Keel Laying for New Warship

Littoral Combat Ship Yesterday, the builder of the Navy's new Littoral Combat Ship held a traditional keel laying ceremony: Addressing the audience on behalf of the US Government, Senator Jeff Sessions commented, Today marks an important milestone as the U.S. Navy embarks on the construction of a new vessel that will carry it to the littorals worldwide. The General Dynamics - Austal partnership returns to Alabama the finest elements of advanced shipbuilding, and I am immensely pleased that we in Alabama are part of this new endeavor. LCS 2, due for delivery in late 2007, has a flight deck larger than any other surface combatant that will support near-simultaneous operation of two large MH-60R/S helicopters or multiple unmanned vehicles. LCS 2 will also provide one of the largest useable payload volumes of any U.S. Navy surface combatant and deliver greater payload per displacement ton than any ship of comparable displacement.