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With the assistance of Berard Transportation and BAE Systems’ Southeast Shipyard, the launch of Montgomery was conducted in a multi-step process which involved lifting the entire 1,600-metric-ton ship almost three feet in the air, moving it approximately 400 feet onto a moored deck barge adjacent to the assembly bay, then transferring the LCS to a floating dry dock, BAE’s Drydock Alabama. The floating dry dock was submerged with Montgomery entering the water for the first time. The ship is now moored in the Mobile River in front of Austal USA’s facility, where it will undergo final outfitting and activation before sea trials and delivery to the Navy. The LCS program is vibrant at Austal USA with five ships currently under construction. Jackson (LCS 6) was christened in March and is preparing for sea trials later this year; Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) is being assembled in preparation for launch later this year; and construction is well underway in Austal’s Module Manufacturing Facility (MMF) on Omaha (LCS 12) and Manchester (LCS 14), with Tulsa (LCS 16) starting in early August. Austal, as prime contractor, is teamed with General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems (GD-AIS) for the Independence-variant LCS program. GD-AIS is the ship systems integrator, responsible for the design, integration and testing of the navigation systems, C4I, and aviation systems. Austal has also been contracted by the U.S. Navy to build ten, 103-meter JHSVs under a 10-ship, $1.6 billion contract. Three of the ten have already been delivered. Austal continues to make steady forward progress on the JHSV program as USNS Fall River (JHSV 4), which recently completed acceptance trials, prepares for delivery to the Navy in the fall. Trenton (JHSV 5) is to be launched in September. Construction on Brunswick (JHSV 6) is also well underway in Austal’s Mobile, Ala. shipyard. About Austal Austal is a global defense prime contractor and a designer and manufacturer of defense and commercial ships. For more than 25 years Austal has been a leader in the design, construction and maintenance of revolutionary ships for Governments, Navies and Ferry operators around the world. More than 250 vessels have been delivered in that time. Ships Defense vessels designed and built by Austal include multi-mission combatants, such as the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) for the United States Navy and military high speed vessels for transport and humanitarian relief, such as the Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV) for the United States Navy and High Speed Support Vessel (HSSV) for the Royal Navy of Oman. Austal also designs, constructs, integrates and maintains an extensive range of patrol and auxiliary vessels for government agencies globally, including the Cape Class Patrol Boat Program for Australian Customs and Border Protection. Defense vessels are designed and constructed in Mobile, Alabama and in Henderson, Western Australia. Austal has been at the forefront of the high speed ferry market since the early days of the industry. Our market leading designs of high performance aluminum vessels have long been at the heart of Austal’s research and development. Today, commercial ship construction is centered on our shipyard in Balamban, Philippines. Systems Austal has expertise in integrating complex systems into its ships, including ride control, ship management, and communication, sensors and weapon systems. Support Austal provides a wide range of support services, including through life support, integrated logistics support, vessel sustainment and systems support. These services are delivered through our global support network in the USA, Australia, Asia, the Caribbean and the Middle East together with partner shipyards worldwide. Austal press release |
