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Vice Admiral Joseph Cahill visited Austal USA’s West Coast waterfront repair and services facility in National City, Calif., on October 13, 2026, as USS Oakland (LCS 24) underwent repairs in newly certified Dry Dock Independence. Austal USA said the Navy awarded the yard a $10.8 million contract in August for emergent maintenance drydocking availability of Oakland, which is the first ship to enter the dry dock.
Austal USA has won a $10.8 million Navy contract for emergent maintenance drydocking availability of USS Oakland (LCS 24). The work will be carried out at Austal USA’s newly certified floating dry dock at its San Diego waterfront ship repair facility.
Austal USA said its floating dry dock at its San Diego waterfront ship repair facility is fully certified and operational. The dock has a 9,000 light ton lifting capacity and is set up for small surface combatants and similar sized ships.
General Dynamics NASSCO christened and launched the USNS Thurgood Marshall (T-AO 211) in San Diego on 4 June. The ship is the seventh vessel in the U.S. Navy’s T-AO fleet oiler program and the fourth still under construction at the yard, which has already delivered five ships in the class.
Austal USA has named Gene Miller president, effective immediately, after a three-month search by its board of managers. He had been serving as interim president since February 16, 2026, after Michelle Kruger’s planned retirement. Miller joined Austal USA as chief operating officer in 2024. He previously held senior roles at Ingalls Shipbuilding and General Dynamics Bath Iron Works.
General Dynamics NASSCO has received $856 million in funding to build T-AO 217, a John Lewis-class fleet replenishment oiler for the U.S. Navy. The ship is part of the yard’s current block buy contract for up to eight additional oilers, T-AO 214 through 221.
General Dynamics NASSCO christened USNS Hector A. Cafferata Jr. (ESB 8) in San Diego on 7 March, naming it the sixth and final ship in the U.S. Navy’s Expeditionary Sea Base program. The ceremony included remarks from NASSCO, Navy and Marine Corps representatives, and the ship was broken out by co-sponsors Heather Cafferata and Jessica Cafferata.
General Dynamics NASSCO christened and launched the USNS Sojourner Truth (T-AO 210) for the U.S. Navy on 25 April. The 746-foot fleet oiler is the sixth ship in the T-AO program and the first four ships in the class have already been delivered.
General Dynamics NASSCO christened the USNS Robert E. Simanek (ESB 7) in San Diego on 4 May, calling it the fifth ship in the U.S. Navy’s Expeditionary Sea Base programme. Ann Simanek Clark, the ship sponsor and daughter of the vessel’s namesake, broke the champagne bottle alongside the hull.