Post by ferryfast admin on Dec 19, 2007 16:39:46 GMT -5
STENA LINES PHOTO-A.P.MOLLER CONSTRUCT
Derecktor eyes big military deal
ROB VARNON rvarnon@ctpost.com
CONNECTICUT POST
www.connpost.com/ci_7695293
Article Last Updated: 12/11/2007 10:00:28 PM EST
Derecktor Shipyards could be building high-speed ferries for the U.S. military in Bridgeport if it and its partners can edge out some tough competition for what could be a $234 million defense contract.
Exactly how many consortiums have bid on the Joint High Speed Vessel for the Army and Navy is unclear. Only two groups have verified they are going after the contract to develop a completely new vessel for the Navy.
Derecktor and its partners, Maersk Line Ltd., which is the U.S. subsidiary of Dutch A.P. Moller Maersk Group, and naval architects Gibbs & Cox confirmed they're in the contest this month.
Louisiana-based Bollinger Shipyards Inc. is pursuing the deal with two Australian-based companies, INCAT shipyard and Revolution Design, two companies in Washington state, and Massachusetts-based shipyard Gladding-Hearn.
Lars Johnson, Derecktor's vice president of business development, said Tuesday that Derecktor would build the new high-speed ferries at its Seaview Avenue shipyard in Bridgeport, should it win the contract.
The exact number of ferries has yet to be determined but it is expected to be eight. Johnson said it would be too early to say how many jobs would be added at Derecktor if it wins.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the design portion of the contract will be awarded in the early part of next year; it will then award the contract for the first ship during the fourth quarter of 2008. The total contract is worth $234 million, but that will be awarded in phases.
Johnson said he's not sure how many consortiums are competing for the contract, but he knows it's more than two.
Derecktor has built high-speed ferries close to this size and has experience working on military vessels for the U.S. Coast Guard.
Stuart Slade, senior naval editor for Newtown-based defense industry analysis firm Forecast International, said the timeline for the project is quite aggressive.
"They're really pushing it," he said, which bodes well for whoever wins it because it means there's little chance the program will be scrapped after a new president takes over in 2009.
The Pentagon is looking for a boat that's 450 feet in length or less and can carry 600 tons of vehicles and supplies for 1,200 miles at 35 knots or better, Slade said. About 40 people would crew the vessel, which would be used to move troops, vehicles and supplies onto beaches where normal, deeper draft vessels can't usually go.
It's essentially much like the ferries Derecktor built for Alaska, which can carry vehicles and people.
Initially, it would appear Bollinger's bid would be the favored team because of INCAT.
INCAT built the prototype vessel already in service and the Australians have already used a high-speed ferry in military actions in Timor, Slade said.
But Derecktor's team has Gibbs & Cox, a firm that Slade said is "the most capable in the world." Slade said G&C's thumbprint can be found on just about every U.S. Naval vessel in service.
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Derecktor
www.derecktor.com/
Maersk Group
www.maersk.com/en
Gibbs & Cox
www.gibbscox.com/