Bollinger Mississippi gets $69.6M Navy APL contract

AThe first Bollinger-built APL was delivered in December 2023. [Photo: Bollinger]

Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding LLC, Pascagoula, Miss. has been awarded a $69,607,000 firm fixed-price modification to previously-awarded contract (N00024-18-C-2230) for detail design and construction of an Auxiliary Personnel Lighter – Small. (APL) Class berthing and messing barge. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. Work is expected to be completed by May 2025.

The first four APLs in the series were built and delivered by VT Halter Marine, which Bollinger acquired in late 2022. The first Bollinger-built APL was delivered in December 2023.

APLs are used by the Navy to house crewmembers when ships are in port for availabilities and Inter-Deployment Training Cycles. The barges are mobile and can be towed to new bases or shipyards to support changing fleet requirements and also offer potential use for humanitarian missions and other temporary assignments.

The APLs are 269 feet long, 69 feet wide and have a draft of 7 feet. Each vessel is equipped with offices, classrooms, washrooms, laundry facilities, medical treatment areas, a barber shop and fitness center. With mess seating for 224 enlisted personnel and 28 officers, each meal is served via five 20-minute shifts to allow food service for 1,130 personnel (three meals per day). The vessels are fitted with mixed gender berthing spaces for 74 officers and 537 enlisted personnel, for a total of 611 people.