The keel for the future USS Harrisburg (LPD 30), the Navy's 14th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship and the first Flight II ship, was laid at Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding on Jan. 28. The ship's sponsor, Alexandra Curry, wife of Mayor Jim Curry of Middletown, had her initials etched into the keel plate by HII welders.

A keel laying is the recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is the joining together of a ship's modular components and the authentication or etching of an honoree's initials into a ceremonial keel plate.

The city of Harrisburg and the surrounding region play a central role in the national defense infrastructure, hosting myriad defense logistics and naval supply support activities that bring support and sustenance to the Navy's fleet and the forward deployed sailors and Marines. The USS Harrisburg is the second U.S. Navy ship to be named after the city of Harrisburg. The first was a troopship acquired during World War I.

The LPD Flight II ships will be the functional replacement for the Whidbey Island class. The San Antonio class is designed to support embarking, transporting, and landing Marines and their equipment by conventional or air-cushioned landing craft. The ship's capabilities are further enhanced by its flight deck and hangar, enabling the ship to operate a variety of Marine Corps helicopters and the Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. Because of the ships' inherent capabilities, they are able to support amphibious assaults, special operations, expeditionary warfare, or disaster relief missions, operating independently or as part of amphibious readiness groups (ARGs), expeditionary strike groups, or joint task forces.