General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding (NASSCO) has received a USD 128.5 million contract modification to previously awarded contract to accomplish detail design and construction of the Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) 3 Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB).
NASSCO laid the keel for MLP-3 on 5 November 2013 at its shipyad in San Diego, California. It is scheduled for undocking in November and delivery in the second quarter of 2015.
AFSB vessels are designed to support low-intensity missions, allowing more expensive, high-value amphibious warfare ships and surface combatant warships to be re-tasked for more demanding operational missions for the U.S. Navy.
This modification will provide the detail, design and construction efforts to convert the MLP 3 to an AFSB variant.
Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by October 2015.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, March 13, 2014; Image: NASSCO