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
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Schiebel’s frigate-first strategy indicates a shift in UAV competition]()
Eurosatory 2026: Schiebel’s frigate-first strategy indicates a shift in UAV competition
Schiebel is pursuing opportunities in the UK and France while leveraging its integration with Naval Group’s FDI frigate programme to create new naval business across Europe.
-
![US weighs offshore warship production due to industrial limits]()
US weighs offshore warship production due to industrial limits
A Pentagon push to procure warships from Japanese and South Korean shipyards could reshape allied naval industrial strategy, but critics warn the approach risks hollowing out the domestic base Washington is seeking to restore.
-
![Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA]()
Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA
The accelerated delivery of the final Flight IIA destroyer, USS Patrick Gallagher, showcases the payoff of years of workforce investment and process reform at Bath Iron Works, with the lessons feeding into Flight III production.
