The budget and shipbuilders

Shipbuilders in Pascagoula, Miss., and Mobile, Ala., will feel an impact from the Pentagon's budget plan outlined Thursday. Littoral Combat Ships built by Austal USA in Mobile and Marinette Marine in Wisconsin will get expanded roles. The Navy intends to base some in Singapore and Bahrain. The 15 LCSs that were to be purchased from 2013 to 2017 was trimmed to 13, but the largest shipbuilding reduction would cut eight of nine planned Austal Joint High Speed Vessels. The budget proposal also delays by a year the start of construction for the Huntington Ingalls LHA-8 large-deck amphibious vessel, but doesn't slow Navy plans to buy additional Arleigh Burke-class DDG-51 destroyers from General Dynamics and Huntington Ingalls. (Source: Bloomberg, 01/26/12)