USS Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD-29) is the 13th and final Flight I San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock of the United States Navy.^[1][8] She is named after US Navy officer and Medal of Honor recipient Richard M. McCool, Jr. Richard M. McCool Jr. was built by Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi.^[9] She was christened on 11 June 2022^[5][10] and formally delivered to the US Navy on 11 April 2024.^[11]

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USS Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD-29)

Richard M. McCool Jr.'s sister ships USS San Antonio and USS New York.
History
United States
Name	Richard M. McCool Jr.[1]
Namesake	Richard Miles McCool
Awarded	23 February 2018[1]
Builder	Ingalls Shipbuilding
Cost	US$1.4B (FY2017)[2]
Laid down	12 April 2019[3]
Launched	5 January 2022[4]
Sponsored by	Shana McCool, Kate Oja
Christened	11 June 2022[5]
Acquired	11 April 2024[6]
Identification	Pennant number: LPD-29
Motto	Certa ut unitas non ut singuli, "Fight as a unit, not as individuals"[7]
Status	Delivered
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General characteristics
Class and type	San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock
Displacement	25,000 tons full
Length	208.5 m (684 ft) overall, 201.4 m (661 ft) waterline
Beam	31.9 m (105 ft) extreme,   29.5 m (97 ft) waterline
Draft	7 m (23 ft)
Propulsion	Four Colt-Pielstick diesel engines, two shafts, 40,000 hp (30 MW)
Speed	22 knots (41 km/h)
Boats & landing craft carried	Two LCACs (air cushion) or one LCU (conventional)
Capacity	699 (66 officers, 633 enlisted); surge to 800 total.
Complement	28 officers, 333 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems	AN/SPS-73(V)18 - Next Generation Surface Search Radar
Armament	Two 30 mm Bushmaster II cannons, for surface threat defense; two Rolling Airframe Missile launchers for air defense
Aircraft carried	Four CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters or two MV-22 tilt rotor aircraft may be launched or recovered simultaneously.

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Like her immediate predecessor, USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28), Richard M. McCool Jr. will be a "transitional ship" between the current San Antonio-class Flight I design and future Flight II vessels, starting with USS Harrisburg (LPD-30), and as such will feature design improvements developed in connection with the Navy's development of the LX(R)-class amphibious warfare ship, (which is intended to replace the current Whidbey Island-class and Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ships).^{[12][13]: (Summary)} Richard M. McCool Jr. incorporates the changes that will be introduced in Fort Lauderdale intended to reduce the cost compared to the San Antonio-class, including: simplified bow works, replacement of the forward and aft composite masts with steel masts, removal of structures from the boat valley, and a stern gate which is open at the top. In addition, unlike Fort Lauderdale, Richard M. McCool Jr. will use the Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (EASR) volume air search radar.^[14]