Austal's Australian Centers Can Now Bid for U.S. Navy Support Contract

The Maritime Executive 1h

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Austal’s shipyards and service centers in Australia have been approved to bid for and provide support services, including ship repairs, maintenance and sustainment activity, for United States Navy and Military Sealift Command ships. 

With the Agreement of Boat Repair now in place, Austal’s Australian operations can now bid to provide emergent repair services to deployed U.S. Navy ships, including the Austal designed and constructed Independence-class Littoral Combat Ships (LCS). The agreement also allows Austal to bid for maintenance and repair of Military Sealift Command ships deployed to the region, including the Austal designed and constructed Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport vessels.

Austal USA has delivered 10 Independence-class LCS to the U.S. Navy since 2010 and continues to construct six vessels at the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Alabama. 19 Independence-class LCS have been contracted in contracts worth over $14 billion, along with 14 Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transports, 11 of which have been delivered to the U.S. Navy.

Last year, U.S. President Donald Trump gave Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison a model of a an LCS, USS Canberra, as a welcome gift when he visited the U.S. 

Austal USA celebrated its 20th anniversary, on December 8 last year. In 1999, Austal USA started out building commercial crew boats, dinner boats and passenger ferries, including the world’s largest high-speed aluminum ferries at the time, the Hawaii super ferries Alakai and Huakai.

Early success enabled Austal USA to enter the U.S. defense market in 2004 with the initial award of its first LCS, as a subcontractor to General Dynamics-Bath Iron Works, and its second LCS in 2009.  Austal USA was also awarded, as prime contractor, 10 Expeditionary Fast Transports in 2009 followed by the block-buy prime contract for the construction of 10 more LCS in late 2010. Austal USA also continues to grow its service business with service centers in Mobile, San Diego and Singapore.

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