Austal's Fifth Joint High Speed Vessel USNS Trenton Completes Acceptance Trials

: Posted On Wednesday, 25 March 2015 14:53

Naval Defense Industry News - USA

Austal's Fifth Joint High Speed Vessel USNS Trenton Completes Acceptance Trials

Austal Limited (Austal) is pleased to announce that Joint High Speed Vessel 5 (JHSV 5), USNS Trenton, has successfully completed US Navy acceptance trials. The trials, the last significant milestone before delivery, were undertaken in the Gulf of Mexico and involved comprehensive testing of the vessel’s major systems and equipment by the US Navy.

Joint High-Speed Vessel USNS Spearhead departs on Maiden Deployment
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Phil Beaufort/Released)

Austal Chief Executive Officer Andrew Bellamy said it was pleasing that acceptance trials on USNS Trenton had been successfully completed.

“The JHSV program is in a mature, efficient phase of construction and USNS Trenton is the latest example of Austal’s ability to design and construct high-quality defence vessels for the US Navy,” Mr Bellamy said.

After delivery of JHSV 5, Austal will deliver a further five Joint High Speed Vessels from its shipyard at Mobile, Alabama, under a 10-ship, US$1.6 billion contract from the US Navy. Of those, USNS Brunswick (JHSV 6) is expected to be launched later in the year, with construction on USNS Carson City (JHSV 7) progressing well. Metal cutting began recently for USNS Yuma (JHSV 8).

Since delivery of USNS Spearhead (JHSV 1), Joint High Speed Vessels have supported US defence operations in European, African, South and Pacific command areas of responsibility.