subject: Alcoa To Produce Parts For New Navy Ships [print this page] Alcoa will fluorite ore crusher fabricate supplies for Austal USA and Lockheed Martin's new contract to build the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) fleet for the U.S. Navy. Last fall, Alcoa said if Austal won the contract, Alcoa would supply aluminum for the project. At that time, Alcoa had been been awarded a contract through 2014 to supply alloy sheet and plate for other Austal USA's commercial ships and U.S. Navy vessels. The sheet and plate are being manufactured at Alcoa's Davenport Works in Riverdale. The LCS in the new contract is the U.S. Navy's first surface-combatant ship in 15 years to feature aluminum. Austal's LCS is the first all-aluminum surface combatant ship in the U.S. Navy fleet and Lockheed Martin's LCS features an aluminum superstructure. "We look forward to working with them to help maximize light-alloy performance while streamlining the supply chain and reducing manufacturing costs," said Dave Dobson, president of Alcoa Defense, a supplier of aluminum, titanium and other light alloys. Each limestone crusher LCS integrates aluminum in its structure, which reduces its weight and allows the ship to be faster and more agile. This agility enhances the ability of LCS-class vessels to operate close to shore, in the littoral zone. About 55 Littoral Combat Ships will be produced over a 12-year period. Under Alcoa's contract with the Naval Surface Warfare Center's Carderock Division, the company provides design and engineering development support to both LCS teams. Alcoa also supplies marine plate and fabricated aluminum subassemblies for the Austal LCS. According to Austal's website at www.austal.com, the Australia-based company is the world's largest builder of fast ferries. Its U.S. shipyard is in Mobile, Ala.
