BAE Systems has won a $33.5 million U.S. Navy contract to carry out maintenance, repairs, and modernization work on the Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Augusta (LCS 34), keeping the vessel on track for future fleet operations.
The award, issued to BAE Systems’ Maritime Solutions unit in San Diego, covers the ship’s Fiscal 2026 Docking Selected Restricted Availability, a scheduled shipyard period during which the vessel will undergo repairs, inspections, and system upgrades while out of service.
Work will take place in San Diego and is expected to run through August 2027, giving the Navy and the contractor a lengthy window to complete the overhaul. The contract is valued at $33,513,369, with options that could raise the total to $35,705,364.
The Navy said the package includes all labor, supervision, equipment, production support, testing, facilities, and quality assurance needed to complete the availability period. In practical terms, this means shipyard crews will handle everything from structural and mechanical repairs to modernization work and post-repair testing before the ship returns to service.
Funding for the contract includes $31.67 million from fiscal 2026 Navy procurement accounts and $1.84 million from operations and maintenance funds. The full amount is being obligated at the time of award, with the operations and maintenance portion set to expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively awarded through the System for Award Management website, with three offers received. Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington is managing the award.
A Docking Selected Restricted Availability is essentially a major scheduled shipyard overhaul. The ship is placed in dry dock so crews can inspect and repair parts of the hull and propulsion systems that are normally below the waterline, while also updating onboard equipment and carrying out checks that cannot be done at sea.
That work is especially important for littoral combat ships, which have remained a closely watched part of the Navy’s surface fleet. USS Augusta is one of the Independence-variant vessels, known for its distinctive trimaran hull design and large flight deck.
Unlike larger destroyers, the ship was built for high-speed operations in coastal waters and can support a range of missions, including maritime security and mine countermeasures. Its broad mission bay and aviation facilities allow it to operate helicopters and unmanned systems.
Once the work is complete, USS Augusta is expected to return to the fleet with updated systems and restored readiness for future missions.
