Austal USA was awarded a $53.4 million contract to procure long-lead materials for the 11th Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) vessel for the U.S. Navy.
The award covers materials including main propulsion engines, generators, water jets, main reduction gears, and other long-lead time items.
“We are excited that the Navy is building on the momentum and the maturity of the original contract and extending it beyond the first ten ships,” said Craig Perciavalle, president of Austal USA. “We look forward to building on Austal’s relationship with the U.S. Navy by continuing to provide quality, value and capability in our ships.”
EPFs were formerly known as Joint High Speed Vessels, and Austal was awarded a $1.6 billion 10-ship block buy contract in November 2008 that initiated construction of the Navy’s JHSV program.
The company’s EPF program has steadily matured, with five ships delivered and three more under construction at its Mobile, Ala. facility. The 338-ft Spearhead-class EPF is currently providing high-speed, high-payload transport capability to fleet and combatant commanders.
The EPF’s large, open mission deck and large habitability spaces provide the opportunity to conduct a wide range of missions – from engagement and humanitarian assistance or disaster relief missions being conducted today to the possibility of supporting a range of future missions including special operations support, command and control, and medical support operations. With its ability to access austere and degraded ports with minimal external assistance, the EPF provides unique options to fleet and combatant commanders. To date EPFs have been deployed to the EUCOM, AFRICOM, SOUTHCOM and PACOM areas of responsibility.
In addition to the EPF program, Austal is also building 10 Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) for the U.S. Navy under a $3.5 billion block-buy contract. Three LCS have been delivered while an additional six are in various stages of construction.
Austal is a global defense prime contractor and a designer and manufacturer of defense and commercial ships. For more than 27 years Austal has been a leader in the design, construction and maintenance of revolutionary ships for governments, navies and ferry operators around the world. More than 255 vessels have been delivered in that time.
