Austal christens second JHSV

SEPTEMBER 17, 2012 — In a ceremony at its Mobile, Alabama, shipyard held September 15, Austal USA christened USNS Choctaw County (JHSV 2). USNS Choctaw County is the second of nine Joint High Speed Vessels (JHSV) the shipbuilder has under contract with the U.S. Navy as part of an overall 10-ship contract worth over $1.6 billion.

The ship was named Choctaw County to honor the contributions of the men and women of rural America. Three counties in America, located in Mississippi, Alabama, and Oklahoma, share the name. Twenty-nine women from the 1966 graduating class of Ackerman High School in Ackerman, Miss., served as the ship’s sponsors, with 18 participating in the ceremony. With the support of her classmates, Theresa Gilliam Pitts, a retired teacher, broke the traditional bottle of champagne across the bow to formally christen the ship.

The ceremony was held in Austal’s final assembly bay under the ship with over 600 guests in attendance. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus was the principal speaker at the event. Others who attended the ceremony included: The Honorable Joe Wilson, U.S. Representative, South Carolina; Rear Admiral David H. Lewis, U.S. Navy, Program Executive Officer, Ships; Rear Admiral Brian LaRoche, Deputy Commander, Military Sealift Command; Brigadier General Paul K. Lebidine, USMC, Commanding General Force Headquarters Group; Captain Henry W. Stevens, III, Strategic Theatre and Sealift Program Manager, Program Executive Office Ships; Captain Stephen Mitchell, USN, Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Gulf Coast; Captain Jose A. Delfaus, U.S. Merchant Marine Master, USNS Choctaw County (JHSV 2); Mr. Brian Leathers, Austal USA Interim President/Chief Financial Officer; Mr. Craig Perciavalle, Austal USA Senior Vice President of Operations; Mr. Tim Mahoney, Austal USA Vice President of Government Program Management; Dr. Craig Hooper, Austal USA Vice President of Sales, Marketing and External Affairs; and Mr. Michael Tweed-Kent, Vice President and General Manager, General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems.

“The christening of this modern-day Navy vessel is a testament to the pride and dedication exhibited by Austal USA’s shipbuilding team,” said Austal USA Interim President and CFO Brian Leathers. “We are honored to be building this new class of theater support vessels and look forward to hearing of the success of their deployments around the world.”

The 338-foot-long aluminum catamarans are designed to be fast, flexible and maneuverable even in shallow waters, making them ideal for transporting troops and equipment quickly within a theater of operations. The ship has the ability to support a variety of operations, supporting the warfighter through traditional logistics missions, humanitarian support projects, disaster response or by supporting maritime law enforcement activities.

The JHSVs are capable of transporting 600 short tons of military troops, vehicles, supplies and equipment 1,200 nautical miles at an average speed of 35 knots and can operate in shallow-draft, austere ports and waterways, providing U.S. forces added mobility and flexibility. The JHSVs’ aviation flight decks can support day and night flight operations. Each JHSV also has sleeping accommodations for up to 146 personnel and airline-style seating for up to 312.