Dewey completes "super trial"

PASCAGOULA, Miss. – The Aegis guided missile destroyer Dewey (DDG 105) successfully completed its combined super trial last week in the Gulf of Mexico, paving the way for delivery to the Navy later this summer. The destroyer built by Northrop Grumman at its Gulf Coast facilities in Pascagoula is 510 feet and 9,500 tons. It has an overall beam of 59 feet and a navigational draft of 31 feet. Four gas-turbine propulsion plants power the ship to speeds above 30 knots. (Source: Northrop Grumman, 06/30/09)

Maritime center dedication set

MOBILE, Ala. – Gov. Bob Riley will be on hand Monday to dedicate the 22-acre site of the Maritime Science Center, which is scheduled to open in a year. The $12 million facility will train up to 700 people annually in trades for the shipbuilding industry. Local shipyards have said that, despite the struggling economy, they anticipate needing even more workers. Construction of the state-run center begins in October. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 06/28/09)

LCS builder's trial set

MOBILE, Ala. - The littoral combat ship Independence is set to go to sea for the first time Monday for a builder’s trial. Built by Austal USA, the aluminum trimaran ship has been under construction for more than three years. Acceptance trials are scheduled for August, with delivery slated for September. Austal is part of the General Dynamics LCS team. A rival team led by Lockheed Martin has completed its own version of the shallow-water vessel built to a different design. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 06/27/09)

More LCS competition?

The House approved a spending bill that would open the littoral combat ship program to more competition if costs aren’t contained by the two current teams. Under the $550 billion measure, the Navy would get enough money to buy three vessels in fiscal 2010 from Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics, which is working with Austal USA's shipyard in Mobile. If the teams fail to meet a cost ceiling of $460 million per ship, the Navy could develop a technical data package that could be shopped to new bidders. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 06/26/09)

Marine supplier gets new digs

MOBILE, Ala. - W&O of Jacksonville, Fla., a subsidiary of PON Holdings B.V. of the Netherlands, has moved from its facility at Brookley Field Industrial Complex to a 40,000-square-foot building in Theodore. W&O said growth over the past three years led to the move to a facility twice as large as its old location. W&O supplies marine valves, pipe fittings, engineered products and valve automation tools, and has been in Mobile 22 years. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 06/25/09)

Ship outfitted for NOAA

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's newest fisheries survey vessel is being outfitted at VT Halter Marine and should be ready in July. The 208-foot Pisces is docked in Bayou Casotte and will study, monitor and collect data on sea life and ocean conditions. It's designed for 40-day missions and will carry about 21 crew and 15 scientists from the NOAA Fisheries Service's Mississippi lab in Pascagoula. (Source: Mississippi Press, 06/20/09)

MARAD to repossess ferries

MOBILE, Ala. - The U.S. Maritime Administration plans to repossess and sell a pair of fast ferries built at Austal USA for Hawaii Superferry Inc., which owes $136.8 million to the agency. MARAD guaranteed the loans used to buy the ferries. The ferries are now docked at Atlantic Marine in Mobile. MARAD needs approval from bankruptcy court in Delaware. Hawaii Superferry Inc. filed for Chapter 11 reorganization May 30. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 06/24/09)

Contract: Northrop, $213.8M

Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding Inc., Pascagoula, Miss., is being awarded a $213,772,399 modification to previously awarded contract for the procurement of long lead time materials in support of LPD 26, the tenth LPD 17 Class ship. The Navy is modifying the contract for advanced procurement/manufacture, inspection, test, storage and maintenance of LLTM items and accomplishment of preconstruction activities to support the orderly construction of LPD 26. Work will be performed in Pascagoula and is expected to be completed by December 2013. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 06/23/09)

Contract: Austal, $99.6M

Austal USA, Mobile Ala., was awarded a $99,557,548 modification to previously awarded contract for long lead time material for Ships 2 and 3 of the Joint High Speed Vessel Program. This contract provides for main propulsion engines, aluminum, waterjets, reduction gears, generators, and other components. Work will be performed in Detroit, Mich., (38 percent); Chesapeake, Va., (18 percent); Henderson, Australia, (13 percent); Gulfport, Miss., (10 percent); Ravenswood, W.Va., (9 percent); and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., (4 percent); Mobile, Ala., (3 percent); Auburn, Ind., (2.6 percent); Winter Haven, Fla., (1 percent); Gardena, Calif., (1 percent); and Davenport, Iowa, (.4 percent). Work is expected to be complete by July 2013. The Naval Sea Systems Command is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 06/19/09)

Whale shark focus of expedition

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. – Biologists from the University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Lab took to the water recently to get a closer look at whale sharks, which gather by the hundreds in June and July within 30 miles of the coast. The crew of researchers and volunteers spent last week on their first whale shark fact-finding expedition to learn more about the fish. (Source: Sun Herald, Mississippi Press, 06/17/09)

Taylor, others oppose fish farms

Rep. Gene Taylor and 36 other lawmakers asked the Department of Commerce to reject a plan to allow fish farms in the Gulf of Mexico. The lawmakers, citing environmental concerns, wrote to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke in opposition to a Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council plan. The council, with representatives from Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana, Florida and Alabama, approved the plan in January following months of debate. (Source: Sun Herald, 06/15/09)

Creditors push bankruptcy

MOBILE, Ala. - Three creditors of Bender Shipbuilding & Repair Co. filed an involuntary bankruptcy petition in federal district court to have the shipyard's assets liquidated. They hope to get money they say they are owed. Bender called the assertions invalid, and the company said it expects the case to be dismissed. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 06/11/09)

LCS gets thumbs up

The Pentagon's top officer offered a thumbs up Tuesday for the littoral combat ship. Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he needs them deployed today. It was in response to a question at a hearing of the Senate defense appropriations subcommittee. Austal USA's shipyard in Mobile, Ala., is building a version of the LCS. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 06/10/09)

USM to upgrade data center

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. – The University of Southern Mississippi awarded Dell, Inc. to upgrade the Data Center for the Department of Marine Science at the Stennis Space Center Teaching and Research Site. The upgrade includes equipment racks that will house a high performance computing cluster of multiple blade servers and up to 27 terabytes of storage. (Source: University of Southern Mississippi, 06/09/09)

Signal finishes driller upgrade

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Signal International has completed the final phase of the upgrade of Frontier Drilling semisubmersible Frontier Driller ahead of schedule. The upgrade and modernization program was performed at the East Bank yard in Pascagoula. The rig has now returned to drill for Shell on Viosca Knoll Block 783 in the Gulf of Mexico. (Source: Energy Current, 06/04/09) Signal International is one of the largest marine and fabrication companies in the Gulf of Mexico with two production facilities in Pascagoula and four in Texas.