Austal Lays Keel, Begins Work On Elevators

Mobile-based Austal USA recently hosted a keel-laying ceremony for the U.S. Navy’s future USS Pierre (LCS 38) Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). Ship sponsor Larissa Thune Hargens, with the assistance of 13-year Austal veteran A-class welder Hon Tran, authenticated the keel by welding Hargens’ initials into a keel plate that will be welded to the hull of the ship. The future USS Pierre is to be the final Independence-variant LCS built by Austal. Additionally, Austal, as a subcontractor to Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding division, has started construction on the aluminum aircraft elevators for two Navy Ford-class aircraft carriers, Enterprise (CVN 80) and Doris Miller (CVN 81). The aircraft elevators are scheduled to be completed in November 2024 and March 2025, respectively. Austal will fabricate two shipsets of aluminum elevators, three elevators per ship, in its module manufacturing facility.