Austal USA has begun construction on the 15th Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport (EPF) slated for the US Navy.
Like its sisters, the future USNS Point Loma will be used to provide high-speed, shallow draught transportation capabilities to support the intra-theatre movement of personnel, supplies, and equipment for the US Navy, the US Army, and the US Marine Corps.
The vessel will also be capable of secondary missions including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) and maritime security.
The future Point Loma and the 14th EPF, the future USNS Cody, are both Flight II variants of the Spearhead-class transports. The main distinguishing attributes of the Flight II EPFs will be their enhanced medical capabilities, which will enable them to operate as high-speed vessels to complement the navy's larger hospital ships.
