Mobile’s Austal USA poised for success
Posted on November 5, 2008
Filed Under Mobile, AL, News |
Austal USA’s Mobile shipyard is currently putting the finishing touches on the prototype aluminum hull littoral combat ship (LCS) for the U.S. Navy. The new LCS ship is commonly referred to as the LCS2 or Independence. Austal will likely be building two additional LCS2’s for the Navy over the next year. The number of vessels could be increased to three in the event the General Dynamics led team that includes Austal is selected as the winner from the bid competition with Lockheed Martin. Additional LCS2 vessels will be awarded by the U.S. Navy in 2010.
In addition to the LCS2, Austal is also finishing up a second Hawaii Superferry vessel. The first of the 349 foot ships which can ferry 866 passengers and 282 cars was delivered in June of 2007. That ship, known as the Alakai, provides daily passenger and vehicle transportation between Honolulu Harbor on the island of Oʻahu and Kahului Harbor on Maui. The second Hawaii superferry is to be delivered in 2009.
Austall is also eagerly awaiting the award of the three team competition vying to build up to ten military transport vessels known as Joint High Speed Vessels, or JHSV. That announcement in anticipated to occur in the first part of November.
Austal’s US operations in Mobile, Alabama is expanding it facilities to accomodate the anticpated growth. Austal broke ground a new Modular Manufacturing Facility (MMF) in July 2008. The MMF project complete will include 700,000 square feet of manufacturing space, 80,000 square feet of warehouse space, and 60,000 square feet of office space. The MMF expansion will be constructed in two phases and will ultimately accommodate a total workforce of up to 1,200 personnel in the new buildings. The state-of-the-art facility will be capable of constructing six large aluminum vessels such as the LCS2 and/or JHSV per year.
For more information on Austal, please visit their website at http://www.austal.com.
Comments
Leave a Comment
If you would like to make a comment, please fill out the form below.
Recent Articles
- Mobile’s Austal USA poised for success
- SSAB selects Mobile for $460 million niche steel expansion
- Carnival Cruise Lines bringing a new cruise ship to Mobile
- Former Tameron Honda Site Auctioned
- San Carlos Gulf Shores Condominium Auction Cancelled
- Mobile makes top 50 list for best places to ‘live and play’
- Wintzell’s Oyster House opens in Spanish Fort
- GAO upholds Boeing’s protest of Air Force tanker contract award
- Gov. Bob Riley speaks in Mobile about economic development opportunities in region
- Publix coming to Pensacola