Article Posted on : - Mar 27, 2014

JHSV 2 'USNS Choctaw County'. Photo: Austal

MOBILE, ALABAMA (BNS): The US Navy has taken delivery of the third High Speed Vessel 3 (JHSV 3), USNS Millinocket, built by Austal at its shipyard in Mobile, Alabama.

Delivery of USNS Millinocket to the US Navy follows USNS Spearhead (JHSV 1), which was delivered in December 2012 and has been deployed, and USNS Choctaw County (JHSV 2), which was delivered in June 2013.

Ships currently under construction are JHSV 4, which was christened in January and is being prepared for sea trials, JHSV 5, which has begun final assembly, and JHSV 6, which commenced construction in January in the module manufacturing facility.

Five Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ships are also in construction at Austal's US shipyard under the Company's 10-ship, $3.5 billion contract from the US Navy.

USS Jackson (LCS 6) was launched in December 2013 and is preparing for sea trials before delivery to the US Navy by the end of CY2014.

USS Montgomery (LCS 8) is expected to be launched in Q4 FY2014, while LCS 10, LCS 12, and LCS 14 are in various stages of construction.