The new "Landing Ship Medium" which will be built for the U.S. Navy. (Image courtesy U.S. Navy)
MARINETTE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The U.S. Navy awarded Fincantieri Marinette Marine a $30 million contract to begin work on what’s expected to be a deal to build at least four new ships.
The new “Landing Ship Medium,” or LSM, will be used for transporting marines, supplies and equipment, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. LSMs are mid-size vessels that fill the gap between smaller landing crafts and large warships.
For Fincantieri Marinette Marine, the LSM program is welcome news in the wake of the Navy’s decision in December to end the Constellation-class frigate program. The Navy canceled contracts with Fincantieri for four ships, and the company laid off 100 workers as a result.
The $30 million will be used to start buying materials and for “the execution of critical industrial and production-readiness activities” in hopes of starting construction later this year, the company said in a news release.
“This award signals a great start towards making good use of our advanced serial production capabilities and towards getting the first four of these important ships built quickly. The Navy, with tremendous support from the administration and Congress, has made shipbuilding and a leaner acquisition process a national priority, and we appreciate their confidence in our ability to deliver to the warfighter,” said CEO George Moutafis.
Contracts for the ships themselves have not been awarded.
Comments