Australian shipbuilder Austal announced that its business unit Austal USA was awarded maintenance and modernization contracts from the U.S.Navy for east coast-based Littoral Combat Ships.
According to a company statement, the awards, announced by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) on 4 and 13 August, covers support sustainment execution efforts for Littoral Combat Ships homeported in San Diego, California, and in Mayport, Florida.
These efforts consist of a chief of naval operations dry docking selected restricted availabilities and selected restricted availabilities, continuous maintenance, emergent maintenance, ship assessments, preventative/planned maintenance, facilities maintenance, and corrosion control in the contiguous U.S.; and continuous maintenance, emergent maintenance, preventative/planned maintenance, facilities maintenance, and corrosion control, outside the continental U.S.
Austal’s Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), developed for the US Navy, is a high-speed, agile, multi-mission combatant that delivers superior seakeeping and performance. The Independence-variant LCS is an open ocean capable vessel but is designed to defeat growing littoral threats and provide access and dominance in the coastal water battlespace.
A fast, maneuverable and networked surface combatant, the Independence-variant LCS provides the warfighting capabilities and operational flexibility to accomplish multiple, critical missions including mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare with inherent capabilities that also support missions such as special operations and maritime interdiction.
Independence-variant LCS delivers combat capability from core self-defense systems in concert with rapidly interchangeable, modular mission packages and an open architecture command and control system. The Independence variant’s aviation facilities and watercraft launch and recovery capability support focused mission packages are outfitted with both manned and unmanned air, surface, and sub-surface vehicles. A mission bay and three weapons modules provide support service interfaces between mission package weapons, sensors and vehicles and the seaframe.