SHIPBUILDER Austal has been awarded multiple contracts together valued at more than $300 million to construct and sustain patrol boats and a floating dry dock.
The contracts are expected to enable Austal to take on projects across diverse naval shipbuilding and support programs both within Australia and overseas.
Under one contract, Austal will sustain two cape-class patrol boats the company built for the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard until and potentially beyond 2024.
“The Trinidad and Tobago support contract is another example of Austal constructing and then maintaining patrol vessels to ensure that they can operate safely and efficiently over extended durations, while providing important longer-term revenue to Austal,” Austal CEO Paddy Gregg said
“We have been very clear that we want to grow Austal’s support business and this is a perfect example of how Austal can support vessels constructed so that not only do the vessels continue to perform optimally for our clients, but also create a recurring revenue stream post-construction.”
Another contract will see Austal construct an additional two evolved cape-class patrol boats for the Royal Australian Navy.
Austal was awarded a $324 million contract in 2020 to construct six 58-metre Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boats for the Navy, with one vessel delivered in March this year. The government then ordered an additional two vessels in April.
“The two additional Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boats announced by the Australian government two months ago have now been officially ordered, bringing the total number of vessels to be constructed to eight,” Mr Gregg said.
“[It demonstrates] great confidence in the vessel platform by the Royal Australian Navy, who are already operating three of the patrol boats throughout Northern Australia.”
And, under separate contract, the shipbuilder will undertake the detailed design and construction of a new Auxiliary Floating Dry Dock Medium for the United States Navy.
“The competitively awarded, US$128 million contract for the floating dry dock is Austal USA’s second steel vessel program for the US Navy and clearly demonstrates the Navy’s confidence in the … shipyard’s growing capability to deliver aluminium and steel vessels,” Mr Gregg said.
The dry dock will be designed to have a lifting capacity of more than 18,000 tonnes and the capability to service large vessels such as littoral combat ships, guided missile destroyers, guided missile cruisers and landing ship docks.
