USNS

The US Navy has received the first Expeditionary Fast Transport 6 (EPF 6), USNS Brunswick, from Austal USA at its shipyard in Mobile, Alabama.

USNS Brunswick is part of a ten-ship, $1.6bn contract signed by the US Navy with Austal, and is the first ship to be delivered by the company to the navy this year.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Go deeper with GlobalData

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Three more EPFs are under construction.

"The entire team at Austal USA has much to be proud of in achieving this. It’s a great ship and a great programme."

The EPFs, formerly called joint high-speed vessels (JHSV), are used for fast intra-theatre transportation of troops, military vehicles and equipment.

The EPF programme merges the previous Army Theater Support Vessel (TSV) and the Navy High Speed Connector (HSC).

The non-combatant vessel is capable of transporting 600 short tonnes 1,200 nautical miles, at an average speed of 35k.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

The ships can operate in shallow-draft ports and waterways, interface with roll-on / roll-off discharge facilities, and on or offload a combat-loaded Abrams Main Battle Tank (M1A2), Austal said.

Austal CEO Andrew Bellamy said: "The EPF programme is now mature and stable. The entire team at Austal USA has much to be proud of in achieving this. It’s a great ship and a great programme."

The company will soon deliver EPF 7 USNS Carson Carson City, and is developing modules for Yuma (EPF 8) and Bismarck (EPF 9) at its module manufacturing facility.

Construction of Burlington (EPF 10) is expected to begin by the end of this year, while EPF 11 and 12 have been funded by Congress in the 2015 and 2016 omnibus appropriations bills.

In October, the company received a $54m contract to provide long lead materials for EPF 11, while the navy has not yet finalised shipbuilding contracts for EPF 11 and 12.

Image: Austal has delivered USNS Brunswick (EPF 6) to the US Navy. Photo: courtesy of Austal.

Naval Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Naval Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Virtualitics has secured the Innovation and Business Expansion awards for its Integrated Readiness Optimization (IRO) suite. Discover how its explainable AI is transforming maintenance, sustainment and mission readiness, giving defence leaders faster, clearer, and more confident operational decisions.

Discover the Impact