SSC design may be LCS based

Despite Chuck Hagel’s swiftly-announced resignation, the Defense Secretary will continue to “keep his foot on the pedal and moving forward” on such issues as the Small Surface Combatant (SSC) ship - a follow-on design review of the Littoral Combat Ship. Since early 2014, the Navy has been tasked to create a 20-ship class to replace LCS. SECDEF has been briefed on SSC, but hasn’t made a decision, but one is expected before January. Given the brevity of the SSC process, and costs of pursuing a totally new ship design, it appears the new design will be based on one or both of the current LCS hulls. (Source: USNI News, 11/25/14) Gulf Cost Shipbuilding Note: Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., builds the Independence class of LCS – one of two vendor-hulls still being constructed under existing Navy contracts.

OSHA cites Austal

MOBILE, Ala. – Shipbuilder Austal USA was cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for 12 safety and health violations following a May 2014 complaint. Proposed penalties total $41,500. Citations were issued for lack of standard railings on staircases, improperly secured gas cylinders, overexposure of workers to copper fumes during welding operations, failure to ensure workers followed safety procedures and other violations. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to respond. OSHA has cited the facility three times in the past five years. The shipbuilding told the Mobile paper that its total recordable incident rate is "well below the industry standard" and maintaining worker safety is its "number one priority" for the more than 4,200 workers in the Mobile shipyard. (Source: OSHA, al.com, 11/19/14)

Textron begins SSC fabrication

Textron Inc. began fabrication of the Navy's first Ship to Shore Connector (SSC) at its New Orleans facility Nov. 17. In October, the Navy approved Textron to start production following its SSC Production Readiness Review. The SSC benefits from a “mature design and sound production process, paving the way for many more craft to follow ... (and) fill a critical need to recapitalize the Navy's surface connectors," said Capt. Chris Mercer, program executive office for amphibious warfare. The SSC will serve as the evolutionary replacement for the existing fleet of Landing Craft,, Air Cushion (LCAC) vehicles. The SSC will be a high-speed, fully-amphibious landing craft capable of carrying a 74-ton payload with an enclosed personnel transport module that can hold up to 145 combat-equipped Marine Expeditionary Forces or 108 casualty personnel. (Naval Sea Systems Command, 11/17/14)

SSC decision by February

Senior Navy officials have made final presentations to Defense Department Secretary Chuck Hagel on its choice for a Small Surface Combatant (SSC). A decision by SECDEF Hagel, on what type ship to build after the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), should come in time “to inform” the FY 2016 budget submission - due in February 2015. The future course of the LCS program has been in doubt since last February, when Hagel directed the Navy to develop a more heavily armed warship. (Source: Defense News, 11/07/14) Gulf Coast shipbuilding: Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., builds the Independence Class LCS, one of two differing hull types, for the Navy.

LCS mine-killing drone prototype

The Navy is building a 40-foot-long unmanned surface vehicle designed to launch from a Littoral Combat Ship to detonate and destroy underwater mines while keeping ships and sailors at safe distances. The first prototype, scheduled to be finished by 2016, will pave the way for initial production of the Unmanned Influence Sweep System (UISS), according to Capt. David Honabach, program manager of unmanned maritime systems. The Navy hopes to have the UISS in the fleet by 2019. (Source: Defense Tech, 11/04/14) Gulf Coast Shipbuilding Note: Navy officials tested a prototype of UISS in October 2011 at NSWC Panama City, Fla.

Keel ceremony; NSC departure

Hamilton leaves Pascagoula. Ingalls photo

PASCAGOULA, Miss. -- Ingalls Shipbuilding division on Wednesday authenticated the keel of the sixth U.S. Coast Guard National Security Cutter, Munro (WMSL 755). The ship honors Coast Guard Signalman First Class Douglas A. Munro, who died in 1942 on Guadalcanal after evacuating a detachment of Marines. (Source: Huntington Ingalls Industries, 11/05/14). On Saturday, the fourth National Security Cutter built at Ingalls, Hamilton (WMSL 753), sailed away from the Pascagoula shipyard and will be commissioned Dec. 6 in Charleston, S.C.

CNO: Could lose Navy shipyards

Navy readiness won’t fully recover from 2013 sequestration if the FY-2016 Budget Control Act cuts (more sequestration) return, said CNO Adm. Jonathan Greenert. The nation might lose two of its five remaining major shipyards. “I worry about the shipbuilding industrial base.” If sequestration forces steep cuts to Navy’s shipbuilding account, the impact on the size of the fleet “would take years to manifest,” he said. Ships last for decades. Building fewer generally comes back to “bite you in a generation” … but “there’s some likelihood we lose one or two [ship] builders, and we only have five.” Bath (Maine) Iron Works; Electric Boat in Connecticut, Newport News, Va.; Ingalls, Miss.; and NASSCO in California are the “Big Five” Navy shipyards - since the Avondale (La.) closure. But the Big 5 are operated by two companies – Huntington-Ingalls Industries and General Dynamics. (Source: Breaking Defense, 11/04/14)