third ship of the class (USS Bougainville) will be the first in its class with a well deck for deploying amphibious vehicles. While there was emphasis on lighter ground vehicles in the late 1990s, up-armored and heavier vehicles were used during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Future counterinsurgency operations require ships that can carry and deliver those vehicles, including through use of shore connectors; cargo lift requirements are met more expensively by aircraft airlifting equipment. Adding the well deck will require the ship's island to be slightly smaller compared to its two predecessors. Early design work with funds will begin in 2015, detailed design work and construction will start in 2017, and the LHA-8 will enter service in 2024. History The program started in July 2001, with development beginning in October 2005, the production decision was made in January 2006, and construction of LHA-6 began in December 2008. Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding was awarded $48.1M for "additional planning and advanced engineering services in support of the LHA replacement (LHA[R]) Flight 0 amphibious assault ship (LHA 7)" on 28 October 2010, to run until May 2012. It was scheduled for delivery in 2017. In January 2011, development problems led to the F-35B program being delayed two years, and plans for LHA-7 could change if the F-35B were to be canceled. In April 2012, Contract N00024-10-C-2229 was issued to Huntington Ingalls Industries, in which funding for steel plate purchases for LHA-7 was planned, and announced the requirement for an additional four ships (to LHA-10). On 4 May 2012, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced the selection of USS Tripoli as the name for the Navy's next large-deck amphibious assault ship (LHA-7). On 20 June 2014, Ingalls Shipyards, authenticated Tripolis keel in ceremony by the ship's sponsor, Lynne Mabus, wife of Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus. Tripoli was officially delivered to the U.S. Navy on 28 February 2020. On 13 June 2014, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that it had awarded a contract worth for $23.5 million to General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, California for design and development work on LHA-8. On 14 December 2021, a $70.8 million U.S. Navy contract was awarded to Huntington Ingalls as its latest installment toward acquiring long-lead-time materials for LHA 9. The award was offered by the Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C. On 27 October 2022, the U.S. Navy awarded