Final ship bids submitted

MOBILE, Ala. - Austal USA and rival Lockheed Martin have submitted final offers to build 10 littoral combat ships for the Navy. The contract could be worth $5 billion and would require Austal to hire 2,000 more workers at its Mobile River shipyard, which currently employs about 1,500. The Navy is expected to choose a shipbuilder next month, Austal officials said in a news release. Both competitors have built one ship so far. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 07/12/10)

Austal to lay keel for JHSV

MOBILE, Ala. - Austal USA will hold a keel-laying ceremony July 22 for its first Joint High-Speed Vessel, Spearhead. The ceremony will be at Austal's shipyard on Mobile River across from downtown. The high-speed transport ferry will carry military equipment and troops at speeds of up to 43 knots. Austal was selected as the prime contractor on the project in November 2008, and has received money for four more ships. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 07/07/10)

Moret: Northrop Avondale at risk

NEW ORLEANS, La. - Louisiana's economic development secretary said Friday he's concerned that the curtailment of Navy ship programs has put the future of Northrop Grumman's 5,000-employee Avondale shipyard in doubt. Stephen Moret made the comments after being briefed by Northrop Grumman officials. The Avondale yard is the state's largest manufacturing employer, but the smallest of Northrop Grumman's three major shipyards, which also include yards in Pascagoula, Miss., and Newport News, Va. A Northrop Grumman official reached Saturday by the Times-Picayune deferred comments to a company spokeswoman in Washington, D.C., who did not respond. (Source: New Orleans Times-Picayune, 07/03/10)

Navy, Northrop blamed for ship woes

A report released Thursday says both the government and contractors share the blame for the problems that have plagued the USS San Antonio. The failures, from shoddy workmanship to bad quality control, caused the problems aboard the San Antonio-class amphibious ship, which was built at Northrop Grumman in Avondale, La. The USS San Antonio needs $7.5 million in repairs. The report details findings from a six-month Navy investigation. (Sources: Norfolk Virginia-Pilot, 07/02/10, Navy Times, 07/01/10)

Naval engineer consortium formed

A new consortium has been formed to center on training naval systems engineers for the Navy's civilian acquisition, engineering and science workforce. Established by Naval Sea Systems Command through a five-year, $7.5 million contract, the Naval Engineering Education Consortium involves 15 colleges and universities, including the University of New Orleans, as well as the American Society of Naval Engineers and the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. The consortium is led by the University of Michigan and includes, in addition to UNO, Penn State, Virginia Tech, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Georgia Tech, Webb Institute, Florida State, Florida Atlantic University, Old Dominion University, Tennessee State University, Stevens Institute of Technology, University of Iowa, University of Texas-San Antonio and the University of Washington. (Source: Penn State University, 06/30/10)

Contract: Northrop, $175.5M

Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding Inc., Pascagoula, Miss., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $175,497,896 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the procurement of long-lead time material, and planning and advance engineering services in support of one landing helicopter assault replacement Flight 0 amphibious assault ship. Twenty-three percent of the work will be done in Pascagoula, and 24 percent in Brunswick, Ga., and 24 percent in locations not yet determined. Other work locations are Los Angeles, Calif., York, Pa., and Brampton, Canada. Work is expected to be completed by March 2014. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 06/30/10)

Destroyer returns from sea trial

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - The Aegis guided missile destroyer Gravely successfully completed its sea trial last week in the Gulf of Mexico. The DDG 107's successful sea trial paved the way for delivery from the Pascagoula yard to the Navy later this summer, the company said. Gravely is the 27th destroyer to be built at Northrop Grumman's Pascagoula yard. (Source: Mississippi Press, 06/30/10)

Skimmers to be built

Mississippi will have as many as 23 new belt skimmers operating in state waters by Aug. 1, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality said Saturday. The skimmers will be built by Overing Yachts in Ocean Springs, Miss., and Trinity Yachts in Gulfport, Miss. Gov. Haley Barbour directed the construction of the vessels and for the costs to be paid by BP. (Source: FOX10-TV, Sun Herald, 06/26/10)

Navy to christen Lorenzen

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - The Navy will christen the missile range instrumentation ship USNS Howard O. Lorenzen on Saturday at a 1 p.m. ceremony at VT Halter Marine in Pascagoula. The ship is named in honor of the Naval Research Laboratory electrical engineer who was instrumental in the creation of the nation's electronic intelligence capabilities. Designated T-AGM 25, the ship will provide a platform for monitoring missile launches and collecting data that can be used to improve missile efficiency and accuracy. It will be operated by the Military Sealift Command and conduct missions sponsored by the Air Force. The 12,575-ton ship is 534 feet long and will have a combined crew of civilians who will operate and navigate the ship and military and civilian technicians from other government agencies who will operate monitoring equipment. (Source: DoD, 06/24/10)

Cochran honored by shipbuilders

U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi is being honored with the American Shipbuilding Association's 2010 Herbert H. Bateman award, which will be presented Wednesday night during the ASA's Salute to the 111th Congress reception in Washington, D.C. The award was established by the ASA in 2000 to recognize an individual in government or industry who has demonstrated years of leadership in working for a stronger shipbuilding industry. (Source: Mississippi Press, 06/23/10)

Ship to be christened Saturday

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - The Navy will christen the newest amphibious transport dock ship, San Diego, Saturday during a 10 a.m. CDT ceremony at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. The ship is named for the city of San Diego, principal homeport of the Pacific fleet. Designated LPD 22, San Diego is the sixth amphibious transport dock ship in the San Antonio class and is capable of embarking a landing force of up to 800 Marines. The ship is 684 feet long and powered by four turbo-charged diesels. (Source: DoD, 06/10/10)

Academy groundbreaking set

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - A groundbreaking will be held today for the $20 million Jackson County Maritime Trades Academy at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding-Gulf Coast in Pascagoula. The shipbuilder and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College are partners in the apprentice school. The new academy will enable the program to expand from 610 students to 1,000 apprentices. The facility is funded by a HUD Community Development Block Grant awarded by the state last year. (Source: Sun Herald, Mississippi Press, 06/08/10)

Contract: Austal, $99.6M

Austal USA, Mobile, Ala., is being awarded a $99,557,548 modification to previously awarded contract for long lead time material for ships four and five of the Joint High Speed Vessel program. This contract provides LLTM for main propulsion engines, aluminum, waterjets, reduction gears, generators and other components to support construction of JHSV ships four and five. Ten percent of the work will be done in Gulfport, Miss., and 3 percent in Mobile. Other work will be done in Michigan, Virginia, Australia, West Virginia, Florida, Indiana, California and Iowa, and is expected to be completed by December 2011. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 06/04/10)

VT Halter Marine fined

MOSS POINT, Miss. - VT Halter Marine must pay fines of $1.3 million for a 2009 explosion and fire that killed two workers and injured two others, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The incident occurred in November of that year in the inner bottom void of a tugboat that was being built at the company's Escatawapa facility. OSHA cited the company for 17 willful and 11 serious violations. (Source: Sun Herald, 05/19/10)

BAE Systems to buy Atlantic Marine

ARLINGTON, Va. - BAE Systems today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Atlantic Marine Holding Co. from JFL-AMH Partners LLC, a portfolio company of the private equity firm J.F. Lehman and Company for a cash consideration of $352 million. Atlantic Marine is a privately held vessel maintenance, repair, overhaul and conversion, marine fabrication, and ship construction services provider with operations at Mayport and Jacksonville, Fla., Moss Point, Miss., and Mobile, Ala. The acquisition does not include Atlantic Marine's Boston and Philadelphia operations. The acquisition will be funded from BAE Systems' existing cash resources. (Source: BAE Systems, 05/18/10)

Signal gets $30M contract

MOBILE, Ala. - Signal International won a $30 million contract to build two power generation barges at its Orange, Texas, shipyard for Waller Marine of Houston. Each of the 300-foot-by-100-foot barges will be capable of generating 171 megawatts of electricity. When the barges are finished in August, Waller plans to take them to Venezuela. Signal, which recently bought Bender Shipbuilding and Repair of Mobile, also has yards in Pascagoula, Miss. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 05/12/10)

Contract: Gulf Island Fabrication, $9.4M

Gulf Island Fabrication Inc., Houma, La., was awarded a $9,410,156 contract to obtain marine services to modify the dredge Potter. The modification includes replacing the existing upper deckhouse and pilothouse areas. This project requires engineering and design, fabrication, testing, and delivery services to provide the required modifications. The dredge Potter is in support of dredging efforts for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District. Work is to be performed in Houma, La., with an estimated completion date of July 23, 2011. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 05/10/10)

Ship launched in Pascagoula

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - The Navy amphibious ship that will be named San Diego was launched Friday in Pascagoula. It’s the fourth Navy vessel to be named for the city and will be delivered to the Navy in 2011. The 684-foot amphibious transport dock ship built by Northrop Grumman will be christened in June. The LPD 17 class of amphibious transport dock ships can carry up to 720 troops along with air-cushioned and conventional landing craft, expeditionary fighting vehicles, helicopters and vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. (Sources: San Diego Union-Tribune, San Diego News Network, 05/07/10)

Inspector shortage cited in weld issue

A shortage of Navy inspectors contributed to quality problems with ships built at the Gulf Coast yards of Northrop Grumman, a Navy official said Wednesday. Brian Persons, executive director of Naval Sea Systems Command, said that after the Navy looked into the weld problems on destroyers and amphibious ships built as far back as 2002 in Avondale, La., and Pascagoula, Miss., officials concluded there were too few inspectors from the Supervisor of Shipbuilding to ensure the work. NavSea has been adding inspectors over the past several months. (Source: Navy Times, 05/05/10)

Navy gets first EME for DDG 1000

Raytheon Co. delivered the first Electronic Modular Enclosure for the Zumwalt-class destroyer to the U.S. Navy. The EME unit, which houses ruggedized and commercial electronic equipment for the ship's external communications, was shipped from Raytheon's facility in Largo, Fla., to Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., where it will be integrated into DDG 1000's advanced composite deckhouse. There are 16 EMEs on each Zumwalt destroyer, and each unit contains more than 235 individual electronics cabinets. An EME weighs up to 18 tons and measures close to 35-feet long, 8-feet high and 12-feet wide. (Source: PRNewswire, 05/04/10)