Austal begins expansion of shipyard

Austal begins expansion of shipyard    The Australian shipbuilding company Austal marked the start of construction on a new facility in Mobile, Ala., with a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday.
   The so-called modular manufacturing facility will include 700,000 square feet of manufacturing space, 80,000 square feet of warehouse space, and 60,000 square feet of office space and will ultimately accommodate 1,200 workers.
   The facility will be capable of constructing six large aluminum vessels such as the Navy's Littoral Combat Ship or Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV) per year. Just this week Austal submitted a 'Phase 2' proposal for the JHSV to the U.S. Navy. Austal was one of three bidders awarded a Phase I contract in January and it is anticipated that a single Phase II contract will be awarded later this year for the construction of up to 10 ships.
   Ships being built at Austal include the Littoral Combat Ship Independence, which was launched in April and is soon to be christened and the second ferry for the company Hawaii Superferry, which is due to be launched in September and begin service early next year.