Tag Archives: Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF)

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

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

This post has been updated to note the markup ended and the bill will next be heading to a House floor vote. 

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. Read More

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

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 future fight. Read More

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

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. Read More

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

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. Read More

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

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.

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

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 has been updated to include additional information on Austal USA’s financial history with the Littoral Combat Ship program.

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

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

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 Auxiliary Multi-Mission Platform (CHAMP) program, after the program office realized the five mission areas CHAMP seeks to cover fit neatly into people-centric and volume-centric categories. Read More