Austal holds keel-laying ceremony

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Doctor of Literature Katherine Holmes Cochran hasn't penned a novel, but she has now signed a ship.

And like any good English teacher will tell you: revise and rewrite.

“I used up a great deal of paper for the initials, more so perhaps than any article I've ever written,” said Cochran, who works for the University of Southern Mississippi.

Austal USA held a traditional keel laying ceremony Thursday for its Littoral Combat Ship 6; named the Jackson, after the city in Mississippi.

Katherine Cochran, daughter of U.S. Senator Thad Cochran, was asked to sponsor the ship.

“I was maid of honor to my mother's sponsorship of the U.S.S Berry in 1991, so I know what a big deal it is, I know what an honor and responsibility it is,” said Dr. Cochran.

Austal officials say the keel laying process traditionally began the start of a ship's construction, but because of new modular technologies that allow the ship to be built in pieces — months in advance — Thursday's ceremony, instead, marked the joining of those pieces.

She touched the hand of Austal welder U. B. Craig, III as he placed her initials on a metal plate, which will eventually become part of the Jackson's hull.

“You don't imagine that writing your initials is going to be a complicated procedure but, when you think, this is going to be on the side of a ship forever, you think: oh no, that doesn't look right; I need to do it again,” said.

The Jackson is the first of 10 LCS ships Austal USA will build for the Navy, as part of a contract awarded in 2010.

“It will serve in the shallow draft waters of the globe; it supports missions, such as anti-submarine and anti-piracy,” said Harley Combs, Austal USA Fabrication Manager.

Austal officials say it takes more than 600 workers to build the ships. Cochran's next task will be to christen the ship this winter.