Austal To Construct Two LCS For US Navy

The US Navy has selected Austal to construct two more Littoral Combat Ships, LCS 22 and LCS 24. 

The ships will be the ninth and tenth Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ships built by Austal as prime contractor under its existing 10-vessel contract with the US Navy, the company announced in its press release last week.

Funding for LCS 22 and LCS 24 adds approximately US$691 million to Austal’s order book, raising it to a total of $3.1 billion.

Austal Chief Executive Officer Andrew Bellamy said, “We have developed considerable know-how as the LCS program has matured and look forward to constructing the newly funded ships, which secure work at our US shipyard through to CY2020.”

In addition, the US Navy has also included an option for the construction of an additional Littoral Combat Ship, LCS 26 that can be exercised in 2016.

If the option is exercised, the total Independence-variant LCS constructed by Austal will reach to 13 ships; 2 as subcontractor (LCS 2 and LCS 4) and 11 as the prime contractor (LCS 6 onwards).

Austal has seven LCS at various stages of construction at its shipyard under a 10 vessel, $3.5 billion contract which was awarded in 2010.