Production has commenced at Austal USA’s shipyard in Mobile, Ala., in assist of its strategic partnership with General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) to assist the U.S. Navy’s recapitalization of its nuclear submarine fleet.
Leveraging Austal USA’s lean manufacturing strategies and trendy metal manufacturing line services, a spotlight manufacturing facility method is getting used to increase the manufacturing capability of the submarine industrial base.
As a part of the partnership, Austal USA is establishing and outfitting Command and Control Systems Modules (CCSM) and Electronic Deck Modules (EDM) for the Virginia- and Columbia-class applications.
GDEB commenced on-the-job coaching efforts in April 2022 to supply certification for expert trades and supervisory positions to make sure constant work practices and adherence to high quality assurance requirements.
“This partnership is representative of the talent that exists across the shipbuilding industrial base and how it can be optimized to support the throughput our U.S. Navy and Nation require,” mentioned Austal USA President Rusty Murdaugh. “Our team of shipbuilders are excited to support this long-term relationship with GDEB as we continue to explore more opportunities to maximize production capacity during concurrent submarine production.”
Work started in late November on two tanks for a Virginia class submarine. The first CCSM is scheduled to reach at Austal USA’s Mobile shipyard in late January 2023 for preliminary outfitting efforts. The work will assist a gradual ramp as much as full fabrication and outfitting of CCSMs and EDMs throughout each submarine courses starting in 2026.
