Austal to construct two more LCU 1700 vessels for US Navy

Austal USA has been awarded a firm-target contract modification for the construction of two additional landing craft utility (LCU) 1700-class vessels for the US Navy.

Austal USA was awarded an initial contract for the construction of three LCU 1700 vessels with options for an additional nine vessels, in September 2023.

The steel hull of the vessels has a heavy-lift capability with a 170-ton payload capacity. They will be deployed with the US 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, according to Austal.

They are designed to be transported within, and load/unload from, the well decks of amphibious assault ships, carrying loads up to 3.5 meters 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.

This contract modification brings the total number of LCU currently scheduled or under construction at Austal USA to five.

The potential value of the contract for up to 12 vessels is $379.7 million (AUD$587.6 million).

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

“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; to be constructed at the Mobile, Alabama shipyard,” Gregg said.