Austalthe Australian shipping company, has received a $4 billion contract to build eight ships Landing Craft Heavy (LCH) under the Strategic Shipbuilding Agreement (SSA) with the Commonwealth of Australia.
In a press release published on the site Naval Newsthe company said the contract was announced by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Richard Marles and the Minister of Defense Industry Pat Conroy.
The construction of the 100 meter LCH vessels, based on the project Damen LST100will be built using the structures of Austal and the Common User Facility in Henderson, Western Australia. Work is expected to begin again this year, with the eighth and final vessel scheduled for delivery in 2038.
Paddy GreggCEO of Austalsaid the contract strengthens the company’s position as a sovereign shipbuilder of the Commonwealth of Australia and a trusted partner of the Australian Defense Force (ADF).
The contract creates a record order book for Austalproviding a long-term demand signal for the Australian supply chain and an incentive to invest in increasing the company’s capacity.
“This contract represents a significant further investment in Australia’s sovereign naval capability, and Austal Defense Australia stands ready to deliver these high-performance ships to support the ADF’s operational needs,” Gregg added.
The ships Landing Craft Heavy (LCH) will provide the Australian Defense Force with a critical maritime capability, supporting amphibious operations, logistics, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief across Australia’s area of interest.
Photo: Austal. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
