Austal Hosts Christening of New Expeditionary Fast Transport USNS Carson City (EPF 7)

Austal celebrated the christening of Expeditionary Fast Transport USNS Carson City (EPF 7) with a ceremony at its state-of-the-art shipyard at Mobile, Alabama, United States.

USNS Carson City is the seventh of 10 Expeditionary Fast Transport vessels (EPF), formerly joint high-speed vessels (JHSV), that Austal has under contract with the U.S. Navy as part of a $1.6 billion 10-ship block-buy contract.

EPF 7, a 338-foot shallow draft aluminum catamaran, is a multi-mission, non-combatant transport vessel characterized by its high volume, high speed, and flexibility. It is the second U.S. Navy ship to be named Carson City after the capital city of Nevada.

When Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus officially named EPF 7 "USNS Carson City" in April 2013, he proclaimed, "Carson City displays American values of community, ingenuity, and perseverance at their best." He said he chose to name the ship after Carson City to honor those values and the men and women of the community, as well as the state of Nevada.

Carson City will soon join her sister EPFs that have been delivered over the last three years, including USNS Spearhead (T-EPF 1), which has over 100,000 nautical miles at sea and is currently on her fifth deployment since she was delivered in 2012.

"We're very excited to christen Carson City, and at how well this ship is coming together," said Austal USA president Craig Perciavalle. "The EPF program has really matured very well thanks to the incredible shipbuilding team we have here at Austal, including our Navy teammates."

The ship's sponsor, Susan Asbury Crowell, is the daughter of U.S. Air Force Colonel Robert Asbury and wife of Captain Robert Crowell, USN (Retired). Susan and her husband have called Carson City home since the early 1970s. Active in her community, Susan has been a long-standing member of the Nevada Opera Association as well as president of the Brewery Arts Board of Directors and a member of the Mile High Jazz Band board, two of the premier organizations promoting all art forms in Nevada's capital city. She has also served on the Carson Tahoe Hospital Foundation board of directors and is currently a member of the Carson Tahoe Hospital advisory board.

More than 300 naval guests, civic leaders, community members, and Austal employees attended the ceremony held beneath the hull of the ship in Austal's final assembly bay.

Three EPFs and six Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) are currently under construction in Austal's Mobile, Ala. yard. The company is scheduled to launch EPF 7 before the end of the month, while the future USS Montgomery (LCS 8) prepares for its acceptance sea trials later this spring.

Austal USA operates a full-service shipyard offering design, construction, and high-speed vessel service and repair. As Austal continues to expand its service and repair capabilities, the company is well-positioned for new business with advanced engineering, test and trials capabilities, a west coast operations office in San Diego, and a state-of-the-art waterfront facility located in the Port of Mobile on Mobile Bay.

Austal is a global defense prime contractor and a designer and manufacturer of defense and commercial ships. For more than 25 years, Austal has been a leader in the design, construction, and maintenance of revolutionary ships for governments, navies, and ferry operators around the world. More than 250 vessels have been delivered in that time.

Defense vessels designed and built by Austal include multi-mission combatants, such as the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) for the U.S. Navy and military high-speed vessels for transport and humanitarian relief, such as the Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) for the U.S. Navy and High-Speed Support Vessel (HSSV) for the Royal Navy of Oman. Austal also designs, constructs, integrates, and maintains an extensive range of patrol and auxiliary vessels for government agencies globally, including the Cape Class Patrol Boat Program for Australian Border Force. Defense vessels are designed and constructed in Mobile, Ala. and in Henderson, Western Australia.

Austal has been at the forefront of the high-speed ferry market since the early days of the industry. Its market-leading designs of high-performance aluminum vessels have long been at the heart of Austal's research and development. Today, commercial ship construction is centered on Austal's shipyard in Balamban, Philippines.

Austal has expertise in integrating complex systems into its ships, including ride control, ship management, communication, sensors, and weapon systems. Austal provides a wide range of support services, including through-life support, integrated logistics support, vessel sustainment, and systems support. These services are delivered through its global support network in the USA, Australia, Asia, and the Middle East together with partner shipyards worldwide.

This article was originally published on Marine & Industrial Report newspaper Vol 38  No.1  Issue last February 29,2016.