Austal marks milestone

MOBILE, Ala. - Austal celebrated a milestone Tuesday, cutting the first piece of aluminum on LCS 6, the first ship in a projected 10-vessel, $3.5 billion deal. The latest ship, which will be christened the Jackson, is the first that Austal USA will build as a prime contractor for the U.S. Navy. Austal built both a previous LCS and one under construction as a subcontractor for General Dynamics Corp. Austal President Joe Rella said the company has overcome a design flaw discovered earlier this year on LCS 2 that allowed corrosion where two different metals joined. He said the fix is designed into the Jackson. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 08/03/11)