Huntington Ingalls awarded contract modification

PASCAGOULA and GULFPORT — Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc., parent company of the 10,500-employee Ingalls Shipbuilding yard in Pascagoula, was awarded a contract modification worth $11 million.

Department of Defense says the add-on is to a previously awarded contract for research, development, test and technical services for the DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class destroyer.

Technical services include technology development, analytical modeling, qualification of materials, potential design and process improvements and design excursions.

Of the work, The Mississippi Press reports about 80 percent will be performed at the Pascagoula yard and 20 percent is to be performed at the company’s composite yard in Gulfport, which employs 500. The work is expected to be complete by September 2012.