The US Navy has awarded ST Engineering North America subsidiary Halter Marine a contract option for the service's fifth Auxiliary Personnel Lighter-Small (APL(S)) 67 class berthing and messing barge.
Construction of the vessel will begin before the end of August 2021.
Once completed, the vessel will have a length of 269 feet (82 metres), a beam of 68 feet (20.95 metres), and a draught of 7.2 feet (2.2 metres). It will be equipped with offices, classrooms, washrooms, laundry facilities, medical treatment areas, a barber shop, a fitness centre, and mess seating for 224 enlisted personnel and 28 officers.
There will also be mixed gender berthing spaces for 74 officers and 537 enlisted personnel, for a total of 611 people.
