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Federal Shipbuilding News

09 Nov 2023

US Shipbuilding: Policy and Progress

© Maxim Khalansky / Adobe Stock

When asked about the top issues facing shipbuilders, executives at the Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA) listed a number of topics and concerns. SCA is the only national trade association representing U.S. shipyards engaged in the building and repairing of military and other government and commercial vessels, and companies providing goods and services to the shipbuilding industry.Shutdowns have consequencesMatthew Paxton and Paula Zorensky are, respectively, SCA President and Vice President. Their top federal concern at the end of September? A U.S.

10 Dec 2021

Philly Shipyard Lays Keel for First National Security Multi-Mission Vessel

(Photo: Philly Shipyard)

Philly Shipyard on Friday hosted a keel laying ceremony for the first of up to five new purpose built, state-of-the-art training vessels for America’s state maritime academies.The new vessels—known as National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMV)—will be owned and operated by U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) and are designed to provide training for America’s future mariners and to support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions in times of need.

16 Sep 2021

Prefabrication of Federal Shipbuilding Project Funding

Fincantieri Marinette Marine is building the U.S. Navy’s Constellation class frigates (Image: U.S. Navy)

Initial appropriations discussions are underway for Fiscal Year 2022, with a continued focus on federal shipbuilding programs. It has been rough going for the Navy as Congress raised questions about the President’s commitment to the Navy’s long-term shipbuilding program. Meanwhile, House appropriators are seemingly focused on continuing shipbuilding successes at the Maritime Administration and Coast Guard. With billions of dollars in the balance, the U.S. shipbuilding industry…

15 Mar 2021

Five New Ships Poised to Transform US Maritime Training

(Image MARAD)

For professional maritime training, the 2020 holiday season was bright indeed. In a world clutching for optimism, officials from the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) made a series of announcements that will strengthen, expand and intensify America’s maritime academic programs—really the maritime industry—for at least the next decade, likely much longer. Consider this string of news:On December 15, MARAD announced cutting steel for the first new National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) at Philly Shipyard Inc.…

05 Oct 2020

Halter Marine Partners with Local College to Launch Apprenticeship Program

(Photo: Halter Marine)

Pascagoula, Miss. shipbuilder Halter Marine is creating jobs, and through its partnership with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC), training the apprentices to fill them. The recently launched apprenticeship program is designed in three components: on-the-job training, classroom training and a progressive wage increase as participants reach set milestones. It offers training in the craft labor fields of welding, ship fitting, pipe fitting, pipe welding and electrical.

30 Apr 2020

MARAD Takes New Approach to Government Shipbuilding

(Image: MARAD)

Maritime Administration implements new way of doing business in government shipbuildingNot only is the Maritime Administration (MARAD) back in the shipbuilding business with the National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMV), the agency is using an innovative procurement method using an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) approach for these ships to be flexible for appropriation cycles. This method marks a fresh approach by the Federal government to procuring new ships…

23 Dec 2019

Chantier Davie Pre-qualified under Canada's NSS

© Denis Comeau / Adobe Stock

The Government of Canada announced East Coast shipbuilder Chantier Davie has pre-qualified to become the third strategic partner under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), a long-term, multibillion-dollar program to renew the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy fleets.Back in May, Canada’s Government announced its intention to add a third Canadian shipyard as a partner under the NSS, and on August 2, it launched the competitive process to select the new yard to build six program icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard.According to the Government of Canada…

10 Dec 2018

Quebec Eyes More Federal Shipbuilding Contracts

Quebec's National Assembly unanimously adopted a motion in support of the Federal government's reform or 'refresh' of the National Shipbuilding Strategy.The motion called upon the federal government to endorse the House of Commons and Senate's recommendations to proceed immediately with the construction at Davie Shipbuilding of a second Resolve-Class Naval Support Ship as well as a new fleet of icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard.During 2017, the Federal government conducted a review of the National Shipbuilding Strategy in order to reform the failed strategy and begin to deliver ships for Canada in a timely and cost-effective manner.

11 May 2017

Robert Allan Ltd.: The Place that Launched 1,000 Tugs

figure 7

Over the last few years, as the design output from Robert Allan Ltd. to the global tugboat community began to border on the prodigious, we were often asked, “How many tugs has your company designed?” Until very recently we really did not have a good handle on that number, so the answer was usually either “a lot” or “many hundreds”, neither of which were particularly illuminating. So a search was begun late in 2016 to review our archives and try to determine the tug tally much more precisely. Would we rival Helen? Where did it all begin?

05 Aug 2015

Campaign to Raise Awareness of US Shipbuilding, Repair

(Photo: Huntington Ingalls Industries)

Ahead of the first presidential debate this week, the Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA) announced the launch of KNOW YOUR SHIP, a multifaceted, national campaign aimed at raising the awareness of the importance of the shipbuilding and repair industry and the critical role it plays in maintaining America’s national and economic security. “KNOW YOUR SHIP will tell not only the stories of the many military and commercial ships that are so integral in maintaining our economic and national security…

25 Jun 2012

Shipbuilding in Nova Scotia

Figure 1: Shipbuilding and enabled service providers in Nova Scotia (Source: CGGC)

Irving Shipbuilding’s successful C$25 billion bid for the combatant portion of the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS) illustrates the strength of Nova Scotia shipbuilding industry. Under the program, Irving Shipbuilding, Inc. (ISI) will build six to eight Arctic/Offshore Patrol Ships and 15 Canadian Surface Combatants for the Department of National Defense (DND) over the next 20-30 years. The NSPS contract is in addition to ISI’s contract to build nine mid-shore patrol vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard…

08 Dec 2011

Nova Scotia Economic Growth Buoyed by Historic Contract

Economic growth in Nova Scotia, currently running at 1.6 percent for 2011, looks promising over the next two years, according to the Provincial Monitor report released today by BMO Economics. "We expect growth to accelerate to a 2.5 percent clip by 2013, when the positive impact of the recently announced Federal shipbuilding contract begins to take root," said Robert Kavcic, Economist, BMO Capital Markets. The contract landed by Irving Shipbuilding to build combat ships for the Royal Canadian Navy is worth an estimated $25 billion through 2030. The Conference Board of Canada estimates that about 8,000 new jobs - more than 1 per cent of total employment in the province - will be sustained over that period, and that real GDP will see a boost of about $800 million per year on average.

15 Jul 2011

Group Eyes Davie Yard

According to a report on CanadianBusiness.com, SNC-Lavalin formed a joint venture with prospective new buyers of Davie Yards in order to bid on federal shipbuilding contracts. Davie has been in creditor protection since February 2010, according to the site, and after negotiations with a potential buyer broke down this week, the company is pressed to quickly find a deal to avert bankruptcy. If no agreement is reached by July 21, Davie reportedly will not be able to bid for part of federal shipbuilding contracts valued at $35 billion.   (Source: CanadianBusiness.com)

28 Jun 2011

B.C. Invests in Shipbuilding Education

According to a report from CBC News, the B.C. government is pouring $550,000 into a shipbuilding training centre at Camosun College in Saanich. The centre will help support the B.C.'s shipbuilding industry as a Vancouver company is vying for some of the $35b in federal shipbuilding contracts currently up for bid.   Source: CBC News

22 Jun 2011

Quebec Helps Davies Shipyard with Bid

According to a report from the Times Colonist, Quebec is enabling the insolvent Davie shipyard to enable it to fight for billions of dollars of coveted federal shipbuilding contracts in competition with companies in B.C., Nova Scotia and Ontario. Two Quebec ferry contracts will be given to Davie under a tentative agreement with the potential buyers of the shipyard, now in bankruptcy protection. The work will ensure Davie can meet federal conditions that shipyards be financially sound when submitting bids on July 7.   Source: Times Colonist

14 Jun 2011

Canada’s Ex-Deputy Minister: Seaspan Shouldn't Get Tax Breaks

According to a report from Times Colonist, Bob Plecas, a former provincial deputy minister of economic development, said B.C. should not give Seaspan tax breaks to help its bid for federal shipbuilding work. Instead, the province could support training programs or build infrastructure, such as a road or railway spur line, which could assist other ventures as well. North Vancouver-based Seaspan, owner of Vancouver Shipyards, Vancouver Drydock, and Victoria Shipyards, is seeking tax breaks.   Source: Times Colonist

03 May 2011

Irving Shipyard Looks for Council Support

According to a report from Metro News, Canada’s Irving Shipyard is looking for HRM council’s endorsement. A recommendation will be put before council May 3 asking for their support in Irving’s bid for a federal shipbuilding contract. Irving is one of five shipyards shortlisted for the contracts that will be worth $30b over the next 30 years.   (Source: Metro News)

19 Apr 2011

Union Head, Mayor Still Hopeful for Graving Dock

According to a report from the Southern Gazette, CAW/MWF Local 20 president Wayne Butler said he remains hopeful there will one day be a graving dock in Marystown, following last week’s announcement Kiewit Offshore Services was withdrawing from the bidding process for the upcoming federal shipbuilding program.    (Source: The Southern Gazette)

12 Apr 2011

Halifax Shipyard to Bid on Two Contracts

Irving Shipbuilding Inc. plans to submit bids for two massive federal shipbuilding contracts, an ambitious move that could land the company $35b in shipbuilding work, enough to span three decades. Last October, Irving Shipbuilding was one of five Canadian shipyards shortlisted for two major federal shipbuilding contracts, part of Ottawa's National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy.     (Source: The Telegraph-Journal)

01 Jul 2010

Random Roamings within the Moran Fleet

We all appreciated Don Sutherland's celebration of the 150 years of Moran towing (Maritime Reporter & Engineering News, April 2010). It was an exciting collection of vignettes on the life of the company and of its founder, Michael Moran. There were many other aspects of that remarkable company and of its equally remarkable founder that might further inform, if not entertain, the readers of Maritime Reporter. Rarely has a Moran tug been lost, but during the 1890s one vessel was overcome by heavy weather conditions immediately outside of New York harbor.

20 Sep 2009

Proposed Shipbuilding Centers of Excellence

Davie Yards Inc. (TSX:DAV) introduced its proposal for the implementation of a National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy aimed at renewing the federal fleet and building world-class shipbuilding capability in Canada, while providing more predictable work for the maritime industry. "Davie's proposal is based on our belief that Canadian yards can achieve a competitive position vis-à-vis European yards in building complex ships. In order to create such competitiveness, we are proposing that major federal shipbuilding projects be allocated to a select number of yards that will develop expertise and thus make it possible to secure the right costs and prices for the fleet renewal program," explained Steinar Kulen, President and Chief Executive Officer at Davie.

03 Jul 2006

New Hand at Helm of Norfolk Naval

The Daily Press has reported that Capt. Richard Berkey will lead the Portsmouth, Va., yard as Capt. Joseph Campbell heads to the Pentagon. Navy Capt. Richard D. Berkey assumed command of Norfolk Naval Shipyard on Friday, taking the helm from Capt. Joseph F. Campbell. The nuclear-capable shipyard, based in Portsmouth, performs maintenance jobs on both aircraft carriers and submarines. With about 7,700 employees, it is the second-largest shipyard in Hampton Roads behind Northrop Grumman Newport News, and the oldest federal shipbuilding site anywhere. In a ceremony at the shipyard's Trophy Park, Berkey became the shipyard's 102nd commander since its inception as Gosport Navy Yard in 1767.

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