Westpac Express Gets New Charter

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). The contract will be funded with FY 2007 funds that will expire at the end of fiscal year 07. This contract was competitively procured with 100 proposals solicited and eight offers received. The U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity