Austal has confirmed that it has been selected as preferred builder for the design, construction and supply of six offshore patrol boats to the New South Wales Police.
Austal said it had received a letter of intent (LOI) naming it as the preferred builder for the 16 metre aluminium mono-hull boats.
According to the Perth shipbuilder, the LOI states the notification is an interim measure and is subject to the establishment of a formal agreement in accordance with the terms of the conditions of tender. It is expected this will be confirmed in the coming weeks following contractual negotiations.
Depending on these discussions and final details of the vessel specification the contract will be in the vicinity of $11 million, the company said.
The vessels will be built over a period of approximately 10 months by the Austal-Image shipyard which built and delivered nine similar vessels in 2000 for the same customer.