Austal wins contract to build two more littoral combat ships worth US$1.6 billion for US Navy

According to a report, Austal further receives an order worth up to US$1.6 billion to build two more littoral combat ships for the US Navy. The two ships will be the 18th and 19th aluminium trimaran-variant LCS Austal and will build under a program that began a decade ago.

“This latest order from the US Navy is a tremendous endorsement of Austal’s LCS platform and further evidence of the important role Austal plays in the US Navy,” Austal managing director David Singleton said.

He further added, “We have been very successful, winning two littoral combat ships per annum ... in each of the last three US Government financial years.”

The US Department of Defence said late on Friday that Austal USA had been awarded two of three LCSs approved under its fiscal 2019 budget.

The estimated budget for each of the two vehicles is US$584 million ($813 million), in accordance with the report.

The third LCS for the financial year is yet to be awarded. The US department’s announcement suggested the third vessel contract remained up for grabs.

In the recent time, the WA shipbuilder also cleared a hurdle for further foreign defence work, with the Australian Government approving an $80 million loan for Trinidad and Tobago to order two patrol boats.

In the US, Austal and Lockheed Martin are among five contenders to build the next-generation frigates — worth up to $US850 million each including weapons systems — which will succeed the LCS program.

Austal also builds expeditionary fast transport vessels for the US Navy in Mobile.