AUSTAL USA CHRISTENS FUTURE USS MOBILE (LCS 26)

MEDIA RELEASE

13 DECEMBER 2019

AUSTAL USA CHRISTENS FUTURE USS MOBILE (LCS 26)

Austal Limited (ASX:ASB) is pleased to announce that Austal USA has christened the 13^th  Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), the future USS Mobile (LCS 26), at a ceremony held at its state-of-the-art ship manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama.

Austal USA is contracted to design and construct 19 Independence-class LCS for the U.S. Navy, and has delivered 10 ships to date, with 6 currently at various stages of construction.

Austal Limited Chief Executive Officer David Singleton said the USS Mobile christening highlights Austal USA’s impressive capability and productivity, as the 20^th ship to be christened at the shipyard in the past 5 years.

“As Prime contractor, Austal USA is delivering two major programs for the U.S. Navy, comprising a total of 33 ships, and it’s even more impressive when you consider Mobile is the 20^th ship they have christened in just 5 years.

“The Austal USA shipyard has achieved outstanding productivity and efficiencies on both the LCS and EPF programs, and this is reflected in the progress on Mobile, which has been christened within 2 years of starting construction.” Singleton said.

The future USS Mobile was officially christened by ships sponsor, Rebecca Byrne, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Community Foundation of South Alabama, and wife of Alabama Congressman Bradley Byrne; and is named after the City of Mobile.

The 127 metre Independence-class LCS is the most recent step in the U.S. Navy’s small surface combatant evolution. A high-speed, agile, shallow draft, focused-mission surface combatant, the LCS is designed to conduct surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and mine countermeasures missions in the littoral near-shore region while also possessing the capability for deep water operations. With its open architecture design, the LCS can support modular weapons, sensor systems and a variety of manned and unmanned vehicles to capture and sustain littoral maritime supremacy. 

In addition to being in full-rate production for the LCS program, Austal USA is also the U.S. Navy’s Prime contractor for the Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) program. Austal has delivered 10 EPF, with a total of 14 under contract. Austal USA is also leading the evolution of connector and auxiliary ships as Austal EPF designs for dedicated medical, maintenance, logistics, and command and control ships continue to impress fleet commanders.

Ships’ sponsor Rebecca Byrne smashing the champagne bottle at the christening ceremony for the future USS Mobile (LCS26) at Austal USA’s shipyard in Mobile, Alabama. (Image: Austal USA)

- ENDS -

Media Contact:

Cameron Morse

+61 433 886 871

cameron.morse@fticonsulting.com