Austal USA has officially launched the construction of the U.S. Navy’s final Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF), the future USNS Lansing (EPF 16), with a keel laying ceremony at its Mobile, Ala. shipyard. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who is serving as the ship’s sponsor, and Emija Coleman, a seasoned welder with nine years of experience at Austal USA, played key roles in the ceremony.
The United States' Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro on Monday announced a federal, state and local partnership intended to help rebuild the maritime industrial base workforce required to support the Navy.The so-called Michigan Maritime Manufacturing Initiative (M3) will establish training pipelines and programs to meet the Navy’s need for thousands of new workers and jobs across the state