Changes ahead for Austal USA?

MOBILE, Ala. - There may be changes ahead for Navy shipbuilder Austal USA of Mobile, but nothing the company’s president Craig Perciavalle says they can’t handle. Austal USA builds one of the two variants of Littoral Combat Ship. Last week, the Navy issued an industry-wide ‘Request For Information’ for design information details for its future fleet of up-gunned frigates. Perciavalle says Austal’s Independence variant of LCS can fit the bill. LCS critics have pointed to the lack of armament of the LCS as its weak point. Austal USA has shown plans where a vertical-launch missile system (VLS) can be fitted into the existing LCS platform with little major redesign. On a second front, the Gulf Coast shipbuilder is facing a hurdle in the form of the U.S. Senate, which is calling for the funding of only one Austal-built LCS for the FY 2018 national budget. U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.) says the magic number is three, which was in the House’s version of the budget. The lawmaker says three ships per year maintains efficiencies, keeps costs per ship down, and maintains stable employment. Austal USA is Mobile's largest employer. Byrne says he will lobby senators, including Alabama’s Luther Strange (R-Ala.), who serves on the Armed Services Committee and voted for the Senate version of funding. (Source: WKRG 07/20/17) Strange was selected for the Senate post last year when then-Sen. Jeff Session (R-Ala.) was appointed U.S. Attorney General. Strange will go before Alabama voters in what may be a contentious election in 2018.