Burlington (EPF 10) Passes Acceptance Trials
The U.S. Navy’s 10th Expeditionary Fast Transport ship, Burlington, completed acceptance trials, August 3 after two days of underway evaluation in the Gulf of Mexico.
The ship demonstrated the readiness of its equipment and systems for operations, both dockside and underway, for the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey. The ship returned to the Austal USA shipyard in Mobil Ala. and will now begin preparations for delivery to the Navy later this year.
“Acceptance trials are a major step towards delivering Burlington to the Navy,” said Capt. Scot Searles, Strategic and Theater Sealift program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. “The ship performed very well this week, which is a great reflection of the commitment of our industry and government team to delivering quality ships.”
EPFs are versatile, noncombatant vessels designed to operate in shallow-draft ports and waterways, increasing operational flexibility for a wide range of activities including maneuver and sustainment, relief operations in small or damaged ports, flexible logistics support, or as the key enabler for rapid transport.
They are capable of interfacing with roll-on/roll-off discharge facilities, as well as on/off-loading vehicles such as a fully combat-loaded Abrams Main Battle Tank. Each vessel includes a flight deck to support day and night aircraft launch and recovery operations. Burlington will have airline-style seating for 312 embarked forces with fixed berthing for 104. Also under construction at Austal are future Puerto Rico (EPF 11) and Newport (EPF 12).
As one of the Defense Department's largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, sealift ships, support ships, boats and craft.