Austal snares US$3.2bn ship building contract

Shipbuilder Austal has announced it was won a US$113.9 million fixed price contract for detailed design of the Auxiliary General Ocean Surveillance Ship T-AGOS 25 class for the United States Navy.

The contract includes options for construction of up to seven T-AGOS 25 class vessels which, if exercised, would bring the total contract value to US$3.2 billion.

T-AGOS 25 class ships, operated by the US Military Sealift Command (MSC) support the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) mission of the Atlantic and Pacific fleets.

The 110-metre, steel ‘small waterplane area twin hull’ (SWATH) vessels gather underwater acoustical data using a surveillance towed-array sensor system.

CEO Paddy Gregg said the T-AGOS 25 class contract added to Austal USA’s growing portfolio of steel shipbuilding programmes.

The US government paid 50 percent of the cost of adding steel vessel building capabilities to Austal’s shipyard at Mobile, Alabama.

Gregg said: “T-AGOS is a unique vessel that plays an integral role in supporting Navy’s anti-submarine warfare mission.

“Austal USA is honoured to be selected to deliver this critical capability to the Navy, utilising our advanced manufacturing processes.”

Further reading:
Browse @AuManufacturing’s coverage of Austal here.

Picture: Austal/Auxiliary General Ocean Surveillance Ship T-AGOS 25 class