By Geoff Fein
General Dynamics [GD] Bath Iron Works acknowledged yesterday that it will be late in delivering its variant of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) to the Navy as the program has fallen behind schedule, according to the Navy.
“General Dynamics has advised the Navy that they are behind schedule. The Navy is undergoing a review of schedule and performance with the contractor team to determine when the ship will be ready to go to sea,” Lt. Cmdr. Victor Chen, a Navy spokesman, told Defense Daily.
General Dynamics is partnered with Austal USA on construction of the aluminum hull Independence (LCS-2)..
Neither the Navy nor General Dynamics provided an explanation for the delay.
Independence was expected to deliver toward the end of 2008.
The ship is to be christened this fall at Austal USA in Mobile, Ala.
In February, a Navy Supervisor of Shipbuilding inspection found bowing in the transverse beams that support Independence‘s flight deck (Defense Daily, Feb. 12).
In January, General Dynamics notified the Navy it was delaying the launch of Independence until April to complete work before the ship goes into the water. Independence was scheduled to launch in February. Independence launched April 28.
Lockheed Martin [LMT] is building a semi plaining mono hull ship for its LCS bid. The company delivered the ship, the Freedom (LCS-1), to the Navy earlier this month.