From Navy Times

 

Navy awards Northrop $2.4B contract for LHA 6s

The Associated Press

Posted : Saturday Jun 2, 2007 16:07:28 EDT

 

PASCAGOULA, Miss. — The U.S. Navy has awarded a $2.4 billion contract to Northrop Grumman Ship Systems to design and build the first replacement amphibious assault ship.

 

The work will be done at Northrop’s shipyards in Pascagoula and New Orleans.

 

The contract, announced Friday, will fund construction of the first, next-generation “bid-deck” amphibious ship, dubbed LHA 6.

 

The Navy said Northrop is expected to deliver the ship by 2012.

 

The ship will have such enhanced capabilities as an enlarged hangar deck, expanded maintenance facilities and the ability to operate and support more than 20 Joint Strike Fighters.

 

“This contract award reinforces the U.S. Navy’s confidence that we have recovered from the effects of Hurricane Katrina and are capable of meeting the war-fighters’ needs in a timely and cost-effective manner,” Philip Teel, president of Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, said in a statement.

 

Company spokesman Bill Glenn said the new contract represents more work for Northrop, which is constructing several different classes of ships at its Pascagoula, Gulfport, Miss., and New Orleans yards. The company also is building Aegis destroyers, Coast Guard cutters and different classes of amphibious ships.

 

“Building several different classes all at once is unique to the industry,” Glenn said. “There’s lots of work going on, and it’s obviously great news for the company and the shipbuilders here in Pascagoula.”

 

Glenn said workers building another amphibious ship will move to the new contract as they finish, keeping employment numbers at the same level.

"The Navy said Northrop is expected to deliver the ship by 2012" from the article.

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it strange that during WWII we could pump out ships rather quickly, but in modern times it takes 5 years or more.

Granted the modern ships are more technologically complex and advanced, but I would think that our ways and means of building them would be too. Lord knows we need a new LH_ class ship; several actually, but I still think the time it takes to build them is a bit too long.

 

Jeff

I tend to agree, Jeff. Undoubtedly the differences in military production between the era of the World Wars and today are huge, in terms of technology, economic situation and impetus. But the commercial shipbuilding industry, at least as I understand it, far outstrips the naval industry. I think there are probably more commercial ships being built now than ever before, and although the naval shipyards have attempted to implement some of the commercial practises, standards and designs, they still can't build ships as fast, and the products they are turning out have many serious problems (e.g. LPD-17 San Antonio).