrop Grumman Ship Systems of New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2003. New York was under construction in New Orleans at the time of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Template:Convert of the steel used in the ship's construction came from the rubble of the World Trade Center; this represents less than one thousandth of the total weight of the ship.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The steel was melted down at Amite Foundry and Machine in Amite, Louisiana, to cast the ship's bow section. It was poured into the molds on 9 September 2003, with Template:Convert cast to form the ship's "stem bar"—part of the ship's bow. The foundry workers reportedly treated it with "reverence usually accorded to religious relics," gently touching it as they walked by. One worker delayed his retirement after 40 years of working to be part of the project.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Christening and delivery

New York was christened on 1 March 2008, in a ceremony at Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans. Ship sponsor Dotty England, wife of Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon R. England, smashed the traditional champagne bottle on the ship's bow and christened the ship New York. Several dignitaries were in attendance, including Louisiana Congressman William J. Jefferson, members of the New York City Police Department and the New York City Fire Department, and family members of victims of the September 11 attacks. The champagne bottle did not break the first time it was struck against the hull of the ship, but the second attempt was successful.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The ship was delivered to the Navy on 21 August 2009 at New Orleans. She set sail for Norfolk, Virginia, on 13 October 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 2 November 2009 the ship passed the World Trade Center site for the first time and gave the site a 21-gun salute.<ref name="comm1" /><ref name="LPD21 sails">Template:Cite web</ref>

Commissioning and trials

The commissioning ceremony for New York took place on 7 November 2009, in New York City. Speakers included Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, Governor David Paterson, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead, and Commandant of the Marine Corps General James T. Conway.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Approximately one in seven of the plank owners are from New York state, a larger number than usual.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Propulsion

New York uses four Fairbanks-Morse license-built MAN Colt-Pielstick PC2.5 STC sequentially turbocharged marine diesel engines with inboard rotating Rolls-Royce controllable-pitch propellers.<ref name="US Navy LPD" /> The V16-cylinder Colt-Pielstick PC2.5 STC engine is intended for use on ships requiring high propulsion power combined with a lightweight installation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Each V16 PC2.5 STC diesel engine weighs Template:Convert dry without flywheel.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 11 January 2010, the Navy announced that the ship would have to undergo repairs for faulty engine parts after inspectors discovered the "premature failure" of bearings on the ship's main propulsion diesel engines during a week-long sea trial following the November commissioning.<ref name="Carriers">Template:Cite web</ref>

Service history

2012

On 10 June 2012 the ship was deployed for the first time to the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf region.<ref name="US Navy">Template:Cite web</ref> She deployed with Marines from 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division and returned in December 2012 along with Template:USS, Template:USS and the Marines from the same unit attached to all three ships.<ref name="Carriers"/>

2014

In June 2014, the ship was used to transport Ahmed Abu Khattala, suspected mastermind of the 2012 Benghazi attack on the American diplomatic mission at Benghazi, back to the United States.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

2017

On 11 September 2017, New York arrived off the Florida coast for Hurricane Irma relief, 16 years to the day after the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

2018

New York supported the reception night for the 23rd International Seapower Symposium at the Naval War College in Newport, RI in September 2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In November, the ship supported Exercise Trident Juncture, a large scale NATO exercise involving more than 50,000 personnel, 65 ships, and 250 aircraft, including 14,000 American troops, a Carrier Strike Group (CSG) and an Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gallery

Ship sponsor Dotty England smashes the traditional bottle of champagne on New YorkTemplate:'s hull during the christening ceremony on 1 March 2008
Steel from the World Trade Center is displayed aboard the ship.
New York in port in New York City, 2 November 2009
New York arrives at her homeport of Naval Station Norfolk pm 18 November 2009.
A US Marine AAV from the 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion prepares to enter the well deck of New York, 12 April 2010
Passing by New York Passenger Ship Terminal (Pier 86) during the Inauguration of Fleet Week on Memorial Day 2011.
An MV-22 Osprey lands on New York, 26 October 2011
New York sails with the aircraft carrier, Template:Ship, 9 June 2012
New York sails with the destroyer Template:Ship, 10 June 2012
New York leads dock landing ship, Template:Ship across the Atlantic Ocean, 19, December 2014.
New York arrives at Norfolk, 19 September 2018
New York off the coast of Marine Corps Air Station New River, 29 June 2023
The 24th MEU, embarked on New , arrives in Cyprus, 13 October 2024