 At long, the new vessel is longer than the "Alakai", thanks to a bi-fold ramp, added by Austal to its stern, for use in austere ports without shore-side loading facilities, making it suitable for military use.The National Geographic Channel series "MegaStructures" featured an episode in September 2007 that detailed the construction, launch, and sea trials of the "Alakai", the first catamaran Hawaii Superferry.Austal USA is also currently constructing the "Independence" class of littoral combat ships for the United States Navy, based on a advanced trimaran seaframe, with one completed and a second under construction as of 2010.