On October 24, Austal USA began construction of a new submarine module production facility at its Mobile, Alabama, shipyard. According to Naval News, this workshop, which is expected to be fully operational at the end of 2026, will significantly increase the shipyard’s ability to support the nuclear submarine program for the US Navy.
The new building is designed for 34,330 sq. meters of indoor space intended exclusively for the production of submarine modules. The capacity of this workshop is designed to support the task set by the US Navy to supply annually one Columbia-class strategic nuclear submarine and two Virginia-class multi-purpose nuclear submarines. The building will house a materials warehouse, a machine shop and an assembly area.
Let us recall that the program to supply the US Navy with strategic and multi-purpose nuclear submarines is being implemented jointly by Electric Boat of General Dynamics Corporation and Huntington Ingalls Undustries. Austal USA is involved in the project as a subcontractor.
It should be noted that the company is investing more than $750 million in expanding the capacity of the shipyard in Mobile. Recently, the foundation for another industrial building was laid there. Both facilities, when fully operational, will add more than 2,000 new jobs.
After the completion of these buildings, the shipyard in Mobile will include a line for the production of steel panels, two centers for the production of ship and submarine modules with a total area of over 93 thousand square meters. meters and seven assembly areas with an area of more than 37 thousand square meters. meters. In total, Austal USA’s Alabama plant covers 180 acres.
It is noted that Austal USA’s development program helps support business in Alabama: in 2023, the company entered into contracts with 259 local suppliers.
It was previously reported that in the coming years, Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Undustries will not be able to reach the required production rates of nuclear submarines – one Columbia-class submarine and two Virginia-class submarines each.
