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Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF)
Program Summary

The Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF), formerly called the Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV), is a shallow draft, all aluminum, commercial-based catamaran capable of intra-theater personnel and cargo lift providing combatant commanders high-speed sealift mobility with inherent cargo handling capability and agility to achieve positional advantage over operational distances. Bridging the gap between low-speed sealift and high-speed airlift, EPFs transport personnel, equipment, and supplies over operational distances with access to littoral offload points including austere, minor and degraded ports in support of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT)/Theater Security Cooperation Program (TSCP); Intra-theater Operational/Littoral Maneuver and Sustainment; and Seabasing. The EPFs enable the rapid projection, agile maneuver, and sustainment of modular, tailored forces in response to a wide range of military and civilian contingencies such as Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations (NEO), humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief.

Ship Sponsor Ms. Virginia A. Kamsky breaks the champagne bottle across the bow of JHSV 5  
Ship Sponsor Ms. Virginia A. Kamsky breaks the champagne bottle across the bow of JHSV 5 during the christening ceremony for the USNS Trenton on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2015 at Austal USA in Mobile, Ala. Standing beside Ms. Kamsky are Honor Attendant Michael Kamsky and Austal USA President Craig Perciavalle. Also watching are the Honorable Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy; CAPT Susan Orsini, United States Merchant Marine; and the Honorable Eric Jackson, mayor of Trenton, N.J. (U.S. Navy photo Courtesy Austal USA/Released).
The EPF is designed to transport 600 short tons 1,200 nautical miles at an average speed of 35 knots in sea state 3. The ships are capable of operating in shallow-draft ports and waterways, interfacing with roll-on/roll-off discharge facilities, and on/off-loading a combat-loaded Abrams Main Battle Tank. The EPFs include a flight deck for helicopter operations and an off-load ramp that allows vehicles to quickly drive off the ship. The ramp is suitable for the types of austere piers and quay walls common in developing countries. The shallow draft of the EPF (under 15 feet) will further enhance littoral operations and port access. This makes the ship an extremely flexible asset for support of a wide range of operations including maneuver and sustainment, relief operations in small or damaged ports, flexible logistics support, or as the key enabler for rapid transport.

EPFs have a crew of 22 manned by civilian mariners with airline style seating for more than 312 embarked forces and fixed berthing for an additional 104. Military Sealift Command operates and sustains the EPFs, which will be allocated via global force management for theater security cooperation service unique missions, intra-theater sealift, and special missions.

On Nov. 13, 2008, the Navy awarded Austal USA, Mobile, AL. a fixed-price incentive contract modification for detail design and construction of one EPF. The contract modification also included options for the construction of up to nine additional ships and associated shore-based spares. All contract options have been awarded. Long lead time material for an 11th ship was awarded in October 2015.

The Navy has accepted delivery of five EPFs. USNS Trenton (T-EPF 5) was the most recent, being delivered in April 2015. Brunswick (EPF 6) is planned for delivery in January 2016.

The shipbuilding program initially divided the ten prospective ships of the EPF class into five ships for assignment to the Army and five ships for the Navy. However, during Army/Navy Warfighter Talks in December 2010, both services agreed to transfer the Army’s five ships to the Navy. The Navy is now managing the initial 10 ship program.


Updated Dec 2015
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