Austal christened USNS Millinocket (JHSV 3) this morning (20 April) at its state-of-the-art shipyard in Mobile, Alabama. USNS Millinocket
is the third of ten Joint High Speed Vessels (JHSV) Austal has under
contract with the U.S. Navy as part of an overall 10-ship contract worth
over $1.6 billion.
The 338-foot (103 metre) catamaran vessel was named Millinocket
by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus on May 30, 2012, after the Maine
towns of East Millinocket and Millinocket. According to Secretary Mabus,
“Millinocket displays American values of community and ingenuity at
their best. I chose to name the joint high speed vessel after East
Millinocket and Millinocket to honor those values and the men and women
of the community that represents them no less today than it did in the
early 1900s.”
The ship’s sponsor, the Honorable Karen Gordon
Mills, was sworn in as Administrator of the Small Business
Administration in April 2009. A Maine resident, Ms. Mills has served in
the President’s Cabinet since January 2012, where she is a key member of
the President’s economic leadership team reflecting the important role
that small businesses and entrepreneurs play in our nation’s long-term
economic growth and prosperity.
Under her leadership, SBA had a
record year in 2011, supporting more than $30 billion in lending to more
than 60,000 small businesses across the United States. Over the last
three years, Administrator Mills has streamlined and simplified SBA’s
core loan programs, reduced paperwork, shortened turnaround times and
increased transparency across the agency.
“Administrator Mills
was a particularly appropriate sponsor for this Navy ship,” said Austal
USA President Craig Perciavalle, “it is a wonderful way to honor the
more than 200 small businesses nationwide that support the JHSV
program.”
Over 600 naval and shipyard guests attended the
ceremony, which was held underneath the ship, between the iconic twin
hulls of the USNS Millinocket. Vice Admiral William R. Burke,
USN, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfare Systems, was the
principal speaker at the event.
Austal USA President, Craig Perciavalle, praised the ship, saying, “USNS Millinocket
is a revolutionary new platform that will bring an unprecedented level
of flexibility, mobility, efficiency and support to our Combatant
Commanders and nation.” He also praised the shipbuilders, saying “The USNS Millinocket is a great ship, built by great Navy shipbuilders, master craftsmen who worked tirelessly to bring this new ship to life.”
Austal
USA is a full-service shipyard offering design, construction and
high-speed vessel service and repair. As Austal USA continues to expand
its service and repair capabilities, the company is well-positioned for
new business with engineering, test and trials capabilities, and a new
waterfront facility on the Mobile Bay waterfront.
Austal has
been contracted by the U.S. Navy to build ten 103-metre JHSVs under a
10-ship, US$1.6 billion contract, one of which has already been
delivered, and eight 127-metre Independence-variant LCS class ships
(including USS Independence, delivered to the Navy in 2009), six of which are a part of a 10-ship, $3.5 billion contract.
Four JHSVs and four LCSs are currently under construction in Austal’s Mobile, Alabama shipyard.
For
the LCS and JHSV programs, Austal, as prime contractor, is teamed with
General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, a business unit of
General Dynamics. As the ship systems integrator for the LCS program,
General Dynamics is responsible for the design, integration and testing
of the ship’s electronic systems including the combat system, networks,
and seaframe control. General Dynamics’ proven open architecture
approach allows for affordable and efficient capability growth as
technologies develop.
These two contracts will require Austal to
increase its Mobile, Alabama workforce to approximately 4,000 employees
in order to fulfill the contract requirements.
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