US explores offshore air defence arsenal options

摘要

Huntington Ingalls Industries showed offa model of a ballistic missile defence (BMD) variant of its San Antonio-class LPD 17 amphibious assault ship design at this year's Navy League Sea Air Space Symposium in Maryland. The move expands on a range of variants that the company put forward at the 2012 event, including a land-attack 'arsenal ship' version of the hull loaded out with Tomahawk cruise missiles. Huntington's president Erwin Edenzon had also mentioned the concept on previous occasions as the company casts around to find ways of exploiting its investment to get the previously troubled LPD 17 San Antonio-class programme back on track, but this was the first time it has been embodied in 3D form.