Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF)

House Armed Services Committee Adds Money for EPF, Footstomps Need for Second Virginia SSN

Moon over U.S. Capitol on Nov. 13, 2016. NASA Photo

The House Armed Services Committee reiterated its support for Navy shipbuilding today in an all-day markup of its annual defense bill, voting to include money for an additional Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) and issuing an opening argument to the Senate for an additional Virginia-class attack submarine.

A key difference in the House and Senate versions of the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act is the Virginia SSN program....

Marines, Navy Both Considering Something Like an Offshore Support Vessel to Supplement Amphibs

A Naval Sea Systems Command-developed Iraqi 60-meter Offshore Support Vessel. US Navy briefing material indicate that early versions of the service’s large unmanned surface vessels could be based on OSV designs. US Navy Photo

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO – As the Navy and the Marine Corps narrow in on what their future amphibious operations might look like, they are considering acquiring something akin to an Offshore Support Vessel to help Marines distribute around a littoral environment in a...

https://news.usni.org/2019/09/20/marines-navy-both-considering-something-like-an-offshore-support-vessel-to-supplement-amphibs

Expeditionary Fast Transport Undergoes First Fast-Tracked Integrated Sea Trials

The future USNS Puerto Rico (T-EPF 11). Navy photo

In a move designed to hasten the speed of Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transports (EPFs) joining the fleet, the shipbuilder completed a first-ever integrated builder’s and acceptance trials at sea for the future USNS Puerto Rico (T-EPF-11).

Conducting integrated trials enabled builder Austal USA to demonstrate to the Navy Puerto Rico’s operational capability and mission readiness of all ship systems during a single two-day underway,...

https://news.usni.org/2019/08/26/expeditionary-fast-transport-undergoes-first-fast-tracked-integrated-sea-trials

Austal Counting on LCS and EPF Demand to Boost FY 2020 Earnings

Austal USA rendering of proposed EPF hospital ship. Austal USA

Australian-based Austal Limited predicts its work building U.S. Navy ships in Alabama and ferries in Australia will drive an increase in earnings this year, according to a statement released by company executives.

Austal builds the Littoral Combat Ship and expeditionary fast transport at its Mobile, Ala., shipyard, and the financial performance of this yard was cited as being a key component of the company’s overall financial...

https://news.usni.org/2019/07/17/austal-counting-on-lcs-and-epf-demand-to-boost-fy-2020-earnings

Navy: Next Force Structure Assessment Likely to Require More Small Combatants, Supply Ships

Littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS-4) transits the Bohol Sea on June, 22 2017, US Navy Photo

CAPITOL HILL – The Navy’s shift to a distributed maritime operations concept and turnover in top operational commands has created “more moving parts” in conducting a new force structure assessment, the Navy’s deputy chief of naval operations for warfare systems told lawmakers this week.

Vice Adm. Bill Merz told the House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee on Tuesday that the...

Navy’s $3.2B Unfunded List Includes Asks for Attack Boat Repair Money, ‘Ambulance’ Vessel

The Austal USA EPF medical concept would accommodate a MV-22 Osprey. AUSTAL USA Image

Finding $653 million for a trio of submarines that the Navy is trying to repair in private yards and $49 million to convert a Military Sealift Command ship into an ‘ambulance’ for naval forces top the Navy’s unfunded priorities list that was delivered to Congress on Friday.

The $3.2 billion in spending items the service needs but could not include in the Defense Department’s formal budget request splits the...

https://news.usni.org/2019/03/25/navys-3-2b-unfunded-list-includes-asks-attack-boat-repair-money-ambulance-vessel

Pacific Partnership 2019 Puts Expeditionary Fast Transports in the Role of Command Ships

Expeditionary fast transport ship USNS Brunswick (T-EPF 6) departs Naval Base Guam, passing the MSC expeditionary fast transport ship USNS Fall River (T-EPF 4) and marking the start of Pacific Partnership 2019. US Navy photo

A pair of expeditionary fast transport ships (EPFs) are playing a key role in this year’s multi-national Pacific Partnership 2019 exercise focused on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in the region.

The exercise commanders are embarked aboard USNS Brunswick...

https://news.usni.org/2019/03/04/pacific-partnership-2019-starts-using-expeditionary-fast-transports-as-command-ships

Federal Agents Comb Through Austal USA Shipyard as Part of Apparent Financial Investigation

USS Tulsa (LCS-16) launched on March 15, 2017. Austal USA photo.

This post will be updated as additional information is available.

Federal agents visited Littoral Combat Ship manufacturer Austal USA in their Mobile, Ala. shipyard as part of an unspecified investigation involving the U.S. Navy, according to local media.

“Department of Defense, NCIS and [the Defense Criminal Investigative Service] have been seen on site,” according to NBC 15 in Mobile, Ala.
“Investigators are expected to be on site...

https://news.usni.org/2019/01/24/austal-usa-part-unknown-investigation-federal-agents-comb-shipyard

Navy Wants 2 Variants Next Common Auxiliary Hull: One for People, One for Volume

The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Greenville (SSN 772) prepares to moor alongside the submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39), Dec. 9, 2018, near Puerto Princessa, Philippines. Emory S. Land is a forward-deployed expeditionary submarine tender on an extended deployment conducting coordinated tended moorings and afloat maintenance in the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet areas of operations. US Navy photo.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Navy now plans to design and field two hulls under the Common Hull...

https://news.usni.org/2019/01/16/navy-wants-2-variants-next-common-auxiliary-hull-one-people-one-volume

Navy Developing New Mine Countermeasures USV for Littoral Combat Ships

A developmental, early variant of the Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle (CUSV) autonomously conducts maneuvers on the Potomac River Test Range on March 28, 2018. US Navy Photo

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Last week Naval Sea Systems Command won Pentagon approval to develop a mine countermeasure unmanned surface vehicle as part of the Navy’s ongoing effort to replace its aging MCM infrastructure.

The goal is to create a platform that can accommodate several different modular systems for mine hunting, mine...

https://news.usni.org/2018/10/17/navy-developing-new-mine-countermeasures-usv-littoral-combat-ships

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