Austal bags LCS post-shakedown contract
Austal will carry out work on the Post Shakedown Availability phase for Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Gabrielle Giffords under a contract from the US Navy announced on 19 October. The cost-plus-award-fee contract is valued at $12 million.
The company will provide engineering and management services in support of post shakedown, including providing design, planning, and material support services. Services will include programme management, materials planning, engineering and design, material kitting, liaison and scheduling.
The future Gabrielle Giffords is currently undergoing sea trials. The vessel is the tenth of eleven Independence class LCS being built for the navy. Vessels one through four have been delivered, and seven, including Gabrielle Giffords, are under construction.
More from Naval Warfare
-
Future of the South African Navy looks bleak despite new ships entering service
The commissioning of SAS King Shaka Zulu, a Multi-Mission Inshore Patrol Vessel, into the South African Navy masks serious problems for the service as fleet availability falls dangerously low and capability atrophies.
-
Babcock wins UK Royal Navy’s Dreadnought support contracts
Babcock has won contracts worth more than £120 million to support the development and delivery of the Dreadnought-class submarines for the UK’s Royal Navy.
-
Make or break: Can the European Patrol Corvette programme save shipbuilding in Europe?
With funding from the European Defence Fund and partner countries, the European Patrol Corvette programme has an opportunity to become the standard bearer for defence procurement and potentially offer a route forward for naval shipbuilding in Europe.
-
Portugal contracts Damen for multi-purpose vessel designed for integrated uncrewed air and sea systems
The new ship’s primary roles will be search and rescue, emergency relief and oceanic research but will also be used for naval support operations and maritime safety.
-
Kongsberg to develop improved Naval Strike Missile
Kongsberg’s Naval Strike Missile was developed in the early 2000s and delivered to the Norwegian Armed Forces from 2011 to 2015. The new missile will be a collaborative project between Norway and Germany and has been planned to be deployed on both countries' naval vessels.
-
France orders seven offshore patrol vessels
The first offshore patrol vessel (OPV) is scheduled for delivery in 2026 and 10 OPVs are expected to be in service by 2035. They are intended to replace the high seas patrol vessels based in Brest and Toulon, as well as the Cherbourg public service patrol boats.