NASSCO lays keel on Navy cargo ship

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- General Dynamics says it is progressing on a U.S. Navy contract by laying the keel for its ninth dry cargo-ammunition ship under the T-AKE class program.

U.S. company General Dynamics' San Diego-based subsidiary National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. announced it has laid the keel on the ninth dry cargo-ammunition ship and says delivery of the ship remains on schedule for 2010.

NASSCO, which delivered five T-AKE class ships to the Navy, is under contract for 10 vessels of the new dry cargo-ammunition ships.

NASSCO officials say options on the T-AKE class ship contract with the Navy could include an additional four ships.