MOBILE, Ala. — The city’s largest private employer is entering a new chapter: Austal USA kicked off construction of its first steel-hulled ship at its Mobile riveryard, marking a major shift for a shipbuilder long known for aluminum vessels.
A new class of Navy work
The company held a ceremony marking the start of fabrication of a Navajo-class Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship, known as T-ATS. U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl joined Austal executives and Navy officers for the event, which celebrated the award the company landed the year before.
According to the Navy, T-ATS ships will provide ocean-going tug, salvage and rescue capabilities to support fleet operations, built on a multi-mission common hull capable of towing heavy vessels.
Why the switch to steel matters
The design represents a departure for the Mobile shipyard. Austal’s existing military production lines — the Littoral Combat Ship and the Expeditionary Fast Transport program — are both aluminum-hulled platforms. Moving into steel opens the door to additional Navy auxiliary and support ship programs and helps steady the workload at the yard as earlier aluminum contracts wind down.
Austal operates one of the largest shipbuilding facilities on the Gulf Coast along the Mobile River, and the company ranks among the biggest private employers in the city, supporting thousands of jobs in the region.