Ingalls Shipbuilding is a
shipyard located in
Pascagoula, Mississippi,
USA, originally established in 1938, and is now part of
Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. It is a leading producer of ships for the
US Navy, and at 10,900 employees, the largest private employer in
Mississippi.
History
In 1938, Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation was founded by Robert Ingalls of
Birmingham, AL, on the East Bank of the
Pascagoula River in Mississippi. Ingalls was located where the
Pascagoula River runs into the
Gulf of Mexico. It started out building
commercial ships, but in the 1950s started bidding on Navy work, winning a contract in 1957 to build 12 nuclear-powered
attack submarines.
Litton Industries acquired Ingalls in 1961, and in 1968 expanded its facilities to the other side of the river. Ingalls reached a high point of employment in 1977, with 25,000 workers. In April 2001, Litton was acquired by
Northrop Grumman Corporation.
On 29 August 2005, Ingalls facilities were damaged by
Hurricane Katrina; most of the ships in dock and construction escaped serious harm. While shipbuilding was halted for a while due to the destruction of many buildings, most vehicles and the large overhead cranes, the facility continues to run today, partly in recovery mode.
Products
Ingalls' primary product has been naval ships, although it also produces
offshore drilling rigs and
cruise ships, and has done naval projects for
Egypt,
Israel, and
Venezuela. In the 1950s, Ingalls attempted to enter the
diesel locomotive market. They catalogued an extensive product line, but only one example, known as the model 4-S, was produced. It was sold to the
Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad. Ingalls also manufactured covered hopper railroad cars in the early 1980s, producing around 4,000 units, primarily for the lease market via North American Car.
Ships built
Ships built by Ingalls include:
