{"id":25,"date":"2008-11-15T11:12:08","date_gmt":"2008-11-15T16:12:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dmzhawaii.org\/dev\/wordpress\/?p=25"},"modified":"2008-12-22T08:31:14","modified_gmt":"2008-12-22T17:01:14","slug":"superferrry-builder-lands-a-big-military-contract","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dmzhawaii.org\/?p=25","title":{"rendered":"Superferrry builder lands a big military contract"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Austal corporation, builder of the two Hawaii Superferry ships has just won a $1.6 billion Joint High Speed Vessel contract from the U.S. Department of Defense to build up to ten similarly designed transport ships.\u00a0 Joan Conrow has several interesting posts on this on her blog<\/a>.\u00a0 The nasty comments from some indicate that the analysis of the military-corporate interests behind the Superferry are hitting a nerve. \u00a0 Several months ago she did an excellent series on the Superferry’s military connections<\/a>.\u00a0 Here’s an article from Australia about Austal’s new military contract:<\/p>\n

Source: http:\/\/www.thewest.com.au\/default.aspx?MenuID=3&ContentID=108252<\/p>\n

Austal soars as US beds down lucrative contract<\/p>\n

15th November 2008, 6:00 WST<\/p>\n

Perth-based shipbuilder Austal is on top of the world after yesterday winning a landmark deal potentially worth $US1.6 billion ($2.5 billion) that will see it build up to 10 highspeed transport vessels for the US Department of Defence.<\/p>\n

The group confirmed it had won an $US185 million contract to design and build the first 103-metre vessel under the Joint High Speed Vessel program with options to build as many as nine more.<\/p>\n

The coup caps years of lobbying and investment by Austal, including the establishment of a shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, to undertake the sensitive US military work.<\/p>\n

Austal shares surged 22.5 per cent on the announcement, leaping 36.5\u00a2 to $1.98. The award is the company\u2019s first as a prime contractor in the US.<\/p>\n

The high-speed, shallow-draft vessels will be capable of transporting troops and equipment, including tanks, over 1200 nautical miles at speeds of more than 35 knots, for the US Navy, Army and Marine Corps.<\/p>\n

They will be built in Mobile, where Austal chief executive Bob Browning is based, but much of the design work will be done in Perth.<\/p>\n

Austal chairman and founder John Rothwell said yesterday it was \u201cextremely unlikely\u201d that 10 ships would not be built as a minimum under the contract despite the grim economic outlook.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe concern that I think investors in Austal have had has been the stability of the earnings, the potential lumpiness of the business and I think what this does is it puts another product line into the mix, and I think it will probably give them great confidence,\u201d he said. Mr Rothwell said the deal demonstrated that Austal could bid for programs in the US as a prime contractor and win them against very stiff competition.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a foreign-owned company in the United States competing with US companies, and for us to win a contract of that size in our own right with what has to be the world\u2019s most powerful navy certainly means a big tick for us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Mr Rothwell said the current expansion of Austal\u2019s facilities in the US along with its past experience with the country\u2019s navy had counted in the company\u2019s favour. The first vessel is due by November 2011.<\/p>\n

Austal is completing work also on a 127m aluminium Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) for the US Navy as well as building a 113m high-speed catamaran for Hawaii Superferry. The shipbuilder rated its chances of winning a second LCS contract early next year as strong. Mr Rothwell said Austal\u2019s 1000-strong workforce in the US would swell by an extra 500 employees as a result of the JHSV contract, potentially rising to more than 3000 workers in the near future.<\/p>\n

His predictions follow Austal\u2019s decision to cut 109 employees last month in response to falling global demand for its ships and ferries.<\/p>\n

Mr Rothwell reassured investors there were no thoughts of \u201cpulling up stumps\u201d and moving the company\u2019s headquarters to the US.<\/p>\n

DALE MILLER<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Austal corporation, builder of the two Hawaii Superferry ships has just won a $1.6 billion Joint High Speed Vessel contract from the U.S. Department of Defense to build up to ten similarly designed transport ships.\u00a0 Joan Conrow has several interesting posts on this on her blog.\u00a0 The nasty comments from some indicate that the … <\/p>\n

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