Austal USA christened the expeditionary fast transport Burlington (EPF 10) at its shipbuilding facility in Mobile, Ala., Saturday. The new EPF is the 10th of 12 EPFs that Austal has under contract with the Navy with a combined value of over $1.9 billion.
Nine Spearhead-class EPFs have been delivered and are in service as an affordable solution to fulfilling the Military Sealift Command’s requirements worldwide. The City of Bismarck was delivered to the Navy in late 2017 and three more EPFs are under construction at Austal’s Mobile shipyard.
In addition to being in full production for the EPF program, Austal is also the Navy’s prime contractor for the Independence-variant of the littoral combat ship (LCS) program. Austal has delivered six LCSes, another will be delivered this week, while an additional six are in various stages of construction.
“Austal is excited to get Burlington one step closer to joining the fleet,” Austal USA president Craig Perciavalle said in a statement announcing the christening. “The efficiency at which this complex ship has come together is truly remarkable and a testament to the incredible talent of our shipbuilding professionals here at Austal USA.”
“EPFs are operating around the world supporting maritime security operations, humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, logistics support, and multiple international and joint exercises,” Rear Adm. Dee L. Mewbourne, commander, Military Sealift Command, said during the ceremony. “The expeditionary fast transport class, characterized by speed, capacity, adaptability, and innovation, is part of the Navy."
Austal USA is a subsidiary of Australian-based Austal Ltd. Austal USA also has offices in San Diego, Washington, D.C., and Singapore.
