The U.S. Navy granted a contract worth more than $100 million to Southwest Marine (SWM). The five-year, phased-
maintenance contract is the follow-on to ships the company has been repairing since 1985, including USS Denver, USS MT. Vernon and USS Anchorage. SWM initially won the first LPD/LSD contract in 1985, followed by a second contract in 1990 and a third in 1995.
This current contract, which is the company's fourth consecutive, has a total of 16 availabilities. The first scheduled nine-week availability included the drydocking of USS Denver this September.
President Clinton is expected to sign the FY 01 $8.6 billion military construction bill by mid-July, which will allow for emergency supplemental funding for ship depot maintenance for FY 00.