Austal USA Awarded LCS Maintenance Contract
The U.S. Navy awarded Austal USA a sustainment execution contract (SEC) for repair, maintenance and modernization of all Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) homeported in San Diego. This includes all Austal-built Independence-variant LCS as well as the west-coast based Freedom-variant LCS.The SEC West award will enable the company to further expand its current San Diego service center while offering a greater range and depth of support available to the U.S. Navy. Austal USA is also expanding…
Austal USA Delivers Future USS Savannah
Austal USA delivered the future USS Savannah, the 14th Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), to the U.S. Navy June 25. Savannah (LCS 28) is the seventh ship Austal has delivered to the Navy in less than two years.LCS is a fast, agile, focused-mission platform designed for operation in near-shore environments yet capable of open-ocean operation. It is designed to defeat asymmetric “anti-access” threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft. The…
Austal USA Wins Contract for Autonomous EPF
The U.S. Navy has awarded shipbuilder Austal USA a $44 million contract to establish the expeditionary fast transport USNS Apalachicola (EPF 13) as an autonomous prototype.Austal USA, builder of the Spearhead-class EPF, will design, procure, implement and demonstrate EPF 13 as an autonomous platform. This award builds on Austal USA’s previous autonomous work for the U.S. Department of Defense.The enhancements will allow EPF 13 to operate autonomously while retaining the capability for manned operation.
Austal USA Appoints New President
Austal USA announces the promotion of Craig Perciavalle to President, Austal USA. Mr. Perciavalle is currently serving as Senior Vice President of Operations. He joined Austal USA in 2007, serving in a number of senior management positions while overseeing Austal’s transition from a small, conventional commercial shipyard to an efficient, modular manufacturer of the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship and Joint High Speed Vessel. Austal USA Interim President and Chief Financial Officer, Brian Leathers, was promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
Austal Officially Opens Navy Administration Building
Navy to occupy new office space by the end of October. This morning over 30 distinguished guests joined Austal and the Navy in celebrating the official opening of the new Navy Administration Building with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The guests were welcomed by Austal USA’s Senior Vice President of Operations, Craig Perciavalle. Other event participants included: Brian Leathers - Austal USA Interim President and CFO, Capt. Stephen W. Mitchell (USN) – Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Gulf Coast…
Austal Lays Keel for LCS 6
Austal held a keel-laying ceremony for the third Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) – Jackson (LCS 6), one of five Austal-designed 127-m U.S. Navy Independence-variant LCS under contract with the U.S. Navy. Dr. Katherine Holmes Cochran, the ship’s sponsor, was present to weld her initials onto the keel plate as the Keel Authenticator. She was assisted by J.B. Craig, III, who is an “A” Class welder that has been part of the Austal team since November of 2011. Dr. Cochran is the daughter of U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and his wife Rose Clayton Cochran.
Austal Launches USNS Choctaw County
1 of 7 Navy Ships under construction at Austal USA. On October 1, 2012, Austal USA successfully completed the launch process of the second Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV), the recently christened USNS Choctaw County (JHSV 2). This 103-meter high-speed catamaran represents the U.S. Department of Defense’s next generation multi-use platform. It is part of a 10-ship program potentially worth over US$1.6 billion. Brian Leathers, Austal USA Interim President and Chief Financial Officer commented, “This is the ship’s first voyage, one of many in its future.
First-In-Class Joint High Speed Vessel Completes Trials
First-in-class Joint High Speed Vessel USNS Spearhead (JHSV 1), the high-speed catamaran transport ship under construction at Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama, successfully completed Acceptance Trials (AT) on August 17, 2012, in the Gulf of Mexico. To achieve this milestone, the Navy conducted comprehensive tests which demonstrated the successful performance of the ship’s major systems and equipment to include the propulsion plant, ship handling and auxiliary systems. Craig Perciavalle…
Austal Graduates Four-Year Apprentices
Part of Austal’s growing talent pool – 3,000 and counting. Austal USA honored 15 graduates of Austal’s cutting-edge four-year apprenticeship program yesterday at a ceremony held in the new Office Complex Multi-Use Room. This was recently the same backdrop for a ribbon-cutting ceremony which celebrated the official opening of three new buildings at Austal’s state-of-the-art shipbuilding operation in Mobile, Ala. The graduates received their certificates of completion and designation as Department of Labor Class A Journeymen.
CORONADO (LCS 4) Completes Combat Systems Light Off
U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions assists - (R) AL. On July 6, U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions joined Austal, General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems and General Dynamics Bath Iron Works personnel in completing the Combat Systems Light Off milestone in the second Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship, Coronado (LCS 4). Senator Sessions operated the 57mm gun from the bridge of LCS 4 and he was able to demonstrate the gun’s ability to target another ship and track its progress. This milestone signifies that Coronado’s advanced computer…