WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., along with Representative Steven Palazzo, R-Miss, today praised the award of two U.S. Navy contracts for shipbuilding-related work on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

The Navy awarded a five-year, $54.3 million contract to United States Marine, Inc. (USMI) of Gulfport to build up to 35 11-Meter Navy Special Warfare Rigid Inflatable Boats, with work to be performed in Gulfport and Corinth.  Seventy-five percent of a $9.2 million contract to Rolls Royce Marine North America for Virginia-class submarine propulsors will be performed in Pascagoula.

“I am glad to see United States Marine Inc. and Rolls Royce Marine be selected for this work.  A strong Coast Guard and Navy will be essential to securing American freedom and prosperity for years to come, and Mississippi’s skilled manufacturers are well-equipped to meet those needs,” Wicker said.

“The Navy contracts to USMI and Rolls Royce will not only tap the shipbuilding expertise of the Mississippi Gulf Coast for our national security.  They will also solidify a growing economy in South Mississippi through investments and job growth,” Hyde-Smith said.

“Access to the Mississippi Sound and Gulf of Mexico in addition to the unrivaled skill and experience of our south Mississippi workforce make our great state strategically qualified to produce world-class naval vessels.  Our shipbuilding industry creates jobs, boosts our local economy, and supports our American servicemembers at sea.  I am proud of the invaluable contribution south Mississippi makes to our nation’s naval and national security, and am always glad to see investments like these that make our continued success possible,” said Palazzo.

The USMI contract also entails the delivery of trailers, accessories, spares, and other technical assistance materials for the vessels, which will be assigned to the U.S. Coast Guard and allied foreign governments.  The work is expected to be completed by September 2026.

The Rolls Royce contract calls for the delivery of up to seven Virginia-class propulsor rotor assemblies, scoop bar sets, and associated engineering support services through May 2025.  The contract includes options, which if exercised, would amount to a cumulative value of $35.8 million with work extending through October 2029.

Last July, the U.S. Department of Defense invested $22 million in CARES Act funding to support installation of state-of-the-art machine tools at the Rolls-Royce Naval Foundry and Machining Center in Pascagoula.