Sweet sixteen for Austal with extra EPF deal
Austal will design and build the 16th Spearhead-class transport vessel for the USN. (Photo: Austal USA)
EPF 16 will be the third Spearhead-class ship in the Flight II configuration for USN Military Sealift Command.
The USN has awarded Austal USA a $230.54 million contract modification to design and build an extra Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) vessel.
Work on the modification from Naval Sea Systems Command will be completed by October 2025, the DoD announced on 3 May.
Austal was originally contracted to build 15 EPF ships; 12 of these have been delivered to USN Military Sealift Command.
EPF 16 will be the third Spearhead-class ship in the Flight II configuration, which includes a flight deck capable of accommodating the V-22 Osprey and ‘reconfigurable spaces for operating rooms and post-surgical recovery efforts’, Austal USA noted in a statement.
The EPF class provides a high-speed, shallow draft transportation capability to support intra-theatre deployment of personnel, supplies and equipment for the US Army, USMC and USN.
Shephard Defence Insight estimates that the programme has an overall value of $3.9 billion. The DoD FY2022 budget included funding for two Spearhead-class ships at the insistence of Congress.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) [USN]
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![How will the Canadian Coast Guard’s transfer to the DND umbrella affect its capabilities?]()
How will the Canadian Coast Guard’s transfer to the DND umbrella affect its capabilities?
By joining the defence department, the coast guard will need to acquire new solutions and adapt its in-service capabilities to ensure interoperability with the Canadian Armed Forces.
-
![UK MoD’s confirmation of MBDA missile for Type 26 points to more European collaboration]()
UK MoD’s confirmation of MBDA missile for Type 26 points to more European collaboration
The Type 26 will also be fitted with the Sea Ceptor vertically launched air defence system that can fire CAMM missiles and a 24-cell Mk 41 vertical launch system that can fire the Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles, anti-submarine rockets and long-range anti-ship missiles.
-
![Is South Korea finally being taken seriously for Western submarine programmes?]()
Is South Korea finally being taken seriously for Western submarine programmes?
South Korean shipbuilders are beginning to make their mark beyond Asia, competing for major North American and European submarine programmes and becoming serious contenders on a global scale.
-
![AUKUS Pillar 2 could narrow focus to “four key areas” says UK official]()
AUKUS Pillar 2 could narrow focus to “four key areas” says UK official
Few concrete ideas have emerged so far on which “advanced capabilities” will be brought forward under Pillar 2 of the AUKUS partnership, but the Pentagon’s review of the programme could bring more clarity.
