Nassco Wins Missile Cruiser Contract

National Steel & Shipbuilding has won a $34-million contract from the Naval Sea Systems Command to overhaul the guided-missile cruiser Fox.

Nassco will use 200 newly hired workers and 150 present employees for the overhaul, expected to last from October to September, 1990.

Nassco now employs 2,600 workers. The shipbuilding and repair yard expects to have about 3,000 employees by year’s end.

The contract boosted Nassco’s order backlog to $450 million, according to Nassco spokesman Fred Hallett.

Until last month, the shipyard on San Diego Bay was a wholly owned subsidiary of Morrison-Knudson Co., which is based in Boise, Ida.

Nassco’s employees and management completed a buyout of the financially troubled yard April 13. The purchase price was not released.