Lockheed, Austal Respond to U.S. Navy Query on Small Warship Ideas
Lockheed Martin Corp and Australia's Austal on Thursday submitted their best ideas for the U.S. Navy's next small warship, as a Navy task force continues to reassess the future of its $34 billion Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program. The Navy last month asked U.S. and foreign weapons makers to submit cost and technical data on ship designs and weapons to inform the work of a task force that is due to report on various options by July 31, in time to help shape the Navy's fiscal 2016 budget request.
Navy Cuts One Littoral Combat Ship in 2015
U.S. WASHINGTON, April 10 (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy hopes to smooth out the impact on Lockheed Martin Corp and Australia's Austal of a budget-driven decision to order three Littoral Combat Ships instead of four in fiscal year 2015, the Navy's top weapons buyer said on Thursday. The Navy had planned to buy two of each of the different small warships built by Lockheed and Austal in fiscal 2015 and 2016, but it scaled back those orders to three ships a year as a result of budget cuts mandated by Congress. Assistant Navy Secretary Sean Stackley told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee's seapower subcommittee that Navy officials would now meet with both companies…
U.S. Navy awards contracts to Lockheed, Austal for 4 more ships
The U.S. Navy has awarded contracts worth nearly $1.4 billion to buy four more Littoral Combat Ships from Lockheed Martin Corp and Australia's Austal Ltd, the U.S. Defense Department said on Monday. Lockheed won a contract valued at $699 million to build two more of its steel monohull-design ships, while Austal won a contract worth $684 million to build two more of its aluminum trimaran design, the Pentagon said in its daily digest of major weapons contracts. Lockheed welcomed the contract…
Quest for More Lethal U.S. Warship Could Raise Cost
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's decision to stop building the current class of coastal warships after 32 vessels and focus on ships with more firepower and protection will result in higher costs, U.S. defense officials said on Monday. Hagel said that given the new threats, he had "considerable reservations" about building all 52 coastal warships as planned, which would account for one-sixth of the future 300-ship Navy. "I recognize the importance of presence, which is tied to the number of ships.
New Leopard ROV from Saab Seaeye
With 11 thrusters, unrivalled payload, and a host of advanced technology features, the new Saab Seaeye Leopard is the most powerful ROV of its size in the world, its manufacturer said. Aimed at the compact work-class market, the Leopard can handle more tooling, cameras and survey equipment than any other ROV in its class. The minimal deck footprint of the Seaeye range is maintained with the combination of a 20 x 8ft single lift, A-Frame & winch LARS and a 20ft control cabin for easy transport and rapid mobilization.
