FINCANTIERI
in partnership with Lockheed Martin Corporation, announces that its
subsidiary Marinette Marine Corporation (MMC) has signed a contract
modification for one fully funded Littoral Combat Ship (LCS 21) along
with advanced procurement funding for another ship (LCS 23) for the
US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program. Furthermore the
contract modification also includes a priced option for one additional
ship, LCS 25, to be funded in 2016. The total value of the award for
Fincantieri is approximately USD 232 million.
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The US
Congress has approved total funding for LCS 21 and, for LCS 23, has
approved funding for advanced procurement that allows the cost and schedule
of the final block buy option to be maintained, with total funding for
this latter vessel anticipated by 31 December 2015.
These ships are the last 2 units of the 10 Freedom class vessels within
the LCS program, awarded in 2010 to MMC through Fincantieri’s
partnership with the US-based defense contractor, Lockheed Martin Corporation.
The other 8 vessels are currently under construction at MMC’s
shipyard. “Milwaukee” (LCS 5) was launched in 2013, and
is planned to be delivered to the US Navy in the summer of 2015, and
“Detroit” (LCS 7) was launched in 2014. “Little Rock”
(LCS 9) and “Sioux City” (LCS 11) are under construction,
with the LCS 9 launch planned for this summer. The keel of “Wichita”
(LCS 13) was laid in February 2015, while “Billings” (LCS
15), “Indianapolis” (LCS 17) and the yet to be named LCS
19 are all three in the early stages of construction.
The LCS program is one of the US Navy’s main shipbuilding programs
and relates to a new generation of mid-sized multirole vessels, designed
for surveillance activities and coastal defense for deep water operations
as well as capabilities for addressing asymmetrical threats such as
mines, silent diesel submarines and fast surface ships. |
