Austal USA christened Expeditionary Quick Transport USNS Apalachicola (EPF-13) throughout a ceremony at its state-of-the-art ship manufacturing facility. Austal has delivered twelve EPFs since December 2012. USNS Apalachicola is slated for supply this summer time. The Honorable Kelly Loeffler, ship sponsor of USNS Apalachicola, carried out the ceremonial bottle break over the bow of the ship, the thirteenth EPF designed and constructed by Austal USA and the second U.S. Navy ship to be named after the Florida coast metropolis. The primary Navy ship named Apalachicola (YTB-767), A Natick-class massive harbor tug, was additionally inbuilt Cellular at Cellular Ship Restore in 1963.
EPFs have carried out humanitarian help, catastrophe aid, maritime safety, surveillance, command and management, counter narcotics, and extra operations in nearly each area of the world. A singular attribute of EPF 13 is that Austal USA has been contracted to design, procure, implement, and show EPF 13 as an autonomous platform, permitting EPF 13 to function autonomously whereas retaining the aptitude for manned operation, decreasing price and centralizing ship operations to the bridge. Apalachicola (EPF 13) is certainly one of two Expeditionary Quick Transport ships Austal USA is presently constructing for the U.S. Navy, whereas the beginning of building on the long run USNS Level Loma (EPF 15) will start on the finish of this month.
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“At this time we have fun the christening of the thirteenth EPF with an Austal crew of greater than 3,000 staff,” expressed Austal USA President Rusty Murdaugh. “Apalachicola’s sister ships are efficiently supporting naval instructions on the US East and West Coasts, together with ahead deployments within the Center East, Africa, Mediterranean, South America, and Asia areas. Within the coming months, this extremely advanced, high-speed ship will be part of the others to assist our nice Navy.”
EPF class ships are designed to move 600 brief tons of navy cargo 1,200 nautical miles at a mean pace of 35 knots. The ship can function in shallow-draft ports and waterways, interfacing with roll-on/roll-off discharge services and on/off-loading the Abrams essential battle tank (M1A2). The EPF features a flight deck for helicopter operations and an off-load ramp that can enable automobiles to drive off the ship rapidly. EPF’s shallow draft (lower than 15 ft) additional enhances littoral operations and port entry. This makes the EPF a particularly versatile asset for assist of a variety of operations, together with maneuver and sustainment, aid operations in small or broken ports, versatile logistics assist, or as the important thing enabler for speedy transport.
