Austal's Fifth Joint High Speed Vessel Completes Acceptance Trials

Austal Limited (Austal) (ASX:ASB) is pleased to announce that Joint High Speed Vessel 5 (JHSV 5), USNS Trenton, has successfully completed US Navy acceptance trials.

The trials, the last significant milestone before delivery, were undertaken in the Gulf of Mexico and involved comprehensive testing of the vessel’s major systems and equipment by the US Navy.

Joint High Speed Vessel

Austal Chief Executive Officer Andrew Bellamy said it was pleasing that acceptance trials on USNS Trenton had been successfully completed.

“The JHSV program is in a mature, efficient phase of construction and USNS Trenton is the latest example of Austal’s ability to design and construct high-quality defence vessels for the US Navy,” Mr Bellamy said.

After delivery of JHSV 5, Austal will deliver a further five Joint High Speed Vessels from its shipyard at Mobile, Alabama, under a 10-ship, US$1.6 billion contract from the US Navy. Of those, USNS Brunswick (JHSV 6) is expected to be launched later in the year, with construction on USNS Carson City (JHSV 7) progressing well. Metal cutting began recently for USNS Yuma (JHSV 8).

Since delivery of USNS Spearhead (JHSV 1), Joint High Speed Vessels have supported US defence operations in European, African, South and Pacific command areas of responsibility.

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About Austal

Austal is a global defence prime contractor and a designer and manufacturer of defence and commercial ships. For more than 25 years Austal has been a leader in the design, construction and maintenance of revolutionary ships for Governments, Navies and Ferry operators around the world. More than 250 vessels have been delivered in that time.

Ships

Defence vessels designed and built by Austal include multi-mission combatants, such as the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) for the United States Navy and military high speed vessels for transport and humanitarian relief, such as the Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV) for the United States Navy and High Speed Support Vessel (HSSV) for the Royal Navy of Oman. Austal also designs, constructs, integrates and maintains an extensive range of patrol and auxiliary vessels for government agencies globally, including the Cape Class Patrol Boat Program for Australian Customs and Border Protection. Defence vessels are designed and constructed in Mobile, Alabama and in Henderson, Western Australia.

Austal has been at the forefront of the high speed ferry market since the early days of the industry. Our market leading designs of high performance aluminium vessels have long been at the heart of Austal’s research and development. Today, commercial ship construction is centred on our shipyard in Balamban, Philippines.

Systems

Austal has expertise in integrating complex systems into its ships, including ride control, ship management, and communication, sensors and weapon systems.

Support

Austal provides a wide range of support services, including through life support, integrated logistics support, vessel sustainment and systems support. These services are delivered through our global support network in the USA, Australia, Asia, the Caribbean and the Middle East together with partner shipyards worldwide.