Aussies Get US Warship Contract-Updated

Austal of Australia is set to build American Littoral Combat Ships according to this report:

WEST Australian shipbuilder Austal will announce today it has locked away its biggest and probably most significant single contract — a pioneer order worth about $135 million to build a new combat ship for the US Navy.
Austal called a trading halt in its shares over the weekend pending what it said was an expected finalisation this morning of the details of the contract for the Littoral Combat Ship.

...the Navy could require up to 82 of the vessels over the next 30 years, including 27 within the next decade.

82 LCS? Works for me, and lets hope, for the Navy! Austal builds those sleek catamarans called high-speed vessels, which recently supported Navy hurricane relief in the Gulf States. I say "in" the states cause theses frigate-size vessles cruised in inland waters where the big ships couldn't.

Update: Here is the official news release from Austal.