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- Austal’s (ASB) twelfth Independence Class vessel, the USS Oakland, has completed acceptance trials with the U.S. navy
- An acceptance trial is the process by which the Austal team demonstrates the capacity and capability of the vessel’s major systems and equipment
- Austal has six more ships being developed at its site in Mobile, Alabama
- In the same announcement, the company has hailed its ability to complete acceptance trials during the coronavirus pandemic, saying it’s a big win for Austal’s U.S. team
- Despite this, Austal shares are 0.84 per cent in the red today, trading for $2.96 per share
Austal’s (ASB) twelfth Independence Class vessel, the USS Oakland, has completed acceptance trials with the U.S. navy.
The USS Oakland has completed those trials in the Gulf of Mexico. The ship was built at Austal’s Mobile, Alabama facility for the United States Navy.
An acceptance trial involves the vessel executing a number of tests designed to assess the capacity and capability of the ship’s major systems and equipment.
The Independence Class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is a high speed, shallow-draft surface vessel with an aluminium trimaran hull.
All littoral class vessels are small vessels, roughly comparable to a corvette found in other navies globally. Austal designed the independence class to be deployed along coastlines and in networks of ships to maintain surveillance.
Austal has six independence class vessels under construction and is still putting the finishing touches on the Oakland.
The future USS Mobile has been launched and is now preparing for trials. The USS Savannah is undergoing final assembly alongside the USS Canberra, while modules for the USS Santa Barbara are underway, and the USS Augusta started construction in April.
Austal’s CEO David Singleton said that successfully completing the acceptance trials during the coronavirus pandemic showed Austal U.S. team’s capability and reliability to deliver vessel on time, even under challenging circumstances.
“Austal’s U.S. team has clearly answered the call, as part of a mission-essential industry, to continue operations during the COVID-19 pandemic and deliver on commitments to the U.S. navy,” David noted.
“The completion of acceptance trials for LCS 24 during this time of adversity is an outstanding achievement and a great acknowledgement of the skills and commitment of the Austal U.S. team” he commented.
Despite this, Austal shares are 0.84 per cent in the red today, trading for $2.96 per share at 11:07 am AEST.
