Third Marine Expeditionary Force News

Seaward Services, an HMS Global Maritime company, recently marked the end of a 15-year working relationship with Austal on the Westpac Express project. Seaward Services was awarded a contract in 2001 to provide operations, maintenance and technical management. Effective June 1, 2016, while another company has taken over the charter of the vessel, Seaward Services will continue its operations, maintenance and technical management of the Westpac Express. The High-Speed Vessel (HSV) Westpac Express transports military personnel and equipment over a 1,200 mile range in Asia for the Marine Corps Third Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) and Military Sealift Command. The 101-meter vessel, home ported in Okinawa, Japan, can carry 970 troops and 236 vehicles, and travel at speeds of 35 knots.

The charter of the Austal high speed vessel 'WestPac Express' has been extended for a further six months by the United States Navy’s Military Sealift Command. The modification to the charter will see the ship continue to support the operations of the United States Marine Corps’ Third Marine Expeditionary Force through to February 2014. The contract extension comes almost exactly 12 years after Austal announced it had signed a world first contract to charter the 101 metre high speed catamaran to the US military for the rapid deployment of Marines and their equipment in the Western Pacific.

The Dept of Defense exercise a 6-month option period for worldwide charter of a US-flagged passenger/cargo ferry. The vessel will support the Marine Corps, Third Marine Expeditionary Force, and will operate out of Okinawa, Japan. US Department of Defense state that contract funds in the amount of $6,968,500 are obligated for fiscal 2013.  Work will be performed at sea worldwide, and is expected to be completed by August 2013.  Military Sealift Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

HMS Global Maritime (HMSGM) announce the extension of the HSV WestPac Express’ charter with the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command (MSC) and the Third Marine Expeditionary Force, beginning in February 2012. The contract can last up to an additional two years. The HSV WestPac Express has been operated by HMSGM for the past nine years as a high-speed transport vessel for military personnel and equipment over a 1,200 mile range in Asia. The 101-meter vessel, home ported in Okinawa, Japan, can carry 970 troops and 236 vehicles at speeds of 35 knots. Over the past nine years, the HSV WestPac Express has experienced many achievements. One of those achievements came in March…

Austal’s operation located in , celebrated the start of work on its Modular Manufacturing Facility (MMF) with a groundbreaking ceremony on July 31, 2008. Located on , just south of , the MMF project when complete will include 700,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space, 80,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space, and 60,000 sq. ft. of office space. The MMF expansion will be constructed in two phases and will ultimately accommodate a total workforce of up to 1,200 personnel in the new buildings.

The launch of (LCS 2) closely follows the recent delivery of the first Hawaii Superferry vessel. A 107 metre vehicle and passenger carrying aluminum catamaran, Superferry is Austal ’s largest construction project to date and is the largest high speed aluminum catamaran built in the . A second identical ferry is currently under construction and is scheduled for launch in September 2008. The recent purchase of an adjacent 100 acres of land and the award of $33.7m in funding from…

Having already completed two years of service supporting the operations of the US Marine Corps’ Third Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) in the Western Pacific theatre, the Austal catamaran “WestPac Express” has become the first large high speed vessel (HSV) to be registered and flagged as a commercial ship in the United States. After a competitive bid process, the HSV was first chartered in July 2001 for a “proof of concept” period. This was so successful that the Military Sealift Command signed a three year charter in January 2002, again after receiving several competing offers. The III MEF charter was the first time the US military had contracted a commercial vessel of this type for military support.

Having already completed two years of service supporting the operations of the U.S. Marine Corps' Third Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) in the Western Pacific theatre, the 101-m Austal catamaran "WestPac Express" has now achieved another distinction: it is the first large high speed vessel to be registered and flagged as a commercial ship in the U.S. After a competitive bid process, the HSV was first chartered in July 2001 for a "proof of concept" period. This was so successful that the Military Sealift Command signed a three year charter in January 2002, again after receiving several competing offers. The III MEF charter was the first time the US military had contracted a commercial vessel of this type for military support.

Although it has diversified into other vessel types in recent years, Western Australian based shipbuilding group Austal still counts fast ferries as a core market. The last year has been no exception, with the biggest news being the June announcement of an order for what will be the world's largest high-speed multihull vessel. Even more significant than the vessel's 126.7 m length overall is the fact that the cargo-vehicle-passenger ferry will be based on slender stabilized monohull hullform (more commonly referred to as a trimaran). While the experienced high-speed builder from down under touts the commercial value of the project, ramifications for its military aspirations, particularly with the U.S. armed forces, are clear.

Austal Limited secured a three-year contract with Military Sealift Command of the United States Military for the WestPac Express, a 331 ft.-high speed Theatre Support Vessel. This is the first time the US Military has contracted a commercial vessel of this type for military support. WestPac Express will be used for operations supporting the Third Marine Expeditionary Force (IIIMEF) of the United States Marine Corps. The three-year contract follows an extensive trial of the vessel during a ‘proof of concept’ charter period entered into between Austal and the US Military in July 2001. The vessel will be chartered from the financier for the contract with the United States Military.

In considering activities in the U.S. maritime industry for the short and long term, it is unwise to start the conversation without a mention of the patrol and defense needs of the country in the mounting effort to secure nearly 95,000 miles of coastline. As plans emerge during the coming weeks, months and years, the only certainty is increased funding for a variety of ships, boats and marine-borne electronic surveillance systems geared toward meeting and defeating enemy attacks, both large and small. An embodiment of the push for new technology is embodied in the activities of companies such as Larry Wieber's Aluminum Chambered Boats Inc. (ACB) in Bellingham, Wash.

By Lara B. Mathews and Karim K. High-speed aluminum vessels are well-recognized and established as providing excellent service in a number of capacities by both private and public operators. These uses include leisure travel and tours and mass transportation of passengers and vehicles. In recent years, the U.S. military has joined the ranks of high-speed vessel users by introducing U.S.-built aluminum twin-hull high-speed vessels for use as Theater Support Vessels (TSVs) and for training exercises. Despite a somewhat uncertain funding climate for these types of vessels in the military, they have performed exceptionally well with demonstrated benefits. The U.S.

Austal Hull 130 Chartering, LLC, Mobile, Ala., is being awarded a $13,395,944 firm-fixed-priced, reimbursables contract for the charter of high speed vessel MV Westpac Express. This charter is a passenger/cargo vessel that will be operated to transport Okinawa-based Marine Corps’ Third Marine Expeditionary Force and their equipment. This contract includes four one-year options, which if exercised, would bring the total award amounts to $55,285,500 plus an estimated $33,364,740 for fuel and reimbursables. The vessel will be prepositioned at sea in various locations worldwide, mainly in and around Okinawa, Japan. The contract is expected to commence in February 2007 and have a completion date of September 2007 (with options exercised the completion date will be September 2011).

Australian shipbuilder Austal Ships will design and build the world’s most powerful diesel-powered catamaran for Canadian American Transportation Systems (CATS). The contract represents a major milestone for the Austal Group in the North American market. With a speed of 42 knots, the 86 metre vehicle-passenger ferry will be the first of its type on the Great Lakes. It will operate on Lake Ontario between the cities of Rochester in New York State, USA and Toronto in Canada, with a voyage time of two hours and 15 minutes. Austal’s Managing Director, Mr Bob McKinnon, said the contract is a vital step forward in maintaining Austal’s share of the fast ferry market.

The Austal-built WestPac Express has been re-chartered by the U.S. Navy for a further period of up to 55 months (commencing on the expiry of thecurrent charter in February 2007) in which it will continue to support the operations of the US Marine Corps’ Third Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) in the Western Pacific theatre. Originally described as a Theatre Support Vessel (TSV), WestPac Express is now more commonly referred to as a High Speed Connector (HSC), and was first chartered to the III MEF in July 2001 for a proof of concept period. This was the first time the US military had contracted a commercial vessel of this type for military support.

When Austal Ltd. of Henderson, Western Australia, started looking last year for a CEO to lead its U.S.-based operations, the job description must have been daunting. They wanted a leader to take the helm of their newly built shipyard in Mobile, Ala., and turn it into a major contractor for both military and commercial vessels in the United States. Austal had recently entered the U.S. market for the first time, intent on competing with higher-profile rivals such as Incat/Bollinger, Derecktor Shipyards and Kvaerner. The company settled on Alan Lerchbacker, 50, an energetic former Navy Aquanaut with a business background, who took the position in February 2002. Lerchbacker had never heard of Austal until a headhunter contacted him.