
Late last month, the Navy released a request for proposals to Huntington Ingalls Industries [HII] and General Dynamics [GD] NASSCO for the detailed design and construction of its next amphibious assault ship (LHA-8) and the first six T-AO(X) oilers.The competitors will submit a combined bid that includes both ship classes, and the stakes are high—those proposals will influence the award of early ship design contracts for the Navy’s new class of big deck amphibs, with the lowest bidder to receive…