Fred Harris News

Huntington Ingalls Industries announced that the Society of Naval Architect and Marine Engineers (SNAME) awarded HII President and CEO Mike Petters the 2019 Vice Admiral Emory S. “Jerry” Land Medal. Petters received the Land Medal on Thursday during the Annual SNAME Banquet, held in Tacoma, WA.Mike Petters Accepts Land AwardHII President and CEO Mike Petters, center, accepts the 2019 Vice Admiral Emory S. “Jerry” Land Medal from, at left, Fred Harris, former president of General Dynamics NASSCO and Bath Iron Works…

Tomorrow’s high tech fleets will depend on shipyards – long after the christening is over. Siemens PLM software makes that dream possible – today. According to global powerhouse Siemens, a major transformation is underway in the marine sector. As operators strive to develop more energy-efficient, reliable and environmentally friendly vessels that also lower operating costs, they will increasingly depend on shipyards to make that happen. That’s right: shipyards. Long after the vessel slides into the water and the christening party is but a distant memory, the clean and efficient workboat of tomorrow will leverage a wealth of data that the builder will manage. Before any of that happens, shipbuilders will also need to design and build ships faster and better than ever before.

General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) said that in the wake the retirement of Frederick J. Harris  effective January 1, 2017, Dirk A. Lesko will be a vice president of the corporation and appointed as president of General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, and Kevin M. Graney will be a vice president of the corporation and appointed as president of General Dynamics NASSCO. “Dirk and Kevin are seasoned leaders with proven track records of managing complex shipbuilding projects and driving continuous improvement at every level of their business,” said John P. Casey, executive vice president, Marine Systems.

The U.S. Navy’s newest guided-missile destroyer, Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001), was christened on Saturday, June 18 at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works shipyard in Bath, Maine. The second ship of the Zumwalt-class, DDG 1001 is named for Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor, who was deployed to Iraq in Operation Iraqi Freedom and was killed Sept. 29, 2006, in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. Sally Monsoor, Petty Officer Monsoor’s mother, the ship's sponsor, officially christened the ship by breaking a bottle of champagne against the ship’s bow.

U.S. shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO launched and christened Garden State, another ECO Class tanker due to join the Jones Act fleet. Launched and christened on Saturday, May 7, the new ship, will join the ranks as one of the most fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly product tankers in the world, the builder said. Garden State is the third of a five-tanker contract between NASSCO and American Petroleum Tankers, which calls for the design and construction of five 50,000 deadweight ton, LNG-conversion-ready product carriers with a 330,000 barrel cargo capacity.

On Saturday, April 23, General Dynamics NASSCO hosted a christening ceremony for the second Jones Act ECO Class tanker for American Petroleum Tankers (APT) under construction at the company's shipyard in San Diego. U.S. Representative Scott Peters spoke at the ceremony, and the ship’s sponsor, Trang Cormack, christened the ship with the traditional break of a champagne bottle alongside the ship. The ECO Class tanker, the Magnolia State, is the second of a five-tanker contract between NASSCO and APT…

San Diego based shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO delivered three lead ships in 2015: USNS Lewis B. Puller, the Isla Bella and the Lone Star State. Each vessel represents three new and separate ship classes and highlights the builder’s diverse portfolio of commercial and government contracts, the company said. In June, NASSCO delivered the USNS Lewis B. Puller to the U.S. Navy, the first ship in the Expeditionary Base Mobile (ESB) class. Previously classified as a Mobile Landing Platform Afloat Forward Staging Base (MLP AFSB)…

Maritime innovation never stops, and 2015 was certainly no exception, as a number of “world firsts” hit the high seas. In its December 2015 edition Maritime Reporter & Engineering News (http://digitalmagazines.marinelink.com/nwm/MaritimeReporter/201512/) presented its “Great Ships of 2015;” MarineLink.com takes the process one step further, and here confer the “Top Five Ships” of 2015. With a gross tonnage of 168,666, somewhat smaller than the world's largest Oasis class vessels, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

General Dynamics NASSCO, today, delivered the company's first ECO Class tanker, the Lone Star State, to American Petroleum Tankers (APT). The new ECO Class tanker symbolizes the emerging direction of the shipping industry in the U.S. toward cleaner, more fuel-efficient modes of transporting product. The tanker is the first of a five-tanker contract between NASSCO and APT, which calls for the design and construction of five 50,000 deadweight-ton, LNG-conversion-ready product tankers with a 330,000 barrel cargo capacity. The 610-foot-long tankers are a new "ECO" design, offering significantly improved fuel efficiency and the latest environmental protection features including a Ballast Water Treatment System.

Shipping company TOTE and shipbuilder NASSCO on Saturday launched Perla del Caribe, the second of two Marlin Class ships – the first containerships in the world to be powered by natural gas. The christening and launch ceremony took place at General Dynamics NASSCO’s shipyard in San Diego. The 764-foot-long Perla del Caribe and sister ship, christened Isla Bella, are Jones Act vessels built for the Puerto Rican trade for TOTE Shipholdings and will be operated by TOTE subsidiary Sea Star Line out of Jacksonville, Fla.

The U.S. Navy has awarded funding for the construction of DDG 122, the Fiscal Year 2015 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer under contract at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works. This $610.4 million contract modification fully funds this ship which was awarded in 2013 as part of a multi-ship competition for DDG 51 class destroyers. The total value of the five-ship contract is approximately $3.4 billion. General Dynamics Bath Iron Works is a business unit of General Dynamics. Fred Harris, president of Bath Iron Works, said, "This announcement allows us to continue efforts associated with planning and construction of DDG 122. We appreciate the leadership of Senators Collins and King and the strong support of our entire delegation in matters of national defense.

The United Seamen's Service (USS) 2014 Admiral of the Ocean Sea Awards (AOTOS) were presented to Stephen Cotton, General Secretary of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF); Joseph J. Cox, President/CEO, Chamber of Shipping of America; and Frederick J. Harris, President of General Dynamics NASSCO and Bath Iron Works, an American shipbuilder. The maritime industry's most prestigious awards were presented at a gala industry dinner and dance held at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, New York City, on November 7, 2014.

The U.S. Navy awarded General Dynamics Bath Iron Works a $100 million contract to provide planning yard services for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program. General Dynamics Bath Iron Works is a business unit of General Dynamics. Bath Iron Works, as the LCS Planning Yard, will provide maintenance and modernization support for all Navy LCS 1 and LCS 2 variant ships.Work to be performed under this contract includes availability advanced planning, ship alteration design and logistics support, material support, ship planned maintenance, class services, onboard maintenance, and planning of all maintenance availabilities in the U.S. and abroad. Bath Iron Works is also the planning yard for the DDG 51 and FFG 7 ship classes.

The United Seamen's Service (USS) informs that 2014 Admiral of the Ocean Sea Awards (AOTOS) will be presented to Stephen Cotton, General Secretary of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF); Joseph J. Cox, President/CEO, Chamber of Shipping of America; and Frederick J. Harris, President of  American shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO. The awards will be presented at a gala industry dinner and dance to be held at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, New York City, on November 7, 2014. Recognition will also be given to American Seafarers for specific acts of bravery and heroism while at sea. In announcing the recipients…

In February, the U.S. Coast Guard chose three finalists to design its new Offshore Patrol Cutters, with awards to Bollinger Shipyards in Lockport, La., Eastern Shipbuilding Group in Panama City, Fla. and General Dynamics’ Bath Iron Works in Maine. Each company was awarded a Phase I design contract valued at between $21 million and $22 million. At the end of the 18-month Preliminary and Contract Design Phase I, the Coast Guard will choose one company’s team for a Phase II Detailed Design and Construction contract for the lead OPC.

General Dynamics NASSCO today delivered the USNS John Glenn (MLP 2), the second ship of the Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) class, to the U.S. Navy. The ship is named after the Honorable John Glenn for his exceptional and decorated service as a U.S. Marine Corps pilot, astronaut and U.S. Senator. Construction of the USNS John Glenn began in April 2012. Throughout the MLP program, NASSCO has incorporated more than 10,000 improvement ideas into its operations which contributed to controlling costs and delivering the MLP 2 on schedule with no open discrepancies.

Fireworks marked the first cut of steel in a ceremony last night as construction of TOTE, Inc.’s new Marlin Class, the first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered containership in the world, began at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego, Calif. “These ships, will be the most advanced, environmentally progressive vessels of their kind,” state Representative Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation said, “but they also represent $350 million in U.S. The Marlin class vessels mark a new age in American shipbuilding.

The U.S. Coast Guard has awarded General Dynamics Bath Iron Works a $21.4 million contract for the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) program. Bath Iron Works is one of three shipyards chosen from a field of eight competitors to proceed to Phase I design work on this next-generation cutter program. The Bath Iron Works team includes L-3 Communications (New York, N.Y.) and Navantia, S.A. (Spain), a shipbuilder that Bath Iron Works has collaborated with for more than 30 years. Bath Iron Works president Fred Harris said the Coast Guard design contract was an important development as the shipyard seeks to expand its customer base and maintain its design and manufacturing workload.

General Dynamics NASSCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics inform that the new ship, (named in honor of the famed Marine Corps pilot, Congressional Space Medal of Honor recipient and four-term U.S. senator) is the second of 3 Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) vessels designed and built by NASSCO. The christening ceremony took place at NASSCO's San Diego shipyard. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert was the ceremony's principal speaker, and Lyn Glenn…

General Dynamics NASSCO today hosted a keel laying ceremony for the USNS Lewis B. Puller, the third ship in the Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) class. The ship is named in honor of Lewis B. Puller, the most decorated U.S. Marine in history and the only one to be awarded five Navy Crosses. Mrs. Elizabeth Glueck was the honoree for the keel-laying ceremony. She is the wife of Lieutenant General Kenneth J. Glueck, Jr., deputy commandant for Combat Development and Integration; commanding general, Marine Corps Combat Development Command; and commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Strategic Command. Mrs.

American Shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, announced that it has entered into a contract with an affiliate of American Petroleum Tankers (APT), a company majority owned by funds managed by Blackstone on behalf of its investors, for the design and construction of four 50,000 deadweight ton LNG-conversion-ready product carriers with a 330,000 barrel cargo capacity. The contract includes options to build four additional ships. Construction of the first tanker is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2014…

Testifying on behalf of the American Maritime Partnership, Kirby Corporation Chairman & CEO Joseph Pyne urged Members of Congress to strongly support the Jones Act for the economic, national security and homeland security benefits it provides to the United States. Mr. Pyne delivered his testimony at a May 21 hearing before the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation on “The Role of U.S. Ships and Mariners.” The first panel consisted of government witnesses who discussed the government’s role supporting U.S. ships and mariners, including John Porcari, Deputy Secretary of Transportation, and Gen. William Fraser, Commander, U.S. Transportation Command. The second panel consisted of U.S.

General Dynamics NASSCO recently delivered USNS Montford Point (MLP-1), the lead ship of the Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) class, to the U.S. Navy. The ship is named in honor of Camp Montford Point, the Jacksonville, N.C., site where the first African-American Marines were trained. Construction of the USNS Montford Point began in May 2011, incorporating a “design-build” approach to improve the ship’s readiness for production. The 785-foot-long auxiliary ship will serve as a floating base for amphibious operations, and operate as a transfer point between large ships and small landing craft. “Congratulations to the NASSCO-Navy-MSC team and to the entire group who built this ship,” said Fred Harris, president of General Dynamics NASSCO.