Derrick Henry
Austal USA has started building a new manufacturing facility for submarine modules in Mobile, Alabama, to increase its capacity to support the U.S. Navy’s submarine industrial base.
Slated for completion in 2026, the building is designed to house a storage area, machine shop, assembly area and waterfront improvements to support the arrival of completed modules via barge, Austal said Wednesday.
The facility will serve as an indoor space for manufacturing submarine modules. Production activities in the building will deliver one Columbia-class and two Virginia-class submarines to the Navy every year.
The project is part of Austal USA’s ongoing $750 million expansion program in the area, which includes constructing a new assembly building to erect large steel modules for Navy and Coast Guard ships. Once the facilities become fully operational, they will create over 2,000 new jobs.
Austal USA President Michelle Kruger credited the company’s success in Alabama to its partnerships with the customers, the employees and the surrounding communities. “Austal USA is committed to supporting national security initiatives like the Navy’s Virginia and Columbia-class submarine programs, evidenced by our aggressive infrastructure and workforce expansion efforts,” she noted.
When the construction projects are completed, the Austal USA Mobile facility will feature more than 1.5 million sq. ft. of indoor ship manufacturing space.
