Columbia Coastal Connects Navy Destroyer

(Liberty Corner, NJ -- ) Starting in January 2011, Columbia Coastal Transport will work closely with Northrop Grumman, the world’s leading military shipbuilder, with plans to unite two sections of two Navy destroyers being manufactured at separate shipbuilding facilities.

Columbia was awarded the project to provide logistics and transportation for the main components of the two vessels once they are completed. It is anticipated that the work will take place over two years with the option of extending the contract if a third Navy destroyer is built.

Since the new ship construction is for the U.S. Navy, the project will support U.S. shipyards by having two sections of the vessel built in two different shipyards. The hull of the destroyer will be constructed at Bath Ironworks in Bath, Maine, and the housing will be built at Gulf Coast Shipyards in Pascagoula, Mississippi, one of two shipyards owned by Northrop Grumman.

The first project move will take place some time in June of 2011, with Columbia Coastal handling all logistics for transporting the newly built superstructure from Gulfport up to Bath Ironworks for final assembly. The housing for the destroyer measures 150’ long by 62’ wide and 49’3” high. The weight of the superstructure and blocking on the barge will be approximately 852 short tons. The second move will take place shortly thereafter.

Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, based in Pascagoula, MS is the largest shipbuilder in America and builds more ships, in more ship classes, than any other U.S. naval shipbuilder. It is one of only two companies that are building the Navy’s current fleet of destroyers.

Columbia Coastal Transport is a U.S.-flag barge operator providing container transportation and project cargo for diverse clients since 1990. Its experienced project and military division handles a full array of logistics and transportation challenges, such as bringing together two halves of a new Navy destroyer by transporting its superstructure more than 1500 miles on the Marine Highway.