Austal awarded more US Navy shipbuilding contracts

Shipbuilder Austal has been awarded a $84.4 million fixed-priced contract modification for the construction of two additional Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 1700-class vessels (pictured) for the United States Navy.

The contract modification brings the total number of LCU scheduled or under construction at Austal USA to five of a class that the USN originally envisaged as up to 12 vessels.

Austal Chief Executive Officer Paddy Gregg said the contract modification confirms Austal USA’s successful start to construction of the first LCU vessel for the USN and the steel shipbuilding capability of Austal’s Mobile, Alabama facility.

Gregg said: “The United States 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.

“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 (T-ATS) ships and Ocean Surveillance (T-AGOS) ships.”

The steel hull, LCU 1700-class are a heavy-lift capability with 170-ton payload capacity which will be deployed with the United States Navy’s amphibious assault ships to support a range of military operations including the delivery of tracked and/or wheeled vehicles, troops and cargo from ship to shore, shore to shore, and back to ship.

The vessels have a roll-on / roll-off monohull configuration with hydraulically controlled bow and stern ramps that allow multiple vessels to connect and form a causeway for fast and secure unloading and loading.

They are designed to be transported within, and load/unload from, the well decks of amphibious assault ships, carrying loads up to 3.5 metres high, above the vessel’s vehicle deck.

With a crew of 13, each vessel can conduct independent open ocean transits or operations at sea with a range of 1,200 nautical miles (at 8kn) and a top speed of 11 knots.

Further reading:
Austal wins US Navy landing craft contract

Picture: Austal/Austal will build two additional Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 1700 class vessels for the United States Navy