Shipbuilder Austal has won a $779 million contract to build a 14th Littoral Combat Ship for the US Navy.
The WA-based company on Monday said the 127-metre LCS28 will be built at its shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, employing techniques that would be applied if it wins the Australian government's $3 billion Offshore Patrol Vessel contract.
"While I am obviously happy for Austal, I am also delighted in the vote of confidence this delivers for Australian shipbuilding and design," Austal chief executive David Singleton said.
"Should we win the $3 billion Offshore Patrol Vessel contract for the Royal Australian Navy, we intend to introduce many of the advanced manufacturing techniques and efficiency gains perfected in the US into our local operations."
Some subsystems for the LCS will be made at Austal's Henderson facility in WA.
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Austal has now taken $8 billion in orders for the Independence Class LCS program, with the US Navy expected to order two more of the frigate-sized ships in the current US financial year.
