Ship manufacturer Austal has announced that it has successfully delivered the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Coronado 4 to the US Navy on Friday, after it has completed the Acceptance Trials in the Gulf of Mexico at the end of August.
In an earlier media release Austal USA President Craig Perciavalle said “The successful completion of acceptance trials for this vessel validates the quality and reliability of Austal’s shipbuilding know-how. I am pleased with the performance of this ship which is a direct result of the hard work and incredible craftsmanship of the entire Austal USA team of shipbuilding professionals.”
The LCS program is in full swing at Austal USA with four other ships under construction at this time according to Austal’s ASX statement.
The Coronado (LCS 4) will be soon followed by the Jackson (LCS 6) set to launch at the end of the year. Construction on the Montgomery (LCS 8) and the Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) is also well underway according to the company. Meanwhile construction on the Omaha (LCS 12) began last month.
The LCS is a fast, focused-mission vessel designed for operation in near-shore environments, but is also capable of operating in the open-ocean. The Coronado is the second of twelve LCS class ships that Austal has been contracted to build for the US Navy, the first being the USS Independence delivered in 2009.
The final 10 of the 12 ships were awarded to Austal as prime contractor subsequent to a $3.5 billion block buy in 2010.
The company has also been contracted to build ten Joint High Speed Vessels under a $1.6 billion contract with the US Navy.
Austal specializes in the design and construction of aluminium vessels including luxury yachts, passenger and freight ferries, and ships for defence forces and government agencies. The company maintains production facilities in Henderson WA, Cebu Philippines and Mobile, Alabama in the US. The company is building warship for the US Navy in Mobile while patrol boats for the Australian Customs are being manufactured at Henderson.
