Austal delivers aluminium warship USS Oakland (LCS-24) to the US Navy

Austal, an international shipbuilder based at Perth, announced today, June 29, that it delivered its twelfth Independence class littoral combat ship (LCS) made of aluminium to the US Navy.

Built at the Austal’s shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, the USS Oakland (LCS-24) is a 127-metre long aluminium trimaran multi-purpose warship.

Five other warships under LCS are undergoing various stages of construction at the same shipyard.

According to the report, Austal has orders for 14 expeditionary fast transport vessels (EPF) from the US Navy, of which 11 have already been delivered.

Sharing the joy on completing the warship LCS-24, Austal chief executive David Singleton said there was a great sense of pride in completing the project amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

 “Austal USA has met the challenge to safely and efficiently maintain the delivery schedule of the future USS Oakland, while continuing to perform a critical role in the United States’ defence industrial base,” said David.

The Mobile shipyard is the most significant shipyard for Austal as it generates a maximum profit for the company.

With the advancement of two USN contracts, Austal is reportedly planning to diversify its operations from traditional focus on aluminium ships to steel ship construction at Mobile.

Last week the company announced a $73 million (US$ 50 million) loan in support of the US Navy Shipbuilding Industrial Base to expand into manufacturing steel hulled ships.