Austal has been awarded a new $369 million contract for two additional Expeditionary Fast Transport Ships (EPF) by the US Navy.
The contract award extends the EPF program to 2022, with construction of EPF 13 to commence in late 2019 and EPF 14 to follow in the middle of 2020. The contract follows the award for long-lead time materials on EPF 13 and EPF 14 that was announced in December last year.
The 14-ship EPF program is worth over US$2 billion.
“The extension of this program to 14 vessels is a result of the versatility of the EPF platform to perform an increasing range of roles for the US Navy combined with the confidence our customer has in it," Austal CEO David Singleton said. "We continue to believe that the EPF vessel, in various configurations, has a long future ahead of it.
“We have a proven ability to build these cost effective vessels efficiently at our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama and as a result they will continue to underpin the shipyard for several years to come.
“We are pleased to add these new vessels to what is already a record order book, which includes the contract Austal recently received for two additional Independence Class Littoral Combat Ships."
The EPF’s large, open-mission deck and large habitable spaces allow the vessel to conduct missions ranging from engagement and humanitarian assistance to disaster relief, maritime security support operations, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
The EPF has a shallow draft of 13 feet and a water jet propulsion system that enables speeds greater than 40 knots, allowing the ship to access austere and degraded ports with minimal external assistance.