The Navy awarded Austal USA a $91.5 million modification on Sept. 6 for the detail design and construction of three Landing Craft Utility (LCU)-1700 class craft, making it the second shipyard building the vessels.
LCUs are usually carried aboard amphibious ships in their well decks, acting as connectors to transport vehicles, cargo and personnel from the sea to the shore and back. The vessels are able to operate at sea independently for up to 10 days with a range of 1,200 nautical miles.
The LCU-1700 is replacing the older LCU-1610 craft with improved fuel efficiency and reliability. They are designed to be 139-feet long, reach speeds up to 11 knots, have a crew of 13 and can carry up to two M1A1 tanks, 350 combat troops or 170 short tons of cargo.
Austal’s win provides the Navy with a second yard to build LCU-1700 vessels after previously awarding construction contracts to Swiftships LLC in recent years.
Swiftships first won a contract to start building LCU-1700 craft at its Morgan City, La., shipyard in 2018, and most recently won a $50 million second option for LCUs 1703 – 1706 in 2020 (Defense Daily, April 3, 2020) and a third $59 million modification for LCUs 1707 – 1711 in 2021 (Defense Daily, May 10, 2021).
The latest contract to Austal also includes options for nine more craft and associated support work.
The DoD announcement did not disclose the potential value of the option LCU-1700s because it could be subject to future competition.
“Therefore, the dollar values associated with the contract options are considered competition sensitive information and will not be made public at this time.
Most of this contracted work is set to occur at Austal’s shipyard in Mobile, Ala., and the three vessels are expected to be built by July 2026. However, if all options are exercised, work would continue through July 2029.
“Austal USA is honored to be able to build this important connector for the U.S. Navy. We recognize the critical role this platform plays in supporting expeditionary operations for the Navy and Marine Corps and are looking forward to continuing to deliver ships and boats to our customers on time and on budget,” Dave Growden, vice president of new construction projects at Austal USA, said in a statement.
Austal noted each LCU-1700 can carry the same payload as seven C-17 aircraft.
This LCU-1700 win for Austal adds another order to its new steel production line that complements its initial aluminum ship construction line that has built Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ships.
Other Austal steel production line items include two Navajo-class Navy Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ships (T-ATS) and the Navy’s 90,800 square-foot Auxiliary Floating Dry Dock Medium (AFDM).
Austal USA has also been contracted for the Navy’s TAGOS-25 ocean surveillance ship and the Coast Guard Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC).