Austal USA has received its first contract to build a steel ship after revamping its aluminum-only construction yard in Alabama, with the U.S. Navy awarding the company $144 million to design and build two towing, salvage, and rescue ships (T-ATS).
The Mobile shipyard announced in June 2020 it would take $50 million in federal government funds and an equal amount of its own money to upgrade the yard to build steel ships, which is primarily what the Navy fields. Austal has built aluminum Independence-variant littoral combat ships and expeditionary fast transport ships (EPF), but the LCS line is coming to an end and the future of the EPF remains unclear.
Austal USA wins first steel shipbuilding program with T-ATS towing ship contract (defensenews.com)