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Marines keeping Okinawa high-speed ferry

A high-speed ferry used by Marine Corps in Okinawa, Japan, has had its charter renewed and will continue operating for up to another two years, the Pentagon announced Thursday.

The Australian-built WestPac Express has been operating under the control of the III Marine Expeditionary Force since 2001. The ship can carry vehicles and cargo, while up to 970 passengers sit in airplane-style seats. Capable of speeds up to 36 knots, the ship is run by 14 contract mariners working for the Military Sealift Command.

The base period of the new charter is for the ship’s operation into August 2012, with three six-month option periods that would extend the service to January 2014. Base value of the fixed-price charter is $8.2 million, but the value of the contract rises to more than $30 million if all the options are exercised.

The contract announcement noted that three offers were received to provide high-speed ferry service to the Marines.

The 331-foot-long aluminum catamaran ferry was built by Austal in western Australia. Ten similar ships are being built by Austal USA in Mobile, Ala., under the Joint High Speed Vessel program for the Navy and Army.

In addition to moving military cargo throughout the Far East, the WestPac Express was active in March in providing disaster relief services in northeast Japan after the earthquake and tsunami devastated the region.