Austal USA Awarded $44M to Develop Autonomous Version of Spearhead-class EPF
June 9, 2021 6:25 PM
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. Navy photo
The builder of the Navy’s Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) has won a $44 million contract to develop an autonomous version of the aluminum catamaran, according to a June 7 Pentagon contract announcement.
The modification to the future USNS
Apalachicola (EPF-13) will allow the 1,500-ton ship the option to operate either autonomously or in a manned configuration, according to a statement from Austal USA.