Expeditionary Fast Transport
new ship type renamed from
Joint High Speed Vessels

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High Speed Vessel, HSV
    Joint Venture (HSV-X1) 315-foot catamaran ferry to deliver troops and equipment. Joint Venture is capable of carrying 363 persons, military vehicles and equipment more than 1,110 nautical miles at a speed greater than 35 knots. Without a heavy load, the ferry reaches 50 miles per hour. Draft is 12-foot.
  Oct 2001 - Joint Venture leased from an Australian company for four years to the U.S. Army's Tank-Automotive and Armament Command, it has been modified with a landing pad for large helicopters ; vehicle ramp for rapid loading and discharging of vehicles from the stern or alongside. The Navy operated Joint Venture with mixed army and navy crew. New vessels will be configured to meet the specifications required by each of the services.
  4Feb03 Experimental One (HSV-X1) made a brief stop in Rota, Spain, while underway in support of the global war on terrorism. Mar'03 Naval special warfare forces are using the high-speed catamaran Joint Venture (HSV-X1).

    Army has TSV (Theater Support Vessel)-1X Spearhead. accepted Jan'03.   The Army sees the ship as able to carry four M1 Abrams tanks, 200-300 troops, 600 tons of cargo and helicopter -- is expected to order a dozen in March'04 to supplement the LSV. (The Army operates 300 watercraft.) Specifications include:
• Average speed: 40+ knots
• Self-deployment range: 4726+ NM
• Troops plus gear: 350+
• Cargo space: 25-30,000 sq. ft/ISO container capable
• Helicopter flight deck
• Load/discharge in less than 20 minutes
The primary mission for the Theater Support Vessel (TSV) is to lift soldiers with their equipment together, along with food, water and fuel. The TSV moved the 101st Airborne Division military police from Djibouti to Kuwait, making the 2,000-mile trip in 2-1/2 days. The LSV would have needed 10 days to make the voyage and could only hold equipment, requiring the troops to fly separately. The TSV also carried 500 tons of ammunition from Jordan's Aqaba Port to Kuwait and hauled two Patriot missile battalions from Qatar to Kuwait during theater testing.
  May 19 . Spearhead will head back to the Persian Gulf soon. Tests have worked well and the Army gave notice it wants one TSV built to its specifications, with the possibility of 15 more to follow. First due 2011. This is not an assault ship.
2 May 2011 -- All Army TSV were transferred to the Navy's Military Sealift Command. JHSV 1 is expected to be launched in June 2011 (17Sep'11)and delivered in Dec'11
16 Aug;12 -- Passed acceptance trials.
Dec 5. JHSV-1 Spearhead accepted by MSC.

    Swift (HSV-2) is a wave piercing, aluminum-hulled, commercial catamaran vessel with military enhancements, such as a helicopter flight deck, a small boat or unmanned vehicle launch and recovery capability, modifiable berthing compartments, enhanced ramps for military vehicles and a robust communications suite. On trials in Australia made a sustained 40 knots. Draft is 12-foot. Crew of 40. Length 320 feet, 28,000 sf of deck space. Mission configurations include maritime interdiction, mine warfare, littoral access, homeland security, expeditious troop and equipment transport and a host of other possibilities. Some see the ship as a stepping-stone to the littoral combat ship. (close to shore, Fletcher class DD sized ships)
June2003 - delivered to Naval Shipyard Ingleside . 10Oct03 - Northern Arabian Gulf . 6Nov03 - arrived South Africa to participate with local military units in West African Training Cruise 2004 (WATC 04) . 20Dec03 . Swift (HSV 2) to stop at Little Creek and Washington before going to its home port at Ingleside, TX. Apr'04, joint exercises off Norway. July'04, exercises in Hawaii.
    The fourth catamaran will serve with Mine Warfare as command ship.
  Sept '05. Ran relief supplies from Pensacola to New Orleans to resupply Iwo Jima (LHD 7) in shallow water where navigation aids were disrupted by hurricane. 2012 at Africa Partnership Station.
Pictures transiting Panama Canal.

JHSV -- Joint High Speed Vessel Nov 19, 2005 . All four military services concurred with the decision to procurement of the lead ship for Fy08. Army and Marine Corps will be capable of transporting company-sized units with their vehicles, or reconfigure to become a troop transport for an infantry battalion. The 338 foot JHSV will not be a combatant vessel but will be similar to high-speed commercial ferries.
  Lng 338', Beam 93.5', Disp. 2362 tons, Prop. water jet ; Rng. 1,200 n. miles at 35 knots (40mph). Spd 43Kn (50mph)
  20,000 sq ft mission bay, 600 tons cargo; seating 312 or sleep 104,; Crew 22 civil service.
2009 . Contract let for twelve with Austal USA . First ship of contract to be for Army, due 2012
June'10. Keel lain.
Plans called for 10 Army and 10 Navy/Marines ; odd numbers for Army, even to Navy. Talks in December 2010 now place all under Navy as non-combatant ships of MCS with civilian crew.
2012 MSC is renaming those ordered by Army and future ferries to county names -- a'la WW2 LSTs.
Expeditionary Support Fast Transport. was JHSV. Operated by Military Sealift Command

Type	12 authorized	Comm	Length	Disp
JHSV-1	USNS Spearhead	2013	338'	2,363	Christen Sep'11	Accepted MSC Dec'12	Rota Spain 27Jan'14
JHSV-2	USNS Choctaw County ex.Vigilant	2013	338'	2,400	Christen 15Sep'12	Delivered MSC 6Jun'13
JHSV-3	USNS Millinocket, ex.Fortitude	2014	338	2,359	Launched 5Jun'13	Accepted 24Mar'14	to Pac with Mercy AH-19
JHSV-4	USNS Fall River	2014	338	2,460	Christen 27Jan'14	Accepted 15Sep'14
JHSV-5	USNS Trenton, ex. Resolute	2015	338	2,460	Launched 30Sep'14	Christen 10Jan'15	Accepted 14Apr'15
EPF-6	USNS Brunswick	2016	338	2,460	Named Apr'13 ; Keel 02Dec'14	Christen 9May'15	Delivered 14Jan'16
EPF-7	USNS Carson City	2016	338	2,460	named 13Apr'13	Launched 16Jan'16	Accept tested 6Jun'16
EPF-8	USNS Yuma	2017Apr	338	2,460	awarded 27Feb'13	Launched 20Sep'16	Accepted 21Apr'17
EPF-9	USNS Bismarck	2017Dec	338	2,460	awarded 27Feb'13	Launched 9Jun'17. Builders Trials Sep'17	Accepted 19Dec'17
EPF-10	USNS Burlington	2018	338	2,460	awarded 20Dec'12. Keel 26Sep'17.	Christen 24Feb'18/Launch1Mar'18.	Accp Test Aug'18
EPF-11	USNS Puerto Rico		338	2,360	named 15Dec'16 ; Construction Sept'17 ; Keel Aug'18
EPF-12	USNS Newport		338	2,360	awarded 16Sep'16. Construction Sept '17
High-Speed Transport
HST-1	USNS Guam (ex. superferry Huakai)	2009	373	1,646	Purchased 2010
HST-2	Alakai (ex. superferry Alakai)	2007	349	1,646	Purchased 2010	Charter to Maine 2016



14Jan'16 The Navy has spent almost $2.4 million strengthening the bow of the first four JHSV vessels delivered after damages were exerienced from heavy waves. The retrofits have added 1,736 pounds to the ship’s weight, displacing 250 gallons of fuel.

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    Military Sealift Command operating approximately 110 ships.
    Next Generation
Testimony March 2012
Testimony March 2011
USN Program Status 2010 180 page PDF.
2009
Navy Fact Files
This page extracted from Next Generation as the units have become mainstream with the fleet.