Huntington Ingalls gets $407 mln more for aircraft carrier work

WASHINGTON, March 21 (Reuters) - Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc has won a contract giving it $407 million more to buy long lead materials and pay for other work needed to keep construction of the next U.S. aircraft carrier on track, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

The U.S. Navy modified its 2009 contract with Huntington Ingalls for CVN 79, the carrier named USS John F Kennedy, to add more money for materials that must be purchased well ahead of time, and other construction preparation efforts, according to a notice in the Pentagon's daily digest of big arms deals.

"This modification for additional long lead material and advance construction activity may help preserve the construction schedule," the Navy said.

The contract modification runs through October 2015.

(Reporting By Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by Stephen Coates)

(([e-mail])(202-321-7839)(Reuters

Messaging: [e-mail]))

Keywords: HUNTINGTONINGALLS CARRIER/