High-speed cargo vessel joins Navy

High-speed cargo vessel joins Navy    The U.S. Navy this weekend christened the USNS Spearhead, its first joint high-speed vessels designed for rapid intra-theater transport of troops and military equipment, during a ceremony at Austal USA in Mobile, Ala.
   Military Sealift Command will own and operate Spearhead and the other joint high-speed vessels under contract to be built for the Navy. Spearhead will be crewed by 22 civil service mariners working for Military Sealift Command who will operate, navigate and maintain the ship.
   The 338-foot-long aluminum catamarans are designed to be “fast, flexible and maneuverable, even in shallow waters, making them ideal for transporting troops and equipment quickly within a theater of operations,” the Navy said.
   The vessels are capable of transporting 600 short tons of military troops, vehicles, supplies and equipment 1,200 nautical miles at an average speed of 35 knots and can operate in shallow-draft, austere ports and waterways. Each vessel also has sleeping accommodations for up to 146 personnel and airline-style seating for up to 312.
   The Navy’s contract with Austal is for construction of 10 joint high-speed vessels, three of which are yet-to-be awarded construction options. The first four of the 10 under contract — including Spearhead— will be crewed by federally employed civil service mariners, while the next six are slated to be crewed by civilian mariners working for private companies under contract to Military Sealift Command.
   The Military Sealift Command operates about 110 noncombatant, U.S. merchant mariner-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships, conduct specialized missions, strategically preposition combat cargo at sea around the world, and move military cargo and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces and allies.