Henderson-based shipbuilder Austal has announced its US subsidiary has been awarded a US$54 million contract extension for the construction of two additional vessels for the US Navy.
Austal USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Austal Limited, was awarded the initial contract for three landing craft utility vessels in September 2023, with an option for an additional nine vessels included in the deal.
The steel hull landing craft utility are a heavy-lift capability ship with a 170-tonne payload capacity.
They will be deployed with amphibious assault ships to support the delivery of vehicles, troops and cargo from ship to shore.
Austal Limited chief executive Paddy Gregg said the contract modification showed the strong capacity of Austal’s Alabama facility.
“The US Navy has recognised that Austal USA has made a great start to construction on the first LCU craft and has now exercised options for another two vessels; to be constructed at the Mobile, Alabama shipyard,” he said.
“The Austal USA team continue to demonstrate their industry leading capabilities to manage multiple steel naval shipbuilding projects for the United States Navy such as towing, salvage and rescue ships and ocean surveillance ships.”
Austal has grown to become the world’s largest aluminium shipbuilder, Australia’s largest defence exporter and the only foreign-owned prime contractor designing, constructing and sustaining ships for the US Navy.
The contract modification comes after Austal last week won a $45 million contract to build a wind-powered trimaran vessel for France’s Vela Transport.
Despite the news, Austal shares were down 4.8 per cent at 10.30am AWST to $2.36 per share.
