Iron Works News

Frederick Joseph Harris of Mystic CT, passed peacefully at 5:47PM on 10/24/2025, with his family by his side. “Fred” was born on 11/25/1944 at Framingham Union Hospital to Frederick Everett and MaryRosa Camilla Harris.Fred was a proud patriot who loved his country. Fred received his bachelor’s degree in Marine Engineering from Maine Maritime Academy (with Honors) in 1967. Upon graduation, Fred was commissioned in the U.S. Naval Reserve with the obligation of sailing in the U.S. Merchant Marine. In the Merchant Marine, Fred sailed on various U.S.

General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE:GD), said that the U.S. Navy has exercised an option to add an additional DDG 51 destroyer to the multi-year contract awarded in 2023.Bath Iron Works currently has under construction the Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class destroyers Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG 124) and Patrick Gallagher (DDG 127) as well as the Flight III configuration destroyers Louis H. Wilson Jr. (DDG 126), William Charette (DDG 130), Quentin Walsh (DDG 132), John E. Kilmer (DDG 134) and Richard G. Lugar (DDG 136).

The military and Coast Guard budgets are established that will benefit the U.S. ship building and repair sector, but what will stimulate the commercial yards?This author has been scratching his head of late, after a thrilling dive into July’s U.S. Big Beautiful Bill Act, and has asked several colleagues where the funding for support commercial shipbuilding can be found? To answer that, we need to look elsewhere and to future programs.Setting the SceneMany column inches have been dedicated to the decline U.S. shipbuilding, whether signaled by the relatively small presence of a U.S.

Shipbuilding in the United States has seen a heightened profile with increased attention from Congress and the Trump 2.0 Administration. The ongoing dialogue regarding reinvigorating the U.S. deep sea fleet has brought mainstream attention to vessel construction, which has been nearly absent in recent years. In contrast, the marketplace for domestic vessel construction, for vessels serving rivers and harbors, is alive and well. Recent newbuilds for linehaul trades, and also Z-drive vessels for ship assist work, show the resilience of this sector.

Chem Carriers has completed the repower of the M/VCapt. Robert J. Banta, marking the final vessel in its current fleet to be powered by Laborde Products-supplied Mitsubishi engines. The twin-screw towboat is now running on twin Mitsubishi Tier 3 S12R-Y3MPTAW engines, each delivering 1,260 horsepower at 1,600 RPM.Originally built in 2015 by Main Iron Works of Houma, Louisiana, the 78-foot Capt. Robert J. Banta previously operated with Cummins QSK38 engines. With this repower, Chem…

Hines Furlong Line has taken delivery of the M/V Donny Mudgett, the first vessel completed in its eleven-vessel newbuild program. Built at Intracoastal Iron Works in Bourg, Louisiana, the M/V Donny Mudgett is powered by three Mitsubishi Tier 3 S6R2-Y3MPTAW engines, each delivering 803 horsepower at 1,400 RPM.Donny Mudgett is the first of eleven vessels currently under construction at Intracoastal Iron Works and Eymard Marine Construction & Repair. The program includes five triple-screw and six twin-screw vessels…

Benny Cenac Jr.’s Houma based Main Iron Works Company has completed the 10th boat newbuild for Ingram Marine Group. This partnership with Main Iron Works and Ingram began in 2021 and included the construction of 10 new towboats to be completed by the end of 2024. The first towboat, the Adrienne M. Moore was delivered to Ingram on March 30, 2021 with the 10th and last - M/V David North - delivered on January 29, 2025.M/V David North measures 69 x 30 x 10.5-ft. and is powered by twin Caterpillar C32 800 hp tier 3 diesel engines. It has a pair of Northern Lights 99kw generators.

What has been described as the most transformational warship in the U.S. Navy has been transformed again. USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) recently completed modifications to remove her main guns and replace them with a hypersonic missile capability. The work to have her guns removed to make space for new weapons was conducted at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss. With the modifications, Zumwalt  now carries four “all-up round canisters” for the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) missile in place of the forward Advanced Gun System (AGS) gun mount.

Bisso Towboat Co., Inc. officially christened the M/V Mr. Brian on December 5, 2024, on the Mississippi River while docked at Woldenburg Riverfront Park at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas.The Mr. Brian is a 100’ x 38’ x 13.5’ ASD Tractor Tugboat and was officially christened with a bottle breaking at 5:00 pm followed by a reception at the Audubon Aquarium - River Terrace Room.The Mr. Brian is named after Brian Cyprowski, who is the Bisso Towboat Vice President of Operations and a member of the company's executive team. Brian has been with the company for 37 years.

The Executive Control Board of the National Shipbuilding Research Program (NSRP) selected 13 panel projects for award as part of the program's mission to reduce costs and expand capability for U.S. shipbuilding and ship repair. These new projects, valued at over $2.55M in government funding, were among those proposed in response to the Panel Project Solicitation issued in June 2024. Abbreviated descriptions follow; prime contractors are listed first and noted in bold text:Laser…

Almacam is a leader in nesting-CAM software for shipyards. Philippe Rouzeau, Manager of the Shipyard Team, Almacam, explains how it solutions can help shipyards shave production costs and increase efficiency.Almacam is a 45-year-old, employee-owned company created by researchers that were mono-focused on developing nesting algorithms in a laboratory of Grenoble University, France, aiming to bring this nesting algorithm tech to the industry.According to Rouzeau, it is the world's only independent CAD-CAM software publisher offering CAM solutions across industries…

The U.S. Navy will commission the future Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John Basilone (DDG 122) on November 9, 2024, in New York City.The new warship, built by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, was delivered to the U.S. Navy in July.The ship honors U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone, who received the medal of honor for his heroism during the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942. He was killed in action during the February 1945 invasion of Iwo Jima and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.

The keel for the future USS William Charette (DDG 130), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, was ceremoniously laid on August 29 at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (BIW) in Bath, Maine. The warship is scheduled for delivery to the U.S. Navy in 2026.Named after Medal of Honor recipient Master Chief Hospital Corpsman William R. Charette, the ship honors his valorous service during the Korean War with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division in the Panmunjom Corridor.Rear Adm. Darin K.

The U.S. Navy christened the future USS Patrick Gallagher (DDG 127), during a ceremony on July 27, in Bath, Maine.The ship, built at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, is the last of the Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-Class guided missile destroyers.The shipbuilder was awarded the contract for Patrick Gallagher on in September 2017 and construction started in November 2018. On March 30, 2022, the ship's keel was laid. Delivery is expected in Fall 2025.Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are the backbone of the U.S. Navy's surface fleet, providing protection to America around the globe.

There are many forces pushing stakeholders across the global maritime industry to decarbonize.In the U.S. inland waterways, regulations aren’t one of the main drivers—at least not at the moment, according to Mike Complita, principal and vice president of strategic expansion at Elliott Bay Design Group, a naval architecture firm.Speaking on a panel at the IMX trade show in Nashville, Complita said proposed rules from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) are “driving massive change on the West Coast”…

The U.S. Navy announced it has accepted delivery of its latest Flight IIA Arleigh Burke–class guided missile destroyer, the future USS John Basilone (DDG 122), on July 8.Built by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, DDG 122 will serve as a multi-mission surface combatant capable of conducting Anti-Air Warfare, Anti-Submarine Warfare and Anti-Surface Warfare.Prior to delivery, the ship conducted a series of at-sea and pier-side trials to demonstrate readiness. A tentative commissioning date is scheduled in November.The ship is named after U.S.

Louisiana-based maritime financing company Maritime Partners on Monday announced it has completed its acquisition of e1 Marine, a company that produces hydrogen generation technology for the marine sector.Originally formed as a partnership between Maritime Partners, Element 1 and Ardmore Shipping, e1 Marine provides clean energy technologies, including advanced methanol-to-hydrogen generation products, which provide an alternative, cleaner fuel source for marine vessels. The technology comes from Element 1.…

The developer of an innovative towboat engineered to run on hydrogen generator technology has signed a Design Basis Agreement (DBA) with the U.S. Coast Guard, helping to clear the regulatory path toward the vessel's eventual entry into service.The first-of-its-kind vessel, Hydrogen One, is being produced by Maritime Partners, the Metairie, La.-based maritime financing company that unveiled plans for the groundbreaking towboat in 2021.Designed by Seattle-based Elliott Bay Design Group…

The Austal USA Board of Directors has elected Michelle Kruger as Austal USA President. She has been serving as interim president since August 2023.Kruger joined Austal USA in 2022 as the vice president of global services and support. In that role she led Austal USA’s ship repair and warranty efforts including the development of business strategy and strategic alliances. She also oversaw the stand up of Austal USA’s San Diego repair yard including the delivery of a purpose-built 9000-tonne capacity dry dock.

If nothing else, building vessels in the U.S. is a complicated business.In a session on the domestic shipbuilding marketplace, at Marine Money’s late-November 2023 conference held in New Orleans, Ben Bordelon, president and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards (with more than a dozen facilities, in Mississippi and Louisiana), described his company’s architecture as a “three-legged stool approach: commercial newbuilds, government newbuilds and repair/conversion capabilities”.On the same panel…

A new tugboat is slated to enter service for Bisso Towboat this Spring.The Luling, La. based marine towage provider has been working with Main Iron Works to update its fleet, replacing a conventional tug with a tractor tug about every 18 months. In late 2022, the Houma, La. shipbuilder began building a new tractor tug Mr. Brian—the sixth azimuth stern drive (ASD) tractor tug built by Main Iron Works for Bisso in the past eight years.Named after Bisso’s vice president of operations Brian Cyprowski…

Bath Iron Works (BIW) will receive more than $34 million in federal funding for projects aimed at bolstering the Bath, Maine shipyard's workforce.U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R. - Maine), Vice Chairman of Senate Appropriations Committee and Defense Subcommittee, announced the funding has been approved by the U.S. Navy and included in the Fiscal Year 2023 Defense Appropriations bill as part of a larger initiative to make improvements to the infrastructure of the U.S. shipyards that build the Navy’s destroyers.BIW…

An employee of General Dynamics' Bath Iron Works shipyard was killed during a mass shooting event in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday.The Bath, Maine shipyard, which designs, builds and supports surface combatants for the U.S. Navy, released the following statement on social media on Thursday: "All of us at Bath Iron Works are heartbroken to share that we have lost a member of our BIW family. We send our deepest condolences, thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of our employee Peyton Brewer-Ross, who was killed in Lewiston on Wednesday night.