Austal Delivers Third Joint High Speed Vessel

March 24, 2014

Austal Limited (Austal) (ASX:ASB) is pleased to announce it has successfully delivered Joint High Speed Vessel 3 (JHSV 3), USNS Millinocket, to the US Navy.

USNS Millinocket is the third JHSV built by Austal at its shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, under a 10 ship, US$1.6 billion contract.

Austal Chief Executive Officer Andrew Bellamy said the Joint High Speed Vessel program has matured through the implementation of productivity and efficiency improvements at Austal’s US shipyard since construction commenced on JHSV 1.

“We have taken a very proactive approach in making operational improvements at the shipyard through each step of the JHSV program,” Mr Bellamy said.

“It is pleasing to see the benefits of these improvements, with Austal’s JHSV program maturing into the phase of efficient, serial production of the vessels.”

Delivery of USNS Millinocket to the US Navy follows USNS Spearhead (JHSV 1), which was delivered in December 2012 and has been deployed, and USNS Choctaw County (JHSV 2), which was delivered in June 2013.

Ships currently under construction are JHSV 4, which was christened in January and is being prepared for sea trials, JHSV 5, which has begun final assembly, and JHSV 6, which commenced construction in January in the module manufacturing facility.

Five Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ships are also in construction at Austal’s US shipyard under the Company’s 10-ship, $3.5 billion contract from the US Navy. USS Jackson (LCS 6) was launched in December 2013 and is preparing for sea trials before delivery to the US Navy by the end of CY2014. USS Montgomery (LCS 8) is expected to be launched in Q4 FY2014, while LCS 10, LCS 12, and LCS 14 are in various stages of construction.

About Austal
Austal is a global defence prime contractor. The Company designs, constructs and maintains revolutionary platforms such as the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and the Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV) for the United States Navy, as well as an extensive range of patrol and auxiliary vessels for defence forces and government agencies globally. Austal also designs, installs, integrates and maintains sophisticated communications, radar and command and control systems.

Austal benefits from its position as a world leader in the design, construction and support of customised, high performance aluminium vessels for the commercial high speed ferry market, an achievement gained over a period of more than 25 years.

Austal’s primary facilities comprise a dedicated defence shipyard in Henderson, Western Australia; a dedicated defence shipyard in Mobile, Alabama; and a dedicated commercial shipyard in Balamban, Philippines. The Company also provides vessel support services from its facilities in Australia, the United States, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. Systems development, sales and support are coordinated from Austal’s facility in Canberra, Australia.

About USNS Millinocket
USNS Millinocket (JHSV 3) is a 103 metre aluminium catamaran capable of transporting 600 short tons 1,200 nautical miles at an average speed of 35 knots. It can operate in shallow-draft ports and waterways, interfacing with roll-on / roll-off discharge facilities and on / off-loading a combat-loaded Abrams Main Battle Tank (M1A2). Other joint requirements include an aviation flight deck to support day and night aircraft launch and recovery operations. It has airline-style seating for 312 embarked forces with fixed berthing for 104.

The ship has the ability to support a variety of operations, supporting the warfighter through traditional logistics missions, humanitarian support projects, disaster response or by supporting maritime law enforcement activities.

Austal press release