MOBILE, Ala. – Austal USA hosted several members of the senior leadership of the U.S. Marine Corps this week at the company’s Mobile, Ala. shipyard. Lieutenant General Karsten Heckl – Deputy Commandant for Combat Development and Integration, Lieutenant General James Mierman – Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies and Operations, Lieutenant General James Adams – Deputy Commandant for Programs and Resources, and Major General  Eric Austin – Commanding General, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing received an update on Austal USA’s Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 1700 contract and the group discussed the future role of the Austal USA-built Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) fleet in supporting USMC maneuver requirements.

Austal USA leadership toured the senior Marines through the company’s 117,000 square foot steel panel line that houses the latest state-of-the-art computerized and robotic steel processing equipment to handle the current and future contracts with the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy, including the LCU program.  Austal USA is preparing to start construction on the first LCU in this facility in early April. The group also toured the recently-delivered Littoral Combat Ship Kingsville.  Kingsville (LCS 36) will be commissioned later this year.

“Showcasing our people and proven processes to our customers through a facility tour is the best way to explain our success at delivering ships on time and on budget,” stated Dave Growden, vice president, new construction programs. “We’re excited to have a program supporting Marine Corps operations as part of our growing backlog of work.”

Austal USA has seven ships from five different programs currently under construction. In addition to the work the company is doing for the Navy, Austal USA is also preparing to start construction this summer on the first of 11 U.S. Coast Guard Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutters.