The Royal Navy of Oman has taken possession of the first High Speed Support Vessel, RNOV Al Mubshir.
The RNOV Al Mubshir is the first of two 72 metre High Speed Support Vessels (HSSVs) to be delivered to the Royal Navy of Oman under a US$124.9 million design, construct and integrated logistics support contract.
Austal began construction of the HSSVs in August 2014 at its Henderson, Western Australia shipyard. The second HSSV is scheduled to be delivered later in CY2016, in line with the contract.
The first-of-class naval vessels are an evolution of the Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) platform, developed for the United States Navy by Austal, now operating with US Military Sealift Command.
The 38 knot, all-aluminium HSSV carries up to 260 embarked troops and equipment and vehicles. Featuring a shallow draft of 3 metres, a 900sqm vehicle deck, 395 tonne carrying capacity and medium-lift aviation capability (for a NH-90 helicopter), the HSSV provides support for both open ocean and coastal missions, the Australian company said.