Austal USA delivers EPF 11

USNS Puerto Rico (EPF 11) successfully completed the first integrated sea trials for an Expeditionary Fast Transport ship Aug. 22, 2019. Integrated Trials combine Builder’s and Acceptance Trials, allowing for the shipyard to demonstrate to the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey the operational capability and mission readiness of all the ship’s systems during a single underway period (Photograph: Austal USA) USNS Puerto Rico (EPF 11) successfully completed the first integrated sea trials for an Expeditionary Fast Transport ship Aug. 22, 2019. Integrated Trials combine Builder’s and Acceptance Trials, allowing for the shipyard to demonstrate to the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey the operational capability and mission readiness of all the ship’s systems during a single underway period (Photograph: Austal USA)

The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of its eleventh Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) vessel, the future USNS Puerto Rico (T-EPF 11), from shipbuilder Austal USA in a Dec. 10 ceremony held aboard the ship.

Delivery marks the official transfer of the ship from the shipbuilder to the Navy. EPF 11 will be owned and operated by Military Sealift Command.

“We are excited to accept delivery of another versatile ship, further expanding the advantage of our civilian mariners at sea,” said Capt. Scot Searles, Strategic and Theater Sealift program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. “Delivery of our eleventh ship is a testament to the inherent flexibility of the EPF class.”

INTEGRATED TRIALS

The ship was the first EPF to perform and successfully complete integrated trials – combining builder’s trials and acceptance trials into one at-sea event – returning to port flying a broom at her mast indicating a “clean sweep” of the tests the ship and her crew performed in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Spearhead-class EPF, a 338-foot high-speed catamaran, provides high-payload transport capability to U.S. combatant commanders around the world and is known as ‘the pickup truck’ of the fleet. The ship’s large flight deck, open mission bay and habitability spaces provide an opportunity to conduct a wide range of missions from maritime security operations to humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions. The ship’s flexibility also allows it to support potential future missions such as special operations, command and control, and primary medical operations. With its ability to access small, austere, and degraded ports with minimal external support, the EPF provides unique options to fleet and combatant commanders.

“We’re excited to get another EPF to the fleet,” said Austal USA President Craig Perciavalle. “The role these EPFs play in supporting our nation’s defense is remarkable as evidenced by the various important missions EPFs have fulfilled globally.

Two additional Spearhead-class EPFs are under construction at Austal’s Mobile, Ala. shipyard. Newport (EPF 12) is being erected in final assembly. Construction recently began on the future USNS Apalachicola (EPF 13) in Austal USA’s state-of-the-art module manufacturing facility.