Austal Limited says it has further entrenched itself in the US Navy’s push to operate robot warships in conflict zones. The Perth-based shipbuilder won a $US44 million ($56.9 million) contract to build autonomous capability into the next vessel it delivers to the US Navy – a 103 metre-long, high-speed aluminium catamaran capable of carrying more than 300 troops.
Austal built the USNS Newport, the 12th Spearhead-class to enter service with the US Navy. The 13th Spearhead-class vessel will be built with autonomous features.
The contract is another sign of the Pentagon’s confidence in Austal as the company closes in on the acquisition of strategically important shipyards at Subic Bay in the Philippines...MORE
