Atlantic Marine buys Millennium

MOBILE, Ala. - The purchase of Moss Point, Miss.-based Millennium Industrial and Marine Solutions by Atlantic Marine Holding Co. should help the Mississippi business capture more work contracts, company officials said. Millennium is a steel and pipe fabrication company specializing in on-site drill rig and offshore vessel repair and conversion. Atlantic Marine Holding Co. owns and operates one shipyard in Mobile and two near Jacksonville, Fla. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 01/01/09)

GAO rejects protest of Aegis contract

Raytheon's protest of the Navy's decision to award sole-source contracts to Lockheed Martin for its Aegis modernization program has been denied by the Government Accountability Office. Naval Sea Systems Command can now proceed with its plans to procure the ship-based Aegis Combat System Modernization on Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. (Source: AviationWeek, 12/31/08)

Contract: ABS, $55M

American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Houston, Texas, is being awarded a $55,000,000 contract to provide for ship classification and classification-related services for surface ships procured by Navy. New construction contracts require the ships be designed and constructed in accordance with ABS rules. About 46 percent of the work will be in support of new DDG ships in Pascagoula and Gulfport, Miss., and in Bath, Maine. Another 46 percent will be in support of future LCS construction at sites to be determined. The remaining 8 percent of services will be performed in Norfolk, Va., San Diego, Calif. and various worldwide points. Work will be completed by December 2013. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C. is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 12/29/08)

Ship set for commissioning

LONG BEACH, Calif. - The Navy returns to Long Beach to commission a new amphibious transport dock ship, the USS Green Bay (LPD 20) on Jan. 24, 2009. The Green Bay is the fourth of nine in a new class of amphibious ships. The Green Bay was built by Northrop Grumman in New Orleans. The 684-foot long ship will be used to transport Marines, equipment and supplies. San Diego, Calif., will be the Green Bay's home port. (Source: Contra Costa Times, 12/25/08)

P-8 funds to be shifted to DDG-1000?

Boeing's new P-8 patrol aircraft faces a cut of more than $900 million in the proposed fiscal 2010 defense budget to pay for a new DDG-1000 destroyer, according to budget documents. The ship is the last of three the Navy will buy from Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics. The fiscal 2010 ship plan also includes the purchase of two more DDG-51 destroyers. (Source: Bloomberg, 12/23/08). Northrop Grumman’s Pascagoula, Miss., shipyard is involved in both DDG-51 and DDG-1000 construction.

Ship performs well in builders trial

The Northrop Grumman-built Makin Island, the Navy's eighth and final Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, performed well during five days of builder trials earlier this month, Navy crewmembers from the ship's pre-commissioning unit reported. (Source: Mississippi Press, 12/23/08)

GD, Northrop to build subs

Electric Boat Corp., of Groton, Conn., is being awarded a $14 billion multiyear contract to build eight Virginia class submarines from fiscal year 2009 to fiscal year 2013. General Dynamics' Electric Boat is the prime contractor for the Virginia sub program. Construction will be split between GD facilities in Quonset Point, R.I., and Groton, Conn., and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding's Newport News, Va., shipyard. (Source: DoD, 12/22/08). Northrop Grumman also has shipyards for surface vessels in New Orleans, La., and Pascagoula, Miss.

Contract: Lockheed, $43.7M

Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors, Moorestown, N.J., is being awarded a $43,665,000 modification to previously awarded contract for engineering services for DDG 51 Class Aegis Combat System Installation, Integration and Test. Pascagoula, Miss., will perform 22 percent of the work that's expected to be completed by April 2010. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 12/19/08)

Contract: Northrop, $9.9M

Northrop Grumman Ship Systems Inc., Pascagoula, Miss., is being awarded a $9,950,000 firm fixed price contract modification to a previously awarded contract for the procurement of long lead time materials in support of LPD 26. Work will be performed in Pascagoula and is expected to be completed by December 2010. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 12/19/08)

Keel ceremony held for LPD 24

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - In a traditional Navy ceremony Thursday, the keel of the Navy's eighth amphibious transport dock ship, the Northrop Grumman-built Arlington (LPD 24), was authenticated. More than 100 people attended. The ship is named for the county where the Pentagon is located and honors those killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. LPD 24 is a 684-foot-long, 105-foot-wide LPD 17-class transport dock ship. (Source: Globe Newswire, 12/18/08)

VT Halter may add positions

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - VT Halter Marine could create 180 full-time jobs if it receives $5 million via federal grants to construct an $8 million pipe and marine fabrication building at its Pascagoula yard. The jobs would be mostly craftsmen positions, such as welders and shipfitters. (Source: Mississippi Press, 12/10/08)

Signal cuts positions

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Signal International has let go 200 to 250 workers at its Pascagoula shipyards over the past month. The cut positions were mostly for craftsmen, including welders, fitters and electricians. About 20 salaried support staff workers were also laid off, he said, while others were transferred to other positions. The cuts were brought about by the completion of several contracts. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 12/10/08)

Contract: Power Dynamics, $5.6M

Power Dynamics LLC, Stennis Space Center, Miss., is being awarded a $5,666,580 modification under a previously awarded contract to exercise an option that provides for the refurbishment of 10 Lighter, Amphibious, Re-Supply, Cargo amphibious landing craft. The total contract amount after exercise of this option will be $23,270,388. Work will be performed at Stennis Space Center, Miss., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2010. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Headquarters, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 12/08/08)

Contract: Northrop, $16.8M

Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, New Orleans, La., is being awarded a $16,801,209 modification to previously awarded contract for Life Cycle Engineering and Support services on the LPD 17 Class Amphibious Transport Dock Ship Program. Work will be performed in Pascagoula, Miss. (60 percent) and New Orleans, La. (40 percent), and work is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2009. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 12/04/08)

Workboat show begins

NEW ORLEANS, La. - The 29th annual International WorkBoat Show got underway Wednesday at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The largest maritime trade show in North America is expected to draw 10,000 visitors. The show has attracted more than 1,000 exhibitors. (Source: Times-Picayune, 12/03/08)

Zumwalt contract change awarded

Bath Iron Works of Bath, Maine, is being awarded a $45.8 million modification to a previously awarded contract to exercise an option for services associated with the detail design and construction of the DDG 1000 Zumwalt class destroyer. Work is expected to be completed by November 2010. (Source: DoD, 12/01/08) Northrop Grumman, Pascagoula, Miss., is also involved in the DDG 1000 program.

New date set for ship delivery

The Navy and Northrop Grumman settled on new goals for delivery of the next big-deck amphibious assault ship. The original date for delivery of Makin Island, under construction in Pascagoula, Miss., had been Nov. 14. But wiring problems required rework, and Northrop Grumman will bear the $360 million cost. The ship's new schedule calls for builders' trials to begin in late January with the new delivery date of May 15. (Source: Navy Times, 11/26/08)

GCRL hosts fisheries workshop

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. - The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Laboratory will present a free workshop on Mississippi’s marine fisheries at 7 p.m. Dec. 4 in the Caylor Auditorium. It's open to the general public. Topics will include Mississippi’s spotted seatrout population monitoring, Tag and Release Program updates, tarpon occurrences in Mississippi, striped bass habitat and tracking, spotted seatrout spawning habitat and other issues pertinent to Mississippi’s fisheries. For more information, contact Read Hendon, GCRL fisheries biologist, at 228.872.4202. (Source: University of Southern Mississippi, 11/24/08)

VT Halter launches barge

MOSS POINT, Miss. - VT Halter Marine christened and launched a $14.7 million, 80,000-barrel oil tank barge for Barges Unlimited Friday after 14 months of work on the vessel. The double-hulled barge is 332 feet long and was constructed entirely at the Moss Point yard, which employs about 175 workers. (Source: Mississippi Press, 11/22/08)

Winter still unhappy with LPD 17

WASHINGTON - Navy Secretary Donald Winter is still unhappy with the USS San Antonio, the first in a new class of LPD 17 amphibious ships. But builder Northrop Grumman says the Navy changed the design too often, and Hurricane Katrina also affected work at the Gulf Coast shipyard where it was built. (Source: Reuters, 11/18/08)