The US Navy has extended its charter of Austal’s WestPac
Express high-speed vessel.
The West Australian reports that the Navy’s Military Sealift
Command will extend its long-term charter agreement by 10 months, with three
option periods and the potential to extend to mid-2016.
The 101-metre high catamaran – which fits 900 personnel and
can hold as much as 550 tonnes of vehicles and equipment – has been chartered from the WA shipbuilder to the US Navy since 2001.
The WestPac has a top speed of approximately 36 knots (70
kilometres per hour) and is used for the rapid deployment of marines and their
equipment.
Image: Wikipedia