LITTORAL COMBAT SHIP CHRISTENED INDEPENDENCE (LCS 2)
Wednesday, Oct 08, 2008The General Dynamics Littoral Combat Ship Team (GD LCS Team) christened the LCS 2 Independence Saturday, October 4, on the waters of the Mobile Bay at the Austal USA shipyard. Present at the Christening Ceremony were over 1,000 guests and dignitaries. The Ship Sponsor was Doreen A. Scott, wife of the 10th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, Terry D. Scott. She was joined by her daughter, Maid of Honor, Lauren A. Scott, but her daughter, Matron of Honor Ensign Lindsay Fatz, USN, was out of the country on orders.
Speakers at the ceremony included: Robert Browning, Managing director and CEO, Austal Ltd.; Dugan Shipway, President, Bath Iron Works; the Honorable Sean Stackley, Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition); the Honorable Donald Winter, Secretary of the Navy; the Honorable Jo Bonner, U.S. Representative, Alabama's First District; and the Principal Speaker, Senator Jeff Sessions, from Alabama. Of the LCS 2 project, Secretary Winter said "USS Independence will play a pioneering role in our Nation's effort to protect our interests and to ensure the stability of the global economy." Principal Speaker, Senator Sessions, commented "I'm proud of Austal and its workforce. In a few years it has grown from zero to over 1,000 employees. With the new facility (referring to Austal's new modular manufacturing facility which has begun construction) seven times the size of these two bays, thousands more will be employed providing an efficient rate of production because 25 percent of our Navy ships will be Littoral Combat Ships."
The LCS 2 is the first ship built by Austal USA for the U.S. Navy and the Navy's first trimaran littoral combat ship. It is the first naval warship constructed in Mobile, Alabama since World War II.
Since its keel laying in January 2006, Independence has steadily progressed within Austal USA's purpose built construction facility in Mobile, Alabama, toward becoming a formidable warship. The Christening Ceremony offered the shipbuilder the opportunity to display the progress made thus far to over 1,000 participants.
The 127-meter Austal trimaran seaframe is the platform for the LCS's mission and weapon systems. This seaframe provides superior seakeeping and aviation as a result of its long, slender central hull and smaller side hulls ("amahs"). The trimaran hullform provides a huge internal mission deck with a large payload carrying capacity and superior seakeeping capability. Located above the mission bay is the largest flight deck on a surface combatant capable of conducting dual H-60 helicopter operations and accommodating the US Navy's largest helicopter, an H-53, a feature not available on similar size naval warships. The vertical location of the flight deck on the trimaran hull form provides the highest flight deck elevation on a combatant ship other than a major amphibious vessel or aircraft carrier.
Austal USA Update
The christening of Independence (LCS 2) closely follows the recent launch of the second Hawaii Superferry vessel. A 113-meter vehicle and passenger carrying aluminum catamaran, Hawaii Superferry is Austal USA's largest construction project to date and is the largest high speed aluminium catamaran built in the USA.
Austal USA broke ground earlier this summer for a 750,000 square foot Modular Manufacturing Facility (MMF). The first phase is due for completion in mid-2009 and the resulting production line will enable the construction of three large aluminium vessels per year. The second phase of the construction is expected to begin shortly thereafter and will double Austal's shipbuilding capability to six large vessels per year.
Austal submitted its final Phase II Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV) submission to the US Navy in July following an extensive detailed design and review process. Austal was one of three bidders awarded a Phase I contract in January and it is anticipated that a single Phase II contract will be awarded in late 2008 for the construction of up to ten ships. The JHSV requirements and concept of operations are similar to those of the Austal-built "WestPac Express", which has been successfully serving the Third Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa, Japan for over seven years, the first and largest serving high speed vessel for the US Defense Department.
ENDS
High resolution images of the Littoral Combat Ship launch can be downloaded from the Austal media gallery at: http://www.austal.com/media/media-login.cfm
For further information contact:
Bill Pfister or Michelle Bowden
Tel: 251 434 8000
Fax: 251 445 1955
Email: michelle.bowden@austalusa.com
Website: www.austal.com
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