NEW YORK (Reuters) --Recycled steel from the World Trade Center will be used to build part of a new U.S. warship, according to defense contractor Northrop Grumman.
The ship is to be named the New York, in honor of the almost 2,800 people who died in the attacks of September 11 2001, Dan Knecht, said a spokesman for the firm.
Steel is set to be shipped to Northrop's shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi, for construction to begin in the middle of next year. The 684-foot ship should be ready for service in 2007.
The recycled steel from the Twin Towers, if it meets quality standards, will be used to form the ship's "stem bar", Knecht told Reuters. That is part of the ship's bow, where the vessel cuts the water.
New York authorities face problems disposing of the 1.62 million tons of rubble that went to the nearby Fresh Kills landfill from the World Trade Center site.
Some memorial sculptures made from recycled steel have been commissioned by the city, and earlier this year nearly 20,000 tons of Trade Center scrap was shipped to India for use in construction projects.
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