Destroyer leaves for homeport

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - The guided missile destroyer Gravely left Friday for Wilmington, N.C., where it’s scheduled to be commissioned Nov. 20. Gravely, DDG 107, which was delivered to the Navy in July, is the 27th Aegis-class destroyer to be built at Northrop's Pascagoula shipyard. (Sources: Mississippi Press, WLOX, 10/29/10) Previous story

Contract: Northrop Grumman, $48.1M

Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding Inc., Pascagoula, Miss., is being awarded a $48,107,835 modification to previously awarded contract for additional planning and advanced engineering services in support of the LHA replacement (LHA[R]) Flight 0 amphibious assault ship (LHA 7). Work will be performed in Pascagoula and is expected to be completed by May 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 10/28/10)

Maritime academy design closer

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Architects are moving in on a design for the $20 million Jackson County Maritime Trades Academy. The design was presented to the Jackson County Board of Supervisors during its regular meeting Monday morning. The federally funded academy at a nine-acre site is designed to provide a skilled workforce and help Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding expand its two- to four-year apprentice program from 610 to 1,000 students. Originally, the county planned to turn over ownership of the facility to the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Now Northrop Grumman will eventually own the building and handle daily operations. (Source: Mississippi Press, 10/26/10)

Contract: Northrop Grumman, $62M

Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding Inc., Pascagoula, Miss., is being awarded a $62,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee not-to-exceed modification to previously awarded contract for advance procurement of long lead time materials in support of Landing Platform Dock 27. Work will be done in Pascagoula, Miss., and is expected to be completed by August 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, Northrop Grumman, 10/20/10)

Spin-offs can be winners

The Mobile Press-Register on Sunday took a closer look at what might happen with a spin-off of Northrop Grumman's shipbuilding sector. Some think a shipbuilding operation turned loose from the parent could be a winner for investors. The company says it's leaning toward a spin-off, but is also meeting with large buyout firms. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 10/17/10) Northrop Grumman owns shipyards in Pascagoula, Miss., Avondale, La., and Newport News, Va., and this past summer said it’s considering getting out of the shipbuilding business. At least one company, Cleveland Ship, has made its interest public. The company filed a Form 10 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as a first step. (Source: Northrop Grumman, 10/15/10)

San Antonio won't deploy

NORFOLK, Va. - The USS Mesa Verde will deploy as part of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group in the summer of 2011, replacing the USS San Antonio, the U.S. Fleet Force Command announced. Work is still being done on the trouble-plagued San Antonio to return it to the fleet. (Source: NNS, 10/15/10) The first ship of its class, the San Antonio, LPD 17, has had a series of problems, including its propulsion system, since it was commissioned more than four years ago. An investigation found the shipbuilder, Northrop Grumman in Avondale, La., and the Navy at fault for not catching problems earlier. Mesa Verde, LPD 19, is the third ship of the class and was built by Northrop Grumman in Pascagoula, Miss.

Report says ferries sold

MOBILE, Ala. - Two ferries built by Austal USA to shuttle people and goods between the Hawaiian Islands were sold at auction to the federal government. Hawaii Superferry ordered the two ferries in 2004, but the company filed for bankruptcy after a state law that allowed the company to operate while an environmental study was done was ruled unconstitutional. The Virginian-Pilot reported that the ships were sold for $25 million each to the U.S. Maritime Administration this week. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 10/12/10)

Contract: Austal, $203.7M

Austal USA, Mobile, Ala., is being awarded a $204,652,897 modification to previously awarded contract for the exercise of construction options for ships four and five of the Joint High Speed Vessel program. The JHSV will provide high speed, shallow draft transportation capability to support the intra-theater maneuver of personnel, supplies and equipment for the Navy, Marine Corps, and Army. Work will be performed in Mobile, Ala., and is expected to be completed by December 2013. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 10/12/10)

Signal International lands contract

Signal International won a $32.4 million contract with Transocean Offshore Drilling to refurbish and upgrade the company's Deepwater Navigator drillship. Signal will use its yards in Pascagoula, Miss., and Mobile for the work, which should take 160 days. Signal is hiring in all crafts at both yards. In Pascagoula it will hire 300 workers and in Mobile 100. The Pascagoula shipyard has 600 workers and the Mobile yard 240. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, Sun Herald, 10/08/10)

Fuel loaded on newest transport

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding achieved a key milestone by loading 100,000 gallons of fuel aboard the company's sixth San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship over the weekend. The loading of fuel is important as the shipbuilder prepares to light the San Diego's first generator and later send the ship to sea for its first sea trial. The generator light off for LPD 22 is scheduled for next month. The ship was christened in June and is scheduled for sea trials in the second quarter of 2011. The 684-foot long ship is capable of embarking a landing force of up to 800 Marines. It's powered by four turbo-charged diesels. (Source: Northrop Grumman, 10/06/10) Previous story

AFL-CIO gets in shipyard fight

The AFL-CIO is throwing its weight behind Louisiana shipworkers in a bid to save thousands of jobs. Northrop Grumman, owner of the Avondale shipyard, issued the first round of pink slips to workers on Monday. Northrop Grumman, which has 5,000 workers at the Avondale yard, said in July that it would close the yard and shift the work to its shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss. The company also said it's looking at shedding all of its shipbuilding sector, including Pascagoula and Newport News, Va. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said his organization is meeting with government officials and prospective buyers of the shipbuilding unit to try and find a solution that will keep the unit on the job. (Source: The Hill, 10/05/10)

Bidder reported for shipyards

Bloomberg is reporting that Cleveland Ship LLC, formed to bid for a new class of U.S. Navy oilers, made an offer for Northrop Grumman Corp.’s shipbuilding unit. The Cleveland-based company did not specify the value of its Sept. 23 bid. Cleveland Ship said it had expressed interest earlier this year in buying Northrop Grumman's shipyard in Avondale, La. Northrop Grumman said in July it will be closing the Louisiana shipyard and consolidate work in Pascagoula, Miss. But the company also said it is considering selling its entire shipbuilding sector, which also includes Newport News, Va. (Source: Bloomberg, 10/04/10)