| Type | Public (ASX:ASB) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipbuilding |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Headquarters | Henderson, Western Australia |
| Products | Aluminium commercial and defence vessels |
| Employees | 2401 |
| Divisions | Austal USA |
| Website | www.austal.com |
Austal is an Australian company that specializes in the design and construction of aluminium vessels. Its main products include passenger and freight ferries, luxury yachts and military vessels.
Austal has five different production facilities, three of them on the Australian mainland, one in Margate, Tasmania and one in the United States. The mainland Australian shipyards are located in Henderson, Western Australia; the one in the United States is based in Mobile, Alabama.
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In October 2005, Austal/General Dynamics was awarded a contract to build the first of their design for a Littoral Combat Ship. The keel of the future USS Independence (LCS-2) was laid on 19 January 2006 at Austal USA's yard in Mobile, Alabama, and the naming ceremony was held on 4 October 2008.[1] It is now operating with the fleet at its current location in Norfolk, Virginia.[2]
The LCS 2 was the first ship built by Austal USA for the U.S. Navy and the Navy’s first Trimaran Littoral Combat Ship. It is the first naval warship constructed in Mobile, Alabama since World War II. The basis of Austal's seaframe design is the 127 metre trimaran hull Benchijigua Express.
The originally planned second Austal/GD ship (LCS-4) was canceled on November 1, 2007.[3]
On May 1, 2009, the Navy renewed the contract with Austal/GD to build the second LCS, the USS Coronado (LCS-4), with delivery scheduled for May 2012.[4]
On 29 December 2010 the U.S Navy, as per their 3 November 2010 decision to award contracts for Littoral Combat Ships to both Austal USA and Lockheed Martin, announced a new contract with Austal USA (who had separated from General Dynamics Bath Iron Works[5]). The contract calls for one ship to be built now the USS Jackson (LCS-6), with another the USS Montgomery (LCS-8) in 2011. Two more per year will follow in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. The contract for the LCS 6 is for $432 million with a goal of having the average ship cost be $352 million per. Another $20 million is to be figured in for change orders, and a "management reserve" is also to be included.[6]
In November 2008, Austal won the contract to design and build the US Department of Defence’s next generation high-speed catamaran, multi-use platform, the Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV), as part of a program potentially worth over US$1.6 billion.
As Prime contractor, Austal will design and construct the first 103-metre JHSV, with options for 9 additional vessels expected to be exercised between FY09 and FY13. Construction on the second ship started in September 2010. Austal now has contracts for three ships, long-lead material contracts for two ships and options for five further ships, for a total of ten.[7]
The new JHSV is similar to the Austal-built WestPac Express operated by the US Marines for the past seven years.
The JHSV will be able to carry 700 short tons (including M1 Abrams main battle tanks) 1,200 nautical miles at an average speed of 35 knots (65 km/h) and be able to unload at roll-on/roll-off discharge facilities. It will be 103 meters long, 28.5 meters beam with a crew of 22 to 40.[8]
The first three will be named Spearhead (JHSV 1), Vigilant (JHSV 2) and Fortitude (JHSV 3).[9]
While the JHSV can carry 300 Marines and their gear for up to four days, it is not expected to be survivable against enemy attack.[10]
Navy planners envision building up to two dozen of the JHSV ships over the next decade. [11]
Between June 2005 and February 2008, Austal completed delivery of 14, 56.8-metres (186 ft) Armidale class patrol boats to the Royal Australian Navy for costal defense. These vessels were featured on the TV series Sea Patrol.
In 2005, Austal delivered 10 high-speed patrol boats to the Yemen Navy, which are now hired out (with active duty Navy and Coast Guard crews) to protect private shippers.[12][13]
Austal has designed and built a range of commercial and leisure vessels, including passenger and vehicle-passenger ferries, offshore crewboats, private and commercial liveaboard vessels and cruise vessels.