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)

Contract: Signal Technologies, $8M

Signal Technologies Corp., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., is being awarded a $7,967,525 firm-fixed-price contract for repair, upgrade and new construction of high-voltage power supplies and distribution units for the AN/SLQ32 electronic warfare system components. The AN/SLQ-32(V) countermeasure system is installed on Navy and Coast Guard ships as well as several foreign military ships, and is the standard electronic warfare system that provides surveillance, warning and countermeasure against complex missile attacks. This effort is in support of the repair, upgrade and manufacture of high voltage components through replacement of nonconforming parts and restoration of the system to a ready-for-issue condition. These units will be used by the organic repair depot and Navy Inventory Control Point to support various ships in the Navy and Coast Guard. These parts are unique components of the AN/SLQ-32(V). Work will be performed in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and is expected to be completed by September 2015. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Ind., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/30/10)

Austal starts work on second JHSV

MOBILE, Ala. - Austal has started building a second high-speed transport ship for the military. The Joint High-Speed Vessels is 338 feet long and will be able to carry up to 600 tons of cargo and travel an average speed of about 35 knots. They will be used by the Army and Navy. Austal began work on the first JHSV in December and anticipates a December 2011 delivery to the Army. This second ship is for the Navy with a delivery date of June 2012. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 09/28/10)

Contract: Northrop Grumman, $12.2M

Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Miss., is being awarded a $12,180,103 modification to previously awarded contract for additional infrastructure improvements to NGSB shipyards. This modification is for additional infrastructure improvements at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding Gulf Coast shipyards, which were damaged by Hurricane Katrina in calendar year 2005. The infrastructure improvements are: a ship cleaning system for the NGSB facility in Pascagoula, Miss.; accuracy control equipment for the NGSB facility in Pascagoula, Miss.; a Haeusler Collar Forming work cell for the NGSB facility in Pascagoula, Miss.; a material handling system for the NGSB facility in Pascagoula, Miss.; cable plant management system for the NGSB facilities in Pascagoula, Miss. and New Orleans, La.; specialized flushing equipment for the NGSB facility in Pascagoula, Miss.; and a five axis saw for the NGSB facility in Gulfport, Miss. The contracted improvements at NGSS facilities are part of a series of contracts with Gulf Coast shipbuilders to be awarded under Section 2203 of Public Law 109-234, emergency supplemental appropriations for Defense, The Global War on Terror and Hurricane Recovery 2006. The purpose is to expedite recovery of shipbuilding capability in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina by repairing and/or replacing shipbuilding facilities, to make lasting improvement in shipyard facilities that would result in measurable cost reductions in current and future Navy shipbuilding contracts, and to improve the ability of shipbuilding facilities on the Gulf Coast to withstand damage from potential hurricanes or other natural disasters. Work will be performed in Pascagoula, Miss. (75 percent), Gulfport, Miss. (21 percent), New Orleans, La. (4 percent), and is expected to be completed by August 2013. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/27/10)

Contract: VT Halter, $8.4M

VT Halter Marine, Inc., Pascagoula, Miss., is being awarded an $8,436,603 firm-fixed-price contract for infrastructure improvements to their shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss. This contract is for infrastructure improvements at VT Halter Marine's Pascagoula, Mississippi shipyard, which was damaged by Hurricane Katrina in calendar year 2005. The infrastructure improvements are for shipyard paving, utility improvements, crane rail extensions and the procurement of additional crawler and overhead cranes. The contracted improvements at VT Halter Marine facilities are part of a series of contracts with Gulf Coast shipbuilders to be awarded under Section 2203 of Public Law 109-234, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Defense, the Global War on Terror and Hurricane Recovery 2006. The purpose is to expedite recovery of shipbuilding capability in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina by repairing and / or replacing shipbuilding facilities, to make lasting improvement in shipyard facilities that would result in measurable cost reductions in current and future Navy shipbuilding contracts, and to improve the ability of shipbuilding facilities on the Gulf Coast to withstand damage from potential hurricanes or other natural disasters. Work will be performed in Pascagoula, Miss., and is expected to be completed by July 2012. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/27/10)

Bollinger to build more cutters

Bollinger Shipyards of Lockport, La., has a contract with the Coast Guard to build four additional Sentinel Class Fast Response Cutters. The new 154-foot cutters bring the total number of vessels Bollinger is building for the Coast Guard under its current contract to eight. (Source: New Orleans Times-Picayune, 09/21/10)

$40 million test facility in bill

A Senate subcommittee voted this week to fund a $40 million land-based testing facility that would be built in Pascagoula, Miss. The facility would be used by Northrop Grumman to test electronic and other complex components on the ground prior to installing them on Navy vessels. The Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee cut more than $8 billion from President Obama's request for the Defense Department for 2011. The bill next goes to the full Senate Appropriations Committee. (Source: Mississippi Press, 09/18/10)

Life line for Avondale?

Two Louisiana lawmakers say the Navy will announce Friday steps to ensure continued work for 5,000 workers at Northrop Grumman’s Avondale, La., shipyard. Northrop plans to close the yard by 2013 and consolidate in Pascagoula, Miss. But the Navy plans to move up construction of tankers from 2017 to 2014 and will guarantee two amphibious transport ships now under construction in Avondale will be completed there, Sen. Mary Landrieu and Rep. Charlie Melancon said Thursday evening. Northrop Grumman is also exploring selling all its shipyards. (Source: Reuters, 09/16/10)

LCS final bids in

Both teams wanting to build Littoral Combat Ships for the Navy have submitted final proposals. Lockheed Martin and Austal USA are competing to have their design selected for at least 51 more LCS ships. Lockheed Martin’s version is being built in Marinetta, Wis., and Austal’s is being built in Mobile, Ala. Along with the design selection, the Navy will award contracts for 10 ships to be ordered between 2010 and 2014. (Source: Defense News, 09/15/10)

Contract: Lockheed Martin, $12M

Lockheed Martin Mission Systems & Sensors, Moorestown, N.J., is being awarded a $12,088,100 modification to previously awarded contract for management and engineering services to maintain and modify, as necessary, the design of DDG 51 class combat system compartments and topside arrangements. The required services for DDG 51 class ships and CG 47 class ships include program management and operation support, quality assurance, configuration management, ship design integration, fleet lifecycle engineering support, installation support, firmware maintenance, combat system test and evaluation, Navy-furnished material support, special studies, and future-ship integration studies. Twenty-two percent of the work will be done in Pascagoula, Miss. Other work sites are in New Jersey, Maine, California, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and New York. Work is expected to be completed by January 2011. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/09/10)

Austal continues to hire

MOBILE, Ala. - Austal USA employs more than 1,800 people at its Mobile River shipyard and continues to hire more, according to a company spokeswoman. The company started the year with about 1,000 workers, but increased hiring because of a contract to build high-speed transport ships for the U.S. military. It’s also competing for a $5 billion contract to build 10 littoral combat ships for the U.S. Navy. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 09/08/10)