Brenda Marie Rivers
Austal USAÂ conducted the christening for the future USNS Puerto Rico at its Mobile, Ala., shipbuilding site on Saturday.
Austal said Saturday that Puerto Rico is the 11th expeditionary fast transport vessel slated for delivery to the U.S. Navy under a $1.9B contract to support the Military Sealift Command.
The company has delivered nine of the 12 Spearhead-class EPFs to the Navy, with the future USNS Burlington, or EPF 10, slated for delivery this month.
The service branch issued a delivery order in October for long lead-time materials needed to build EPF 13.
“Puerto Rico is one step closer to joining her sister ships in supporting important missions across the globe,†said Austal President Craig Perciavalle.
Austal is currently constructing six Independence-variant littoral combat ships that will be added to the nine LCS the company has already delivered to the Navy.
